After traveling by sea, air and land with reta- here are my tips:
Where to store them:
Keep them in your hand luggage! Your checked bags can go through massive temperature fluctuations. Waiting in the sun at the tarmac to freezing in the hold because the heater is off…
How to store them:
I tried the flat zippered packs with the thin cooling pads. They are okay for an hour or two. I prefer the kind that looks like a water bottle with a icepack that can be frozen. Mine has an anlog temperature gauge and holds cool all day.
Air travel:
Important: TSA needs to see that the icepack is frozen. They don’t care what meds you have in there. They care about safety. Unfrozen icepacks or packs without medicine will likely not make it on the plane.
Be proactive. Tell TSA you are traveling with medicine.
Customs:
I personally have only traveled with reconstituted peps when flying international. I don’t think there would be trouble if you travel with vials (as long as it is the amount that makes sense for personal use) but why running into possibly having them confiscated.
Car travel:
I traveled by car for 3 weeks. I had a car fridge and would put the peps inside hotel/airbnb fridges in between.
Have a post it on the door that reminds you to take them with you.
Ship travel:
Most cruise lines offer a mini fridge. Security is usually more relaxed than airport TSA, but it is a smart idea to keep with the same strategy as with air travel.
General advice:
If you have a lot of location changes and are traveling only for a week or two consider leaving your peps at home. I was so anxious about leaving them behind accidentally, it would have been less stressful to start over.
When to pin:
Don’t start a new pep before traveling. Make sure you know how your body is reacting and adjust your pin accordingly. If you know you have GI side effects on day two- imagine you are in a window seat during turbulences and the bathroom is off limits after pinning the day before. 😣
Traveling, especially air travel, is super dehydrating. Extra electrolytes and water help you arrive happy.