Since I’ve never gone longer than a day or 2 safeguarding my insulin without an ice pack and refrigerator, I thought I’d throw my “Frio best practices” out here for comments from experienced users. Please let me know if you think this will work reliably for a 30 day trip or anything I should adjust. Thanks!
Frio best practices, 30 day trip:
Start new Lantus and Humalog pens at day -1 (one day before flight); Bring 1 spare of each.
Carry open insulin pens in a small Frio and spares in a different Frio. Carry both frios together in an open mesh bag strapped to outside of backpack. Provide shade cover over mesh bag to avoid cooking in direct sun.
Recharge Frios every 3 days. Remove pens from frios when recharging Frio.
If a refrigerator is available, resist the temptation to inadvertently freeze insulin in it. Rely 100% on Frios to reduce risk of screw ups.
Also as an FYI for those who commented on my multiple other questions over the past few months: I have been using a Dexcom G5 for about 3 weeks and have got a pretty good feel for it; very glad I have it! I’m figuring with the unpredictable foods and mealtimes I will rely on keeping track of things with a small notebook and the CGM to adjust/correct bolus as needed for the exertion and food. I’ll rely on some test runs I’ve done with varying basals to adjust the basal over the course of the trip and mainly follow the see how it goes method.
I think you’ve thought it through well. You’re smart to be skeptical about the safety of using a strange refrigerator. You have no room for error. I think keeping the insulin out of the direct rays of sunlight is very important. Good luck. Have a safe adventure. Please report back how your insulin protection tactics work out.
I went backpacking for a week and was newly diagnosed. Didn’t have refrigeration so kept insulin in bag and cool. Great tips. I read an article by a gal that goes into the rainforest for a month and is type one before taking off. My sugars were the best they have ever been on that trip. made me think it’s best to quit my job and do that full time. Hehe
I’d tweak you game plan as follows: 1. Always bring 3 times the amount of insulin you think you may end up needing. 2. “Recharge” Frios a minimum of every three days, but ideally whenever they feel like they’re even considering “going raisin”. Be careful not to “overcharge”. Just like overhydrating a patient with IV fluids, it can be done. 3. Do not remove insulin while recharging Frios, unless the ambient temperature is (at least) below 70 degrees F, and maybe not even then. Remember, Frios do not cool down your insulin, they merely slow down the warming process.
Assuming the water he’s using is ambient temperature, keeping the insulin in the frio while charging would actually slightly increase its temperature of the insulin until the frio started evaporating again… Granted, so would taking it out of the frio… Point being, it’s 6 one way half dozen the other
Not if the water he is using to recharge the Frio is cold stream water or cold water from a tap that is less than 70 degrees F. (The cold water I get from my kitchen faucet at home is definitely colder than “room” temperature.)
Thanks for the comments…I’ll be up pretty high and guess the flowing water will be cold esp if it is flowing and not stagnant. I was thinking more about keeping the pens clean if the water is not potable so I would not use a stagnant water source anyway. Maybe I will seal the pens up in ziploc bags inside the Frio, then soak the whole arrangement.
made me think it’s best to quit my job and do that full time. Hehe