Natural Travel Survival Kit: Essential Remedies & Protection
We were bitten by the travel bug many years ago … and we’ve never recovered! Some people live to eat – we live to travel!
So far, we’ve visited more than 50 (?) countries — from remote villages in Africa to bustling cities in India and Pakistan.
Another big blessing: we’ve managed to avoid many travellers’ nightmares – dreaded tummy troubles and mysterious bites from creepy critters. (We love the travel bug … but other bugs – not so much!)
How do we do it? Our secret is a carefully prepared natural travel survival kit, packed with natural remedies and essential oils for travel health. By focusing on preventing food poisoning, using natural insect repellents, and following practical travel health tips, we stay healthy, balanced, and bite-free on every journey.
Stay Ahead of Stomach Issues
- Always drink bottled water – yes, it’s heavy to carry, but far better than the alternative. Even use it for brushing your teeth! And don’t swallow the water when you shower!
- Never use ice – no matter how hot it is.
- Avoid uncooked food, especially salads, garnishes, and fruit you didn’t peel yourself.
- Pack a Swiss Army knife – ideal for peeling fruit and slicing safely on the go.
Oral Botanica: A Travel Survival Essential
When you want to brush your teeth but you’re not sure about the condition of the tap water, Oral Botanica is your best friend. Its potent botanical blend means you can brush with only a few drops of bottled water — or even without water at all — and your mouth will still feel fresh and protected.
Purify Food & Water with Lemon Essential Oil in your Travel Health Kit
A single drop of lemon essential oil in water can help clean fruits and vegetables before peeling. It’s also a great addition to a DIY rehydration drink if you get hit by heat or stomach upset. As part of your travel survival kit, lemon oil offers powerful cleansing and digestive support for your travels.
Be Prepared for Diarrhea on the Road with Natural Remedies
Even luxury hotels aren’t immune to poor hygiene – buffets, while tempting, are often the worst culprits. Flies and bacteria that breed in warm temperatures can easily contaminate uncovered food.
Even if diarrhea sends you running to the restroom, it typically clears within a day or two. A more dangerous risk is dehydration. It’s vital to replenish lost fluids and electrolytes fast.
What can you do?
DIY Rehydration Blend
- Bottled water – 500 ml
- Sugar – 3 tsp
- Salt – ¼ tsp
- Lemon essential oil – 1 drop.
Mix together and drink one small glass at a time.
If you’re feeling ‘meh’ after a bout of the ‘runs’, a warm bath with 4 drosp each geranium and ginger essential oil diluted in a small amount of almond or jojoba oil can help to calm the nerves, and makes you feel better.
Food Poisoning: Natural Remedies for Safer Travel
Food poisoning usually strikes within 24 hours of eating the offending meal. It’s usually caused either by food that’s ‘off’ or by bacteria that has travelled from unwashed hands or pesky flies.
Food poisoning is no fun! And it makes itself known by symptoms such as vomiting, cramps, diarrhoea and even fever.
What can you do?
A calming massage blend can ease these pukey symptoms:
Massage Blend:
- Tea Tree – 12 drops
- Geranium – 30 drops
- Lavender – 30 drops
- Ginger – 30 drops
- Blend in 30 ml carrier oil (like jojoba or almond).
Massage gently into the abdomen and lower back.
Take 2 Oregano Soft gels immediately. Oregano is celebrated for its natural antimicrobial properties.
Insect Repellents for your travels
Insects love warm climates — and they love travellers even more. Mosquitoes, sandflies, and midges are obvious annoyances, but let’s talk about the less expected culprits too: bed bugs, mites, and fleas.
Bed Bugs & Other Hidden Biters
Even clean-looking accommodations can harbor bed bugs or mites. They’re expert hitchhikers, often crawling into your luggage or clothes while you sleep.
What can you do:
- Inspect the mattress and headboard before unpacking.
- Spray or wipe your bedding with your insect deterrent blend before sleeping.
- Keep your luggage elevated — never on the bed or floor.
- Use essential oil sachets (cotton balls with insect-repelling oils) inside your suitcase.
Insect Deterrent Blend (Essential Oils)
- Thyme Linalol – 4 drops
- Lemongrass – 8 drops
- Lemon Eucalyptus – 8 drops
- Lavender – 4 drops
- Peppermint – 4 drops
- Tea Tree – 6 drops
- Cinnamon – 6 drops
How to use this blend:
This blend smells fresh and invigorating and it’s versatile and highly effective. It repels everything from mozzies to bed bugs.
- Put 2–3 drops on a cotton ball or tissue and leave it somewhere near your bed to ward off incoming insects.
- To discourage bugs from disturbing your alfresco meal when you’re sitting on balcony, cut up a length of paper or tissue. Put 1–2 drops of the blend on it and hang the paper on the balcony or on your outdoor dinner table.
To create an insect repelling body spray, mix the bug blend with carrier oil (or alcohol + water).
Protective Travel Spray
We travel several times a year, all around the world, and we have never picked up an infection. This could be because after we sit down, we use essential oils to spray anything we will probably touch.
This is especially handy on the plane: we spray our whole seat area including the arm rests, table and remote control. And we’ve noticed that often the plane’s cabin crew do the same. You can create your own protective spray as part of your travel kit.
Protective Spray Blend:
- Lavender – 10 drops
- Ginger – 10 drops
- Thyme – 10 drops
- Tea tree – 10 drops
- Cinnamon – 5 drops
Add 30ml of alcohol (vodka is ideal), shake the mixture well and spray it on surfaces around you.
Natural Remedy for Leg Cramp
Travelling in economy class on long-haul flights can be quite an ordeal, and narrow seats, limited legroom and intolerant seatmates don’t help. Even worse is when you finally reach your destination only to feel excruciating leg cramp kick in because you’ve been sitting for so long.
What can you do?
Leg Cramp Massage Oil:
- Rosemary – 10 drops
- Cypress – 10 drops
- Geranium – 5 drops
- Lavender – 5 drops
- Blend with 30ml almond oil or, even better, blend with Arnica oil.
Warm a few drops of the blend in your hands and then massage into aching areas.
Pack Smart with Your Natural Travel Survival Kit. Stay Well. Enjoy More.
Travel doesn’t have to mean discomfort, and nature has given us everything we need to stay protected — without harsh chemicals or synthetic fixes.
Stock your kit with smart essentials like Oral Botanica, lemon and oregano oils, and you’ll be equipped for nearly anything, so you can deal with every pesky problem, banish every bug … and fully embrace the travel bug!
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12011810/
