Tips for Traveling with Allergies

Traveling with Allergies

By Air

The most important step is to put yourself in the proper mindset. Expect a long day with food difficulties and be prepared that what you take may get thrown away. Just accept it now and then every item that you get to keep is a blessing. Maintaining a good attitude will help you to handle the problems with a clear head, and also remember the flies to honey adage.

Realize that every airport and each member of security may interpret rules differently, so there is no clear answer to what will work every time. However, there are things that you can do to improve your chances.

Have a letter from your doctor. This will help support your cause if you do have any difficulty. I made a copy of the letter for every suitcase or bag we took. This allowed baggage screeners to find it if needed and also allowed me to have lots of extra copies so I would not have to dig for it or risk losing it if one bag got misplaced.

Have your liquids and medications bagged to pull out on the way through security. With the doctor’s letter, you should be allowed extra liquids for medical reasons, but if at all possible make it fit in your quart size bag so you don’t have to worry about it. You are not required to put medications in a separate bag and pull it out the way you are liquids, but it showed an honesty and organization to the items we had that paid off several times. I also had scripts and original packaging for as many meds as possible. I broke down the boxes and put it all in a baggie that could be accessed easily if there were any questions about the legality of my meds. Again, my organization paid off that they never questioned it.

Be honest if questioned, or on customs paperwork. The officials realized I was honest to a fault and then just walked away from me, saying just go.

Label everything. All of the snacks that we carried on the plane were repackaged to fit better, but I labeled everything, often cutting off the labels of original packaging and including in the baggie.  This allowed not only identification, but access to ingredients lists later if there is a problem or reaction.

Take a cooler. A small soft sided cooler that will fit under the seat counts as your personal item that you are allowed to carry on. Also, with your doctor letter, the cooler may not be counted against you as a carry on item at all if you are tight on bags. I simply stuck my purse inside the cooler and walked on the plane.

We had sandwiches (labeled with names and ingredients, found out that was good later), apples, oranges, pickles, fruit snacks, summer sausage (already sliced), jerky meat, rolls, crackers, dry cereal, etc.

Ice packs will sometimes make it through security, sometimes not. My plan was to take re-usable ice packs to the airport and leave them in the car. Then I had empty baggies in the cooler so I could get ice from a vendor inside security (even if I had to purchase it). However, I forgot to pull the ice packs out. I was prepared to throw them away, but security did not say anything so we got lucky.

At one point, our fruit snacks set off an organic matter detector at one security point. They opened the bag, saw the well-organized food and realized it was “candy.”  “That’s a first,” they said and let us go.

In checked luggage, we had an entire suitcase full of items to bring. We priced the cost of shipping items and realized the international shipping was extremely high and opted for the baggage fee (a $400 savings).

We made breads ahead of time and froze them, pulling them out and packing frozen. Upon arrival at our destination we put most of the breads into a freezer. Yes this did cause re-freezing, which is not good on food but our best option. We had plenty of breads for the entire trip. We had contacted the Jamaican embassy in Washington DC to learn a little bit about what we could or could not take in. This research helped us to know what to expect. They confiscated one orange and one apple that were left on arrival and one package of summer sausage because it had pork added. Two sandwiches were left and they allowed those because of the way I had them packaged and labeled. Nothing else was scrutinized at all.

We did find some items in the airports that we could eat, mostly fruits. Not much. We were very grateful for the prep work we did and all that we carried with us. We went through most of what we had brought.

Most importantly, be prepared. Prepared with research of what you are allowed. Prepared with organization of your bags and documentation for meds. Prepared for ignorance regarding allergy issues. Prepared for long days and little food. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

By Car

Again, preparation is your key. Each trip is different and you must first analyze your situation. I find it helpful to look at it in segments. For example, travel and destination, and they have different needs and potential pitfalls / solutions.

The big picture:

Where will you be staying and what kind of amenities will they have available? What kind of space do you have for packing items with you vs. the availability of items at the destination? What will you do while you are there? Plan food to bring accordingly, think ahead about what ingredients are difficult to find (for me it is baking powder) and worth bringing with you. Create a folder or binder that travels easy with copies of recipes and emergency substitutions for products that you may have trouble finding. Consider shipping items that are not perishable or fragile and that you won’t need until your destination. Most hotels will sign for and hold your shipped box until your arrival if you have made prior arrangements with them to do so. If not, find a relative or friend in the area or even a church member whom you can ship to.

Even if you will have a full kitchen, you are traveling for a reason; vacation, conference, family event. You do not want to spend all of your time preparing meals. If possible, do prep work at home before your trip.

Determine packability of food items. For example, fresh produce is often okay without refrigeration, however it is susceptible to bruising as well as bulky. Chopping and subsequently freezing peppers, onions and etc., makes them much easier to travel, but they will take up space in the cooler now.

 Pre-cook and freeze meals in serving size portions. This allows you to take only the amount you need and increases the flexibility of packing the meal into the cooler. An example of this would be to make mini meatloaves in a muffin pan instead of a loaf pan. Now, pack the “muffins” two or three to a bag. One bag will fit in this corner of the cooler, and one bag in that corner, etc. Keep them frozen until you need them and pull out just the number you need, leaving the rest frozen. Also, this is a great way to deal with differing needs within the family. Johnny’s muffin has oatmeal in it, but Jimmy’s has cheese and Lisa’s has carrots in it.

