Maintaining the effectiveness and safety of insulin while traveling is essential. It is important for individuals to be aware of how to properly store and handle insulin. Please provide any tips that can help people keep their insulin safe during travel.
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Such an important topic! I have previously used Frio pouches to help keep my insulin cool. Another thing that Iāve started doing is using the little silicone cases for insulin bottles (I canāt remember the name right now, does anyone know?). One time, I was on my backup insulin bottle and dropped it on a tile floor in a hotel VERY far from home and it broke into a million piecesā¦the pharmacies were closed so I had to go to the ER to get insulin. SOā¦the silicone protectors are a brilliant add to the market for this reason!
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Agree with Lauren, this is such an important topic. I have watched my sister store her insulin in a small cooler bag with a cold gel pack to keep it cool, but not freeze. Usually it is so small that it also fits in her backpack or travel carry on and has not had any issues with this method!
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Oh no! Broken insulin vials are never fun. Iām glad you were able to get insulin at the ER. I use the āVIAL SAFE insulin vial protectorā from Amazon. They come in a pack of 2, which is great because I like to keep an extra vial of insulin with me while traveling.
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While Frios are great, their downside is the keeping them wet and allowing them to evaporate. An alternative are BreezyPacks which require no soaking but provide similar performance (Insulin Cooling Battles: Frio vs Breezy Packs ā The Practical Diabetic).
It is also worth noting that insulin is a lot more stable than suggested by the recommended storage from the manufacturer. Even at temperatures over 30C (approx. 90F) insulin remains very viable for quite a while.
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Leon, this is awesome and very helpful 
I had never heard of Breezy Packs before. Great article too!
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After 25+ years of diabetes management , I still havenāt quite cracked this one. Most of the time itās fine, but then occasionally, I run into this, like I did last month! Hopefully I caught this before I had used this murky āsoupā for too long. I have seen a number of studies indicating stability of insulin during large temp. ranges, but then I experience something like this despite using ācoolingā products, which makes me wonder if real-world conditions have really been used/challenged all of those studies.
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When traveling, I use the Penguin Cooling Case from Not Just a Patch to store my insulin. It keeps it cool and protected without needing ice packs, which is suuuuuper convenient. Itās a great way to ensure my insulin stays safe!!
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Very cool, thanks for sharing this! We can also add this on the DiabetesWise website
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awesome picture Iāve never been able to see this before
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Great topic! I always travel with a small insulated case and cooling pack to keep my insulin at a stable temperature. I also carry it in my hand luggage never checked and pack extra in case of delays. Backup supplies and a note from your doctor can also be super helpful.
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