A trip to South-East Asia is a wonderful experience, but if you depend on temperature-sensitive refrigerated medication such as injections, it calls for extra preparation. To store your medication safely, both during the flight and at your destinations, it is important to consider a number of questions. Below, we give essential tips and advice to help your trip run smoothly.
1. How Much Will You Be Moving Around?
One of the most important questions when preparing to transport your medication in South-East Asia is: how much will you actually be moving around? If you stay in one place with access to a fridge and freezer, a cooling bag can be a handy and lightweight solution. But if you change location regularly and have no access to reliable cooling, an electric cool box may be the better choice.
2. Flight from Home to Asia: Medication Cooling Bag in Hand Luggage
For the flight from home to South-East Asia, we recommend taking a medication cooling bag in your hand luggage. This keeps your medication safely with you and prevents it from getting lost in checked luggage. Our recommendations are:
- LifeinaBag24: For fewer than 5 injections. This bag provides cooling at 2-8°C for 24 hours and is compact, which makes it handy for hand luggage.
- iCool Compact: For 5 to 20 injections. This bag keeps your medication at 2-8°C for up to 36 hours and has a larger capacity, perfect for longer journeys or more medication.
For medication with a storage range of 16-25°C, we recommend the Easybag Classic, which provides an ideal temperature and is easy to use.
3. Cooling Options Where You Stay: Freezer and Fridge
Where you are staying, it is important to know whether you have access to a freezer and fridge. A freezer is essential for freezing your gel packs; they must be frozen at -18°C for at least 18 hours. If your accommodation also has a fridge, you can opt for a cooling bag. This is a handy and portable solution if you mainly stay in one place or occasionally make short trips.
4. Travelling Without Cooling Facilities: The LifeinaBox
If you are travelling through South-East Asia at a faster pace and have no access to a freezer or fridge, consider an electric cool box such as the LifeinaBox. This cool box provides constant cooling for medication and is designed for mobile conditions. Please note that space is limited, so it is less suitable for a large amount of medication.
5. Ambient Temperature, Humidity and Cooling Time of Cooling Bags
Our cooling bags have been tested at an ambient temperature of 24.4°C. In warmer conditions, the cooling time may decrease because the cooling bags have to work harder to keep the temperature low. The higher the ambient temperature, the shorter the time the cooling bag keeps cooling effectively.
For the LifeinaBox, humidity also plays a role. The LifeinaBox can cool to 8°C at an outside temperature of 35°C. If humidity is extremely high, this can have a negative effect on the maximum outside temperature.
6. Tips for Getting the Most out of Your Cooling Bag
- Keep it out of the sun: Make sure your cooling bag is never in direct sunlight, to prevent the internal temperature from rising quickly.
- Extra insulation in a bag: By placing your cooling bag in an extra bag or insulating cover, you minimise temperature fluctuations and the temperature stays more stable.
7. Handy Accessories and Smart Tips for the Road
For a smooth trip with medication, there are a few extras that make life a lot easier:
- Antibacterial wipes and hand gel: Keep your hands clean, especially when administering medication. This is extra important in busy, hot areas where hygiene can sometimes be a challenge.
- First-aid kit with the basics: A small first-aid kit with plasters, bandages and painkillers is handy for minor mishaps on the way.
- Store medical records digitally: Make copies of your medical documents, such as your passport and prescriptions, and save them in secure cloud storage. That way, you always have them to hand in an emergency.
- Use a medication schedule: When travelling across time zones, a simple medication schedule can help you remember your doses. Set an alarm so you can be sure you keep to the right time, even in a different time zone.
With these handy accessories and smart tips, you are well prepared for unexpected situations and can relax and enjoy your trip more!
With these preparations, you can travel to South-East Asia without worry, knowing that your medication is stored safely. Enjoy your adventure!