What I Actually Pack for Every Trip with Diabetes (After a Year Traveling Europe)
I spent two years living in Europe, one in Barcelona and another in Salzburg, taking trips constantly — long weekends, five-day stretches, week-plus adventures. Here's exactly what I pack, and the system I use to make the math quick every single time.
When I was living in Barcelona and using it as a home base to travel around Europe, I was taking trips constantly. A long weekend here, five days there, sometimes a full week or more. And every single time, I had to sit down and think through the same math: how many Omnipod pods do I need? How many Dexcom G6 sensors? What if one falls off early? What if I'm heading somewhere without a pharmacy nearby?
It got old fast. Not the traveling. The math. Doing the same calculation over and over, for every single trip, with slightly different variables each time. That frustration is actually why I eventually built the packing calculator on this site. But before I get to that, here's what I actually pack — and more importantly, how I think about it.
The Baseline Rule: Always Bring 20% More Than You Think You Need
This is the starting point for everything. If I'm going on a 5-day trip, I calculate what I'd need for 5 days under normal conditions, then add 20% on top of that number.
That buffer covers the things that just happen: a pod that fails at hour 48, a CGM sensor that reads ???, a site that won't stick because you've been sweating all day. None of those are disasters if you planned for them. They're disasters if you didn't.
When I Pack More Than 20% Extra
The clearest example from my most recent year in Europe: a 5-day backpacking trip in the Dolomites. Full pack, tent, hiking all day at altitude. The calculation for that trip was genuinely hard. I needed enough pods and sensors to feel safe, but I was also counting every gram in my bag. Too much and my pack was miserable to carry. Too little and I was in a remote mountain area with no realistic resupply option.
I ended up going closer to 30–35% extra for that one. The activity level meant a higher chance of a pod falling off from sweat and movement. The remoteness meant there was no backup plan if something went wrong. The extra weight was worth it.
Other situations where I go above the 20% baseline:
- Heavy physical activity — hiking, swimming, anything with sustained sweat and movement
- Remote destinations where resupply genuinely isn't an option mid-trip
- Trips longer than 7 days, where the odds of something unexpected just go up
- Anywhere with extreme heat, which wrecks pod adhesion faster than almost anything else
What's Actually in My Bag
For an Omnipod and Dexcom G6 setup, this is what I'm working with on every trip. The quantities vary by trip length and conditions — the items don't.
CGM Supplies
- Dexcom G6 sensors, calculated for trip length plus buffer
- Dexcom G6 transmitter — plus a backup on longer trips or if it's getting close to expiry
- Receiver or phone as a backup display
- Overtape or Skin Tac for active or sweaty days
Pump Supplies
- Omnipod pods, calculated for trip length plus buffer
- Insulin, with enough to cover all pod fills plus extra
- PDM, fully charged before departure
Backup Insulin
I always bring Lantus pens and needles. This is my last-resort fallback if everything else fails — if pods fail completely and I need to get through until I can sort a replacement. I don't carry a short-acting insulin pen as part of my travel kit. That's a personal choice based on my own management approach, and it's worth talking through with your endo before you travel, since the right backup looks different for everyone.
Low Treatment
This one I figured out quickly while living in Europe. I use sugar sticks — the small single-serving packets you see at coffee shops, the ones people tear open and stir into their espresso.
They're perfect for travel. Cheap at any grocery store across Europe. And if you ever run low on them mid-trip, you can walk into any cafe and there will be a dish of them on the counter. I never once had trouble finding them. They're far easier to track down than glucose tablets in a country where you don't speak the language, and they weigh almost nothing.
Documents
- Doctor's letter confirming my diagnosis and listing my devices and medications
- Prescription copies for insulin and devices
- Insurance cards
The calculator does it for you. Put in your trip length and device setup and get an exact supply list in about two minutes — with the buffer already built in.
Try the Free Packing Calculator →One Thing Worth Knowing If You're Traveling in Europe
Don't count on finding your specific supplies abroad. The Omnipod system and Dexcom G6 are available in many European countries, but availability varies more than you'd expect. What's stocked at a pharmacy in Barcelona isn't necessarily what's available in a smaller city somewhere else — and getting a local prescription or finding an equivalent is more complicated than it sounds when you're standing in a foreign pharmacy mid-trip.
The 20% rule exists partly for this reason. If you're self-sufficient for the trip plus a buffer, you never have to find out the hard way.
The Full Packing Checklist
Every Trip
- ☐ Omnipod pods — trip calculation plus 20%+ buffer
- ☐ Insulin — enough for all pod fills plus extra
- ☐ PDM, fully charged
- ☐ Dexcom G6 sensors — trip calculation plus buffer
- ☐ Dexcom G6 transmitter (check expiry before packing)
- ☐ Receiver or phone with Dexcom app as backup display
- ☐ Overtape or Skin Tac
- ☐ Lantus pens and needles as pump backup
- ☐ Sugar sticks or fast-acting glucose for lows
- ☐ Doctor's letter on official letterhead
- ☐ Prescription copies
- ☐ Insurance cards
- ☐ Alcohol wipes
- ☐ Charging cables
Add for High-Activity or Remote Trips
- ☐ Increase buffer to 30–35% on pods and sensors
- ☐ Extra overtape — adhesion suffers in heat and sustained sweat
- ☐ Insulin cooling case (Frio wallet) for hot climates
- ☐ Backup transmitter if trip is 7+ days
- ☐ Extra sugar sticks — more activity means more lows
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I pack for a trip with diabetes?
Pack all insulin, pump supplies, CGM sensors and transmitter, a backup insulin option, fast-acting glucose for lows, and your documentation. The starting point is calculating what you need for your trip length and adding 20% on top. For remote or high-activity trips, go higher. Everything should travel in your carry-on — never in checked luggage.
How much extra diabetes supplies should I bring?
20% extra is the baseline. For heavy activity trips (hiking, swimming), remote destinations, or trips over 7 days, pack closer to 30–35% extra. The buffer covers pod failures, sensors falling off early, and everything else that just happens when you're traveling and your routine disappears.
Can I find Omnipod or Dexcom supplies in Europe?
Both systems are available in many European countries, but availability varies a lot. What's at a pharmacy in one city may not be available in a smaller town in another country. The safest approach is to bring everything you need from home with a buffer, so you never have to test this in the middle of a trip.
What's a good low treatment for traveling in Europe?
Sugar sticks — the single-serving packets at coffee shops — are ideal. They're cheap at any European grocery store and available at virtually any cafe if you run low. Much easier to find than glucose tablets when you're somewhere unfamiliar, and they weigh almost nothing.
Should I bring backup insulin if I use an insulin pump?
Yes. Even on a pump, bring a backup for true emergencies. Lantus pens with needles cover a complete pump failure until you can sort a replacement. Talk through the specifics with your endo before you travel — the right backup plan depends on your individual management approach.