Unless I’m travelling for more than a month (which I’ve never gone), I don’t even worry about refrigeration. Insulin is fine at room temperature for a month after opening, and probably longer than that as long as it doesn’t overheat. The Frio will protect it from overheating by keeping it near room temperature even in extreme heat.
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TSA and foreign airport security are very different. Knowing the rules for TSA is not the same everywhere. Print out the rules for the countries you are flying through. You’ll be surprised when you print out the Europe rules.
I will avoid flying through Europe. Their rules suck.
Ok…here is the part of travel I struggle with. I am very insulin sensitive. An insulin pen lasts me about a month. So once I pull a pen out of the refrigerator and put it in a frio for travel as a spare, the 30 day clock starts ticking. If I don’t need the emergency back up, do I just toss a pen full of insulin? Also, does it last longer if I take it out of the frio and put it in the hotel refrigerator?
I agree with the responses about having a note from your MD that you have Type 1 diabetes and have a copy of your Rx for insulin. The London-Heathrow airport threw away most of my glucose stash saying I needed a doctor’s note to prove I needed what I had in my stash. Very frustrating to say the least.
Also, carry extra back up. I learned the hard way in Antigua when my pump died and I forgot to pack Lantus. I ended up paying $300 cash for a Lantus pen at their local hospital.
Bring extra cash, too, for medical care just in case!
I would say the same. I have a small barely-insulated tote that I keep all my insulin supplies in with the insulin. I put a cold pack in there and I’m good to go. The only time I worry about it (meaning I’ll check the temp and/or replace the cold pack/ice) is when we are on road trips in hot weather. I don’t leave the bag in the truck for very long at a time. Long enough to eat and that’s about it. And always checking. Otherwise, at home, it all stays in that bag at room temp. I only keep the unopened vials in the fridge.