What to Pack in Your Diabetes Emergency Kit

No matter the season, Mother Nature can wreak havoc in our lives. Other emergencies can turn our world upside down. For those people with type 1 diabetes, always being prepared is essential. Below is a list of things that should be in your diabetes emergency kit. Excerpted from Kids First, Diabetes Second by Leighann Calentineand published by Spry Publishing; available wherever books are sold.  

Diabetes Preparedness Kit

My daughter with type 1 diabetes, Quinn, learned about “preparedness” at school and had the idea to make a diabetes preparedness kit at home. Every part of the country has some type of severe weather, and you need to be prepared in case you have to take shelter or leave the house quickly. I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of this before. In the past when we heard tornado sirens, I swooped up some supplies and ran downstairs. Now we have a kit stocked with everything we might need (except insulin), and I keep it in the pantry where we take cover. We store insulin in the refrigerator because it needs to be kept cool, but we can quickly grab it if needed.

Keep your kit in a designated spot so that it can be grabbed quickly, and don’t forget to rotate any supplies that might expire. The plastic container we purchased has two interlocking tiers. The diabetes supplies are in the top tier, and bottled water and snacks are in the bottom.  We also take the kit with us when we travel or go camping, or when Quinn has a sleepover at her grandparents’ house.

Diabetes Preparedness Kit

(Tailor to the supplies that you use.)

• Plastic container, ideally with a handle so that it’s portable

• Blood glucose meter
• Blood glucose test strips
• Blood ketone meter and blood ketone strips OR urine ketone strips

• Lancing device
• Lancets
• Alcohol swabs
• Syringes (for both MDI and pump users)

• Insulin pen (if you use it)
• Pen needles (if you use them)
• Insulin pump supplies (enough for two changes
• Glucose tablets or other quick acting source of sugar
• Cake icing gel
• Glucagon kit
• Small scissors
• Waterproof tape (if you use it)
• Baby oil or adhesive remover
• First aid kit
• Frio cooling wallet
• Flashlight
• Bottled water
• Protein bars and other snacks

Kids First Diabetes Second is available on Amazon.

Leighann Calentine

Leighann Calentine is an accomplished author and freelance writer with experience in online and print publishing. She has relationships with many members of the Diabetes Online Community (DOC), including healthcare providers, researchers, pharma, writers, bloggers, patients, and caregivers. Her work has appeared on Disney Family.com, Sanofi The DX, and Insulet Omnipod Suite D. She’s been quoted in Diabetes Forecast and Huffington Post.

Leighann Calentine

Leighann Calentine is an accomplished author and freelance writer with experience in online and print publishing. She has relationships with many members of the Diabetes Online Community (DOC), including healthcare providers, researchers, pharma, writers, bloggers, patients, and caregivers. Her work has appeared on Disney Family.com, Sanofi The DX, and Insulet Omnipod Suite D. She’s been quoted in Diabetes Forecast and Huffington Post.