24KIT
Travel Smart
Essential tips for managing Type 1 diabetes
Abroad, by John Bainbridge.
John Bainbridge founded
Insurance 4 Insulin pumps
following his daughter Kate's
Type 1 diabetes diagnosis
when she was four years old. She is
now in her twenties. Here he shares
some of his top travel tips as the
holiday season approaches.
Travelling with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
requires meticulous planning and
preparation to ensure a safe and
enjoyable trip. Here are some tips
I have picked up over the years to
help manage your condition while
exploring new destinations.
1. Research your
destination
Identify nearest hospitals, just
in case. Know where the closest
hospitals are for any emergency
treatment that might be required.
Locate insulin sources - find out
where you can get insulin supplies, if
needed.
Kit and medication supplied: ensure
you have enough supplies from
suppliers, like pump pods or refills,
and enough CGMs with inserters,
and insulin and other medication.
Also double-check you have the
necessary batteries and/or chargers.
2. Double up!
Adopt a 'two bags' strategy. Split
your diabetes supplies into two bags
in case of theft or loss and include
spare supplies in each bag. This
assumes you are not travelling alone.
Cool bags for insulin: you can use
cool bags to keep insulin at the right
temperature during your journey
and to carry extra insulin in case of
delays.
3. Pack snacks
and tabs
Travel delays often happened over
the years that we went overseas and
it is so important to always have
snacks, glucose tablets (or similar
hypo treatments), and food on hand.
4. Plan for meals
When it comes to travel logistics:
Be mindful of meal times while
travelling and at your destination.
Arriving late at night might mean
restaurants and supermarkets
are closed. For example, once we
arrived late in Tenerife and had
to find a 24-hour petrol station so
we could buy food. Consider selfcatering
accommodations to control