Keeping insulin cool while travelling

[wattywatson900]

Hi there,
I am 21 and have Type 1 diabetes. I am currently on my gap year and plan to go travelling in a week for 6 months. I am going to travel Australia and NZ for 3 and a half months and then Thailand for a month and Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia for a total of 1 and a half months. My doctor has advised me to try and take all my diabetes supplies for the whole 6 months with me as gettin hold of supplies, particularly in SE Asia will be a problem.

I take novorapid and glargine insulin daily and am aware that both these can only be used a month after being removed from fridge temperatures. I will most likely not be staying in the same place for very long at a time so keeping my insulin at fridge temperature will be a problem. I have some Frio packs which I am told can keep the insulin ok for around a month before it must be used. So my general plan is to try and get hold of a small (so it can fit easily in my rucksack) portable electric coolbox/ fridge that can act as a back up if some of the places I stay in don't have fridges and then whilst im physically travelling, to use the Frio packs or a coolbox with ice packs. Does anyone have any advice as to where I could possibly get such coolboxes and if this would work with the Frios packs whilst travelling etc?

Kind Regards,
James Watson

 

[Tracey69]

Hi
It sounds as if your going to have a great time. I'm not sure where to go ad look for what u want other than camping shops or may be your chemist may be able to help.
Wishing you a great trip, remember to keep an eye on sugar levels with all the exercise.
Take care
Tracey

 

[noblehead]

Could be wrong James but provided you keep your insulin refrigerated and cool in-between times using Frio or any other cooling product then your insulin should last more than a month. I've used Frio pouches on many occasion abroad and provided you reactivate the pouch then it does keep the insulin cool when out in the daytime.

 

[s230787]

Hi James

I've done, Thailand, Cambodia, Australia and Indonesia! you will have an amazing time. I didnt do it all at once however so i didnt have to worry too much about keeping stuff cold for 6 months. I think you will be able to pick up supplies in Australia, although be warned it may be quite expensive.

What about somebody from the UK posting supplies out to you if you stay in one location for a while, I think one of the carriers can provide refrigerated dropoffs specially for medication, I saw it on here on another post a few days back.

Have a fab time

 

[copepod]

Long before diagnosis, I travelled extensively in Australia, New Zealand & SE Asia. Since starting on insulin, I have continued to travel independently and as an expedition leader, although more in Europe, Scandinavia, North Africa, Middle East and Latin America - longestr trip was 4 months in Chile, Falklands & South Georgia. To keep insulin at the right temperature, I used fridges where I could find them eg hostels, barracks, cafes, restaurants, ships etc. In between fridges, I prefer to use stainless steel vacuum flasks, rather than Frio pouches, as flasks offer more physical protection against knocks & vibration. Obviously, for air travel, flasks have to be empty of water, but if insulin cartridges are cool, and you don't put flask / bag in direct sunlight, on a radiator etc, it won't get too hot.

There are rules about how much NHS supplies you can take from UK, so you'll have to bear that in mind, but most people can take enough for several months. To reduce bulk & weight, you'll probably want to consider reusing lancets and pen needles. Australia, New Zealand and some other non EEA countries have reciprocal health care arrangements for UK residents - see http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcare ... tries.aspx Basically, UK residents can get same healthcare provision as residents of the country they are visiting.

 

[Luke Copley]

Hi James

I was out travelling in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam this summer, you will have a great time there, In Thailand I was able to pick up supplies of everything however some things are fairly expensive like test strips, Insulin wasnt to bad, Lilly supply Insulin to Thailand however its usually branded differently so contact them about the name its sold under over there.
With regards to Frio packs, tbh I found them pretty shabby and they didn't keep it that cool, it reduced the temperature from about 32-35 to about 25-28 degrees, i think this is because of the humidity out there, apparently where its lower humidity (like OZ) they work better. Anyway I just asked at the hostel if I could pop it in the fridge and they where fine with it. 90% of rooms have air con or a fan for only 3/4 dollars a night so its pretty cool in there. In the day when I was moving from place to place I would pop it in my frio pack to try and keep it cool.

With needles- I used a needle for a day then got rid of it, I know a lot of people that say they re-use there needle for long periods of time whilst away traveling - i Really wouldnt do this in places like thailand/cambodia/vietnam etc the place has tonnes of diseases and you dont want to end up in a hospital.

have a great time anyway!

Luke