Frozen foods can reduce the need for ice in a cooler, if you are not getting in and out of it a lot. I often pack 2 coolers, one for the destination and one for the travel portion. In the destination cooler, pack as much frozen food as possible if you will be traveling for several days, consider purchasing dry ice to keep items frozen. (Available at Wal-Mart and HyVee) If the weather is hot, protect your cooler from direct sun and don’t leave it in the car overnight. We have even sealed them shut with straps or duct tape, to avoid any risk of the cooler coming open.

Getting there:

Know ahead of time where restaurants and hotels that work for you are along your route. Plan your stops. Spontaneity is great, but with serious allergies or food concerns may leave you very hungry or worse, in need of medical treatment. These resources may help.

 

Book: The Next Exit 2013, every interstate exit in America and what amenities they offer. (available at Amazon for as little as $8. There is a Kindle version available, too.

ISBN-13: 9780984692118 

Phone App: Road Ahead, checks for upcoming exits and what amenities they have.

Trip Advisor Offline City Guide, download so it works even when you are not connected to a network.  

Plan before you leave at: map quest allows you to find specific stores or types of amenities in a specific area.

 Trip advisor has lots of detailed reviews about personal experiences people have had. It even ties into social media so you can find reviews from people you know and trust.

Think with the “new normal” mentality that we are all working on developing. Instead of fast food restaurants, look for grocery stores, or go back to what our parents did. Stop at the rest areas and eat from your cooler at the picnic table. Many of those are closing, so do the next best thing, look for a city park to visit. It is a wonderful way to stretch our legs, breath fresh air and eat healthy.

Pack essential items and keep in an area that has easy access. Items such as silverware and plates (disposable or not as fits your lifestyle), napkins or paper towels, wet wipes or water bottles, a bowl & soap (wash hands, food, dishes), condiments / spices that work for your needs, a few shelf stable snacks, extra medications and a couple of plastic grocery bags work nice for collection of trash or dirty dishes to be dealt with later. We have a bag with these items in it that we keep by the door and just take with us, even for running errands around town in case we are out longer than expected.

On a long road trip, snacks are essential. Bring them with you so you don’t have to hunt for them after you are already hungry and grumpy. Ideas that travel well: carrot sticks, fresh fruit, muffins, lunch meat, baby food, nuts, canned meats (be sure to include a can opener, we have on in our essentials bag).

At your destination:

Pick your hotel carefully. Paying extra for amenities that are important to your family may actually help save you money overall, making the luxury more affordable. We often rent a house or at least a suite with a full kitchen. That added expense will pay for itself in dining charges, plus you have food that is safe for your needs, plus the extra space is wonderful after the tight quarters of the car ride or airplane. Research your options thoroughly. Call the hotels and ask about what you are not sure of. They can tell you if there are grocery stores in the area or how big is the refrigerator in the room?

I like homeaway for houses/ condos etc. and trip advisor for research. I often find that once I pick a hotel, if I call in and speak with them directly, they will match or beat the online price I found and I can double check any questions I have regarding the facility.

Once you are there, make use of those amenities you paid extra for. If the kitchen doesn’t have something you want, ask. Maybe it is supposed to be there and has been misplaced, or maybe the hotel doesn’t provide in every room, but they do have a few at the front desk for when people ask. I have even known hotels to purchase items for us that they realized were a good idea and should have some on hand.

If there is a free breakfast, don’t write it off as useless for you. Maybe they have fresh fruit that you can grab and take to your room for a snack later. I make waffle mix that is safe for us and freeze it in serving size amounts. This packs better than premade waffles and defrosts by breakfast. Then, I use the hotel waffle maker to prepare it. More and more places are recognizing and accommodating food issues, so check out the products and make requests or recommendations. Especially if you are scheduled for a multi-day stay, the hotel may be willing to provide some items that you can eat. They may even find those to be very popular and end up changing the menu based on your suggestion. Some free breakfast buffets offer eggs to order and such. The chef may be willing to prepare something special for you (chicken breast). Health codes may determine if they can let you bring in your own food or not. Ask ahead of time to allow them time to purchase items. It doesn’t hurt to ask, the worst they can say is no, and you just might be pleasantly surprised.

Some hotels offer services that can be very beneficial in a strange town or on a busy trip. For example, Residence Inn will go grocery shopping for you. You can leave a very detailed and complicated list, with specific brands / varieties or variables explained. They will pick up the groceries, put them away and leave the receipt on the counter. At the end of your stay, the cost of groceries is added to your bill, no extra fees. Even if some of these services do come with fees, it may be worth it to you.

If kitchenettes are not available, ask if there is a fridge or microwave you can use. Often they will find a way to help, especially if it is medically necessary. In a pinch, the ice bucket or a tub full of ice can make a decent short term cooler.

These tips are based on my experiences and what works for my family. Each trip is a unique experience and your needs will vary every time you travel. Plan ahead, think it through and be prepared to find compromises and solutions.

Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. - Babe Ruth.