Lorie Karnath, president, the Explorers Club
Among the rules Karnath adheres to are avoid airplane food and never take sleep aids. “I think you’re better off being a little tired,” she says. “And you can’t be an explorer if you need those things.”
- Ace bandage
- Iodine tablets for water purification
- Antibiotic doxycycline (“for suspicious tick and bug bites and bronchial problems”)
- Nasonex for stuffy nose or blocked ears
- Band-Aids
- Bayer aspirin
- Tiger Balm (“good for anything from soreness to insect stings”)
- Plain crackers to calm the stomach
- Imodium for diarrhea
- Medical “sharps” (syringes)
- Instant hot and cold compresses
Andrew Heiskell, executive VP, Mutual of America
“My theory,” says Heiskell, “is to pack something for above the waist and something for below the waist.”
- Alcohol swabs (“for tableware in establishments of dubious hygiene”)
- Eyeglass kit for repairs
- Dental cement for replacing fillings
- Purell hand sanitizer
- Swiss Army knife (“it can double as a great gift”)
- Pepto-Bismol
- Duct tape for putting pressure on wounds (“friends in the Special Forces assure me it works very well”)
- Alka-Seltzer Plus (“for when you’ve been riding on a bus for three days and feel lousy”)
- Cherry-flavored cough lozenges
- Iodine for skin scrapes and purifying water
- Cipro
Paulette Cole, CEO and creative director, ABC Home
“I’m a trooper, but I get sick,” says Cole, who logs countless miles stocking her New York flagship with ecoconscious, socially responsible products. “I’m a vulnerable traveler, always looking at antiques in dusty places or down muddy back roads.”
- Insect repellent with DEET (“in places with malaria, though I feel dirty using it”)
- Amoxicillin antibiotic tablets
- Pulsatilla homeopathic remedy for sinuses
- Malarone pills for malaria
- Tamiflu to prevent or treat flu
- Surgical masks (“when going to Africa and India”)
- Arnica cream for sore muscles and bruises
Vishakha Desai, president, Asia Society
“When it’s my time to go, I’ll go,” says Desai, who considers herself a fatalist and uses no inoculations or prophylaxes despite a heavy travel schedule in Asia. “Still, I take fewer chances. I love Indian street food, but now I only eat things cooked in front of my eyes.”
- SinuCleanse neti pot for sinuses (“it’s really good but a bit of a hassle”)
- Echinacea and vitamin C to boost immune function
- Her 95-year-old mother’s homemade ginger candies for stomach upsets and circulation
- Tylenol PM as a sleep aid (“just in case”)
- Claritin for allergies
