Up to 70 percent of tropical travelers get sick. You don't have to be one of them.
That statistic is from the CDC, not a scare tactic. Travelers' diarrhea, mosquito borne illness, and heat exhaustion are the three most common reasons people lose vacation days in Mexico, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Central America. This kit is the pharmacist's answer to all three. 31 destination specific items. Built around the CDC Yellow Book guidelines and 13 plus years of patient outcomes from returning tropical travelers.
- Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol, prevention and treatment)
- Loperamide (Imodium, controls active diarrhea)
- Oral Rehydration Salts (10 packets)
- Probiotic capsules (30 count, start 1 week before travel)
- Digestive enzymes (helps process unfamiliar foods)
- DEET insect repellent 30% travel size (CDC recommended concentration)
- Permethrin spray for clothing (lasts through 6 washings)
- Hydrocortisone cream (insect bite treatment)
- Diphenhydramine Benadryl (severe reactions)
- Sunscreen SPF 50+ water-resistant reef-safe
- Aloe vera gel (sunburn relief)
- Electrolyte tablets (20 count)
- Lip balm SPF 30
- Water purification tablets (50 count)
- Portable water filter straw
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizer 3oz TSA-compliant
- Triple antibiotic ointment
- Antifungal cream
- Waterproof adhesive bandages
- Gauze pads and medical tape
- Antiseptic wipes
- Tweezers
- Moleskin (blister prevention)
- Acetaminophen 500mg
- Ibuprofen 200mg
- Aspirin 81mg (cardiovascular protection during long flights)
- Meclizine (non-drowsy motion sickness)
- Ginger chews (natural nausea)
- Loratadine antihistamine (non-drowsy)
- Pseudoephedrine (sinus congestion)
- Bonus pack: travel health journal, emergency contact card in multiple languages, destination specific health alert sheet, packing checklist, post travel screening recommendations
You save $60.00 (23%). No $50 minimum.
Ships within 1 to 2 business days from our pharmacy. Free shipping. Free pharmacist consultation. FSA/HSA accepted.
This kit is new to the shop. Verified customer reviews will appear here as they come in. Have a question before then? Ask Dr. Mike.
Complete the protocol.
Family Navigator Child-Safe Kit
"Traveling to the tropics with children? The Family Kit complements the Tropical Kit with pediatric specific dosing and age verified products for ages infant through 12."
View productExpedition Navigator Adventure Kit
"If your tropical trip includes a wilderness or jungle component, the Adventure Kit adds altitude support and advanced trauma supplies for off grid scenarios."
View productThe protocol, packaged.
The CDC says 30 to 70 percent of travelers to developing tropical regions experience travelers' diarrhea, the most common travel related illness in the world. Most of the people it hits were completely unprepared. A pack of Imodium from home would have helped. A complete travelers' diarrhea protocol (prevention starting the day before you fly, oral rehydration salts, probiotics to rebuild your gut, digestive enzyme for the first unfamiliar meal) would have meant you never lost a day. That is the difference between this kit and wishful thinking.
Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, and Malaria are the four mosquito borne diseases affecting tropical travelers. There is no vaccine for three of them. Prevention is your only option. The 30 percent DEET concentration in this kit is the CDC minimum recommendation for tropical destinations, and the permethrin clothing spray kills mosquitoes on contact and lasts through 6 washings. Tropical sun is 3 to 4 times more intense than what most American travelers are used to. Sunburn happens in 15 to 20 minutes without protection. Heat exhaustion follows dehydration. Minor cuts become serious infections in tropical humidity within 24 to 48 hours.
I've treated patients returning from Cancun, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Thailand with serious illness that was entirely preventable. Not exotic, rare illness, travelers' diarrhea, severe dehydration, infected wounds that started as small cuts. The pattern is always the same: they packed the same stuff they use at home. A couple of Tylenol, some Band-Aids, a tube of Neosporin. That works in Mississippi. It is not enough in a tropical environment where bacteria multiply in heat and humidity, where mosquitoes carry diseases that have no treatment, and where your gut microbiome has never encountered the local food and water. This kit is what I give to patients before they leave. If I am sending a family member to Costa Rica, this is what I pack for them.
Dr. Mike Acheampong, PharmD, MPH. Fairview Pharmacy, Hattiesburg, MS.
Questions, answered.
When should I order this kit before my trip?
Most kits should be ordered at least 7 days before departure. Some protocols require pre departure time to work. The Tropical Kit probiotic should start 1 week before travel. The Adventure Kit recommends 2 weeks for trip preparation. All kits ship within 24 hours. Free shipping on orders over $50.
Is this TSA compliant for carry on?
Yes. All liquids in the kit are TSA compliant sizes (under 3.4oz). Medically necessary liquids are exempt from size limits and should be declared at security. Always pack your travel kit in your carry on, never checked luggage. A kit you can't reach during a 14 hour flight or hotel arrival is a kit you don't have.
What if I don't use everything in the kit?
Most travelers use 40 to 60 percent. The rest is your emergency coverage. A QuikClot gauze pad weighs nothing and you may never need it. But if you do need it, it is irreplaceable. Every item earns its weight. Nothing is filler.
Will the products in this kit interact with my prescriptions?
Most travel kit products are over the counter and safe to combine with common prescriptions, but specific interactions exist. Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) interacts with aspirin and certain blood thinners. Antihistamines can amplify sedation when combined with sleep aids. Call Fairview for a free medication interaction review before your trip. Dr. Mike personally reviews your medication list in 10 minutes.
Can I get a refund if my trip is cancelled?
Yes. Return unopened kits within 90 days for a full refund. If your trip is cancelled and the kit hasn't shipped yet, contact Fairview for an immediate refund or to delay shipping until your rescheduled travel. Opened kits can be returned within 30 days if products are unused.
Does the kit come with instructions?
Every kit ships with Dr. Mike's protocol card explaining what to use when, in what order, at what dose. The Family Kit includes a weight based pediatric dosing chart. The Tropical Kit includes a destination specific health alert sheet. The Adventure Kit includes a pre trip preparation checklist. This is the pharmacist consultation that used to require driving to a store.
Ready for the Meridian Equatorial Tropical Kit?
Pharmacist-assembled. Pharmacist-recommended. Save $60.00 vs buying the items separately. Subscribe for a 3-month supply and save another 15% with free shipping.