Traveling with diabetes: lessons and questions from our first 3 months

We have been on the road non-stop for the past three months, mostly but not only in hot weather, and have had to carry a year’s worth of gear in the car a lot of the time. Planning the trip was really time consuming. We made some planning mistakes, and execution mistakes as well. We have also encountered unexpected problems and issues, and a couple of mysteries.

Over the next few weeks, I am planning to start a thread per issue. This is what I am thinking of, right now, but I am happy to add other topics that anyone wants us to discuss:

  • Planning for diabetes over multimonth trips
  • Dealing with pump and CGM resupplies while abroad
  • Carrying insulin around while traveling: during the day, in the car, on stopovers with and without fridge, in hot weather
  • Basal and bolus changes in long trips (our experience)
  • Maintaining a diabetes-friendly diet while on a long trip
  • Dehydration management
  • Keeping up with US schools while abroad (we made choices that not everyone might be happy with
  • Diabetic travel misadventures
  • Non diabetic issues

Feel free to add anything you want! For the sake of keeping a readable thread (and to make the forum more searchable), I will always try to spin off one thread per issue.

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I think that is a great list. I am especially interested in the US school topic and of course the dealing with pump and CGM issues while abroad!

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Ditto to what @Chris said. I’m very interested in basal rate changes throughout traveling. I’m always curious about circadian changes and basal impact, as well as sporadic exercise during travel, or extended sedentary periods.

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@Michel - I am also interesting in basal schedule and travelling.

I have done the 8 or 9 hour time change a few times, but it was always on a basal of NPH or Levemir so I did not really need to think too hard about. Ok - levemir was dead easy.

Now that I have a pump, I have only done short trips with 4-5 hour time zone changes so I just leave on my home timezone.

Curious to see your expereinced with the circadian rhythm changes

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Can’t wait to read about these topics! Especially the school issues and the pump resupply issues.

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I’m also very interested. :slight_smile:

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I’d also love to read these. Particularly the ones below. The pictures you’ve posted are beautiful! I’m totally envious, but also incredibly happy for you! Your trip sounds amazing!

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My first report is here:

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My second report:

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Definitely a life saving piece!!! Some of my diabetes peers in this part of the world are traveling to other countries, Canada, specially and most of us have no idea how to handle or even calculate diabetes needs. Would love to read about this.

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My third report:

My fourth report:

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