Your travel first-aid kit should include everything you take regularly, plus a few extra days' supply. Calculate the amount needed for the whole trip, favor solid forms like capsules and tablets, pack liquid products over 100 ml in your checked luggage, and store everything cool, dry, and away from light. Always keep a small reserve in your carry-on.
The travel first-aid kit is often thrown together at the last minute: plasters, headache tablets, something for travel sickness – done. Supplements are almost always forgotten in the process. Yet on holiday exactly what makes up your usual supply changes: your daily rhythm, the climate, your diet and the availability of your products at your destination.
The short answer: the travel kit should contain everything you take regularly at home, plus a few days' reserve. Calculate the amount for the whole trip, favour solid forms such as capsules and tablets, carry liquid preparations over 100 ml in your checked suitcase, and store everything cool, dry and protected from light. A small supply always belongs in your hand luggage – in case the suitcase arrives late.
The essentials in brief
- Plan supplements as early as the rest of the travel kit, not just on departure day.
- Calculate the amount for the whole trip and plan in a few days' reserve.
- Solid forms are travel-friendly; liquid preparations over 100 ml belong in the suitcase.
- Heat and humidity affect many preparations – store cool, dry, protected from light.
- Carry original labels; with medication, pregnancy or a pre-existing condition, clarify with a doctor beforehand.
What belongs in the travel first-aid kit
The basic rule is simple: what you take regularly at home should travel with you – your usual vitamin or mineral preparations first. Beyond that, it's worth looking at the typical travel situations in which the supply situation changes. A three-week long-haul trip to the tropics places different demands than a city break.
| Travel situation | Often relevant |
|---|---|
| Long-haul trip with time difference | Melatonin (see below), usual basic supply |
| Hot climate, lots of sweating | Electrolytes such as magnesium and potassium |
| Active holiday, hiking, sport | Magnesium, sufficient fluids, usual preparations |
| Unfamiliar or one-sided diet | Multivitamin, targeted single preparations as needed |
With a time difference, melatonin is a frequently used topic. Melatonin helps to alleviate the felt effects of jet lag (at at least 0.5 mg shortly before bedtime at the destination). For falling asleep, melatonin can help to shorten the time it takes to fall asleep (at 1 mg shortly before bedtime). More on this in Jet lag and travel nutrients. If heavy sweating causes fluids together with minerals to be lost, Electrolytes in summer heat helps further.
Calculating the right amount
Nothing is more annoying than being left in the middle of a trip without your usual preparation – all the more so if it isn't available at the destination or is sold under a different name. The calculation is simple: travel days times daily portion, plus a few days' reserve for a delayed return trip. An example: 14 days, one capsule per day – that's 14 capsules plus three to four as a buffer. With capsules and tablets, it's worth pre-dosing them into a small, resealable tin or a weekly-box system instead of lugging along several large tins.
Transport: hand luggage, suitcase or both?
The clever way is to split it: a small supply for the first few days in your hand luggage – in case the checked suitcase arrives late or gets lost. Note the liquid rules: oils, drops and liquid preparations over 100 ml belong in the suitcase, while capsules, tablets and powders are usually unproblematic in hand luggage. It's best to carry preparations in their original packaging or at least with the label, so the contents are clearly identifiable.
- In hand luggage: daily requirement for the first few days, solid forms.
- In the suitcase: larger amounts, liquid preparations over 100 ml, oils.
- Always with you: a photo or a list of your preparations for an overview.
Which form is generally suitable for on the go is shown in Capsule, tablet, powder or drops; practical routines are bundled in Supplements for on the go.
Heat, humidity and light at the destination
Especially in warm travel countries, storage is decisive. A car in the sun, the windowsill in the hotel room or the damp bathroom are unfavourable. Many preparations tolerate persistently high temperatures and humidity poorly, and oils and fat-soluble products react especially sensitively. Keep everything cool, dry and protected from light – in the suitcase or an inner pocket rather than on the open shelf. Details are provided by Storing supplements correctly in summer and Shelf life & storage.
Travel checklist
Work through these points one to two days before departure, so you can still reorder any missing amounts:
- Gather all regularly used preparations.
- Calculate the amount for the trip duration plus reserve.
- Split solid and liquid forms between hand luggage and suitcase.
- Check labels and packaging.
- Remember cool, dry storage at the destination.
Children, pregnancy and special situations
When travelling with children, particular care applies: supplements for adults are not automatically suitable for children, and the intake recommendations differ. Use only products that are expressly intended for the age group, and keep everything out of the reach of children. Anyone who is pregnant, takes medication permanently or has a known pre-existing condition should discuss the trip planning, including preparations, with a doctor beforehand – this also clarifies questions about carrying items across national borders, because some countries have their own import rules. How preparations and medication fit together is covered in Supplements and medication. For persistent complaints, in any case: please clarify with a doctor.
Common mistakes when packing
A few pitfalls come up again and again. The classic: packing the preparations only on departure day and realising the tin is almost empty. Just as common: putting liquid products in hand luggage and having to hand them in at security. Decanting into unlabelled containers also backfires when you can no longer tell later what's in what. And finally, the tin readily ends up in the hot car because it's forgotten during loading. With the checklist above and a little lead time, you avoid all of this effortlessly – further typical mistakes are gathered in Common mistakes with supplements.
Matching guides and categories from Scheunengut
Compact basic preparations are suitable for the travel kit. In Magnesium you'll find pre-dosable capsules, for a targeted basic supply the Multivitamin area is worthwhile, and anyone with heart function in mind can look at Heart & Circulation. You can go deeper with Nutrients for frequent travellers, Nutrients for hikers and outdoor, Jet lag and travel nutrients and Supplements for on the go. All Scheunengut products are made in Germany and lab-tested.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Which supplements belong in the travel first-aid kit?
Everything you take regularly at home – your usual vitamin and mineral preparations first. Depending on the trip, situation-dependent additions come on top: melatonin for time differences, electrolytes such as magnesium and potassium for heavy sweating, a multivitamin for a one-sided diet.
How much supplement should I take with me?
Calculate travel days times daily portion and add a few days' reserve for a delayed return trip on top. For a 14-day trip with one capsule per day, that's 14 capsules plus three to four as a buffer.
Am I allowed to take supplements in hand luggage?
Capsules, tablets and powders are usually unproblematic in hand luggage. Liquid preparations and oils over 100 ml belong in the checked suitcase. A small supply should always go in the hand luggage, in case the suitcase arrives late.
Does melatonin help against jet lag when travelling?
Melatonin helps to alleviate the felt effects of jet lag when at least 0.5 mg is taken shortly before bedtime at the destination. For falling asleep, it can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep (at 1 mg shortly before bedtime).
Health notice: This guide is for general information purposes only and does not replace individual medical or pharmaceutical advice. Food supplements are not a substitute for a balanced, varied diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you have health concerns, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are taking medication, please consult a doctor or pharmacist. How our guides are created →
Sources
- Reference Values for Nutrient Intake — German Nutrition Society (DGE)
- BfR Questions and Answers on Food Supplements — German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)
- Using Food Supplements Correctly — Verbraucherzentrale
- Micronutrients – When Is It Too Much? — Verbraucherzentrale
