Handy Holiday Checklist

Things to remember when packing for a trip:

• Tube feed

  It may seem like an obvious one, but your tube feed – whether you’re on a blended diet or enteral feed – it should be at the top of your packing list. If you usually follow a blended diet your Dietitian may recommend an easy-to-use formula for while you’re away.

  
  
• Your day-to-day tube feeding equipment

  Think about your syringes, giving sets, pumps, replacement feeding tubes and all other tube feeding equipment, which you use daily. You might find it helpful to explore a full list of tube feeding equipment here

  
  
• Medication

  This may not be necessary for everyone but remember to consult your dietitian ahead of time about which medication you may need, as well as a clear plan on when and how to administer this medication.

  
  
• Airtight food containers to store feeds

  This is most relevant for blended diets.

  
  
• Feeding plan

  Your feeding plan along with any helpful materials shared by your dietitian.

  
  
• Sterile wipes and tube feeding tape

  For when you are making any dressing changes or cleaning the stoma area.

  
  
• Contact numbers

  Ensure you’ve collated useful contact numbers from your dietitian and health care team, should you need to get in touch at any point during the trip. This includes any out of hours advice needed. Remember to also check your mobile data plan, to ensure calls from abroad are enabled if needed.

  
  
• Tips to help with planning a trip:
  1. Around 30 days prior to your trip, remember to check stock levels including medication, tube feeds and equipment. This will give you sufficient time to order any replacements.
  2. Try to get into the habit of packing in advance of your trip to give you time to prepare everything in the smoothest way possible, without forgetting any essential bits.
  3. In the week leading up to your trip, observe all the items you use and consider whether they are a ‘must-pack’. Keep a notepad at hand so that you can jot them down if you do need to pack them at a later stage.
  4. Relax and enjoy the experience – don’t feel daunted by the packing and work closely with your dietitian and health care team so you can travel confidently.
  5. If you don’t yet have a trip booked and are looking for some ideas on accessible places to visit, you might find our Days Out article a helpful starting point. You can also click here^* to read about how tube feeding family Kerry and Mila navigate their travel abroad experiences as stress free as possible.