Packing and luggage

• Think about what supplies you will need and in what quantities for your stay. It is advisable to take some extra just in case your return is delayed or symptoms worsen.

• If you are dependent on your health care professional for providing your products make sure you request them well in advance of your trip. For example, if your doctor prescribes your products, obtain a prescription in good time in case your supplier has to order larger quantities than usual.

• Disposable absorbent products for managing incontinence can take up a substantial amount of space in your luggage. When travelling, look for products with the most compressed packaging. You can virtually halve the size of an unopened plastic pack of absorbent products by sucking out air. Use the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner and place it over a hole in the plastic pack. (If there are more than one holes, cover all but one with tape such as sellotape (scotch tape) or duct tape. Keep another piece of tape on hand while you suck out the air. Once you suck out the air seal the hole instantly.

• Consider using more absorbent products than usual. These will last longer and give you most confidence that they will not leak onto clothes or seating. Using more absorbent pads may also mean that you need to bring fewer with you.

• Reusable products are often inconvenient when travelling as the used products have to be stored for washing and washing and drying facilities must be available. However, this may be the case if you are renting accommodation. If you can manage washable products you will save luggage space.It might be possible to wash a limited quantity of products in your hotel room. Take washing powder and a travel clothes-line

• Consider using products other than pads. For example, men could try a sheath system instead of pads which would take up less space.

• If you have a number of suitcases, split your supplies between them in case one is lost or delayed. If you are travelling with a companion who is aware of your need for products, ask if you can put some spares in their luggage.

• Contact the airline in advance to find out if there are luggage restrictions and if you will be asked to pay extra. Some categories of products do not incur additional charges, for example, wheelchairs. Faced with additional charges, you may be able to make the case for continence products also being exempt. Remember that if you are bringing disposable products, you will have substantially less bulk (and weight) on the return journey.

• You can reduce the amount of products you take with you if you can get a supply at your destination. You could contact the product manufacturers and ask about suppliers there, or check for information online about product availability where you are going. Or perhaps a supply of products can be delivered to your holiday destination or you could send a supply ahead yourself.

Hand luggage

• Make sure you have a supply of spare products in your hand luggage which you keep with you. If possible keep enough products for a couple of days in case your main luggage is mislaid or damaged. This will hopefully give you time to get replacement products at your destination.

• Some intermittent catheters can be folded for up to 3 hours to fit into a handbag or pocket; check manufacturers' instructions.

• It is useful to carry with you some plastic bags for disposing of used products, or for keeping them until they can be disposed of.

• If you are traveling for work with colleagues who are unaware of your problem, you may be concerned about them seeing products in you baggage, for example during airport searches. Carefully packing products inside discreet pouches can help.

Toilets

• If you sometimes need to use the toilet quickly, on planes or trains try to reserve a seat near the toilet. You may wish to wear a pad in case of a leak if you can’t access the toilet quickly enough. If you are travelling for work and are concerned that going to the toilet frequently or for longer may attract colleagues’ attention, you might consider wearing more absorbent pads than usual, or if you are male you might use another product such as a sheath and urine collection bag.

• If your accommodation does not have en suite facilities try to book a room close to the bathroom / toilet. Work travel and accommodation arrangements are often made by the organisation you work for so you may have less control that you usually would over the bathroom facilities. It should be possible to contact the accommodation venue yourself to enquire about these.

• If you are travelling by car, you may have a bit more flexibility. Think about where and when toilet stops might be possible. Consider explaining to any passengers in the car that you will need to stop every so often to use the toilet.

• Public toilets vary in cleanliness and facilities. Here are some things to take with you which you might find useful to keep clean and fresh:

  • toilet paper / tissues
  • wet wipes
  • antibacterial hand gel
  • a small bottle of water
  • hand towel
  • disposable bags for used products
  • disposable paper toilet seat covers

• Men’s toilets often do not have disposal bins. It may be useful to carry plastic bags so that you can carry used items to a suitable place for disposal.

• Travel urinals for both men and women can give you the reassurance that you can empty your bladder even if no toilet is available.

• You may also find a urine director useful if you are unable to sit on the toilet seat, to remove your clothing or are unable to find a toilet at all!

Clothing

• Think about your clothing choices when travelling. For example, drop front pants are easy to change if wet without removing trousers. Women may prefer to wear a skirt for easy use of a hand-held urinal or urine director.

• Wear dark or multi-coloured clothing to disguise wet patches and reduce product visibility. Wear loose fitting clothes which are easy to remove and replace.

Security

You may have to go through security checks when travelling.

If you need to bring medicines, products or devices through personal security checks, you should not be worried or embarrassed, but it helps to be prepared:

• For most medicines and medical devices it is useful to have a letter from your health care provider stating that you need them.
• For medicines it is necessary in some countries that you have a copy of the prescription. Some medicines are not allowed in some countries, so it is worthwhile checking with the relevant authorities such as the destination country’s embassy.
• If you are concerned that security personnel will detect a product or device that you are wearing during a search, be prepared to tell them quietly but clearly what it is. They will have been trained about such things and will handle it discreetly.
• Since most continence products are made of paper, plastic or fabrics, they should not arouse the suspicion of security personnel during baggage scanning.

If you are concerned about luggage searches or body searches, contact the transport operator in advance. This will help to avoid the embarrassment of your continence products being visible when bags are opened or you are searched.

Discreetness and privacy

• Most hotels, resorts and other venues are used to accommodating people with all sorts of disabilities, and many are very helpful indeed. If you feel confident to do so, you can tell your hotel that you may need such items as bedding protection or extra disposal facilities. This is a common issue, and although hotels may not openly discuss it, they deal with it on a regular basis. Some cruise ships routinely provide special bags for disposal of catheters and other items.

• However, you may prefer to keep your bladder and/or bowel management to yourself. If you are worried about wetting a hotel bed, you may consider using use a very absorbent all-in-one style pad at night, even if you do not normally do so at home. Also, you can bring your own protection for bedding and, if you are staying in a hotel, you can usually ask not to have maid service if you would prefer staff did not see continence products in the bathroom.

• Disposing of large quantities of pads can be very difficult to do discreetly when travelling. If you do not feel able to talk to the hotel staff about this, try to find local bins and put your products into several bags. Take a good supply of plastic bags for disposal and double bag your products.

Tips from product users

• Try not to worry! People who travel regularly report that most people are sympathetic if you get into difficulty.

• Think positively! Once you have reduced your supplies, there will be space in your bag for souvenirs!

• Find the place (toilet, bathroom, bedroom) where it is easiest to change products and stick to that. Store supplies in a handy place nearby.

• You never know when you will need a product so get in the habit of carrying a bag or a pouch (zip bag or cosmetics bag) with all you might require with you when you leave home. This includes an extra plastic bag for soiled items.
• Have an emergency kit for when away from home. The contents will depend on how long you are away. Use a hard plastic container to safely store product when away from home.
• If you are travelling with a companion who is aware of your need for products, put some spares in their luggage – if your luggage is lost you will still have some products available to you!
• Keep a spare set of products in handy locations; for example, hidden with the spare tyre for your car or with understanding friends or relatives at places you are likely to visit.
• Pack a couple of small hand towels or face cloths which can be used as emergency pads and which dry quickly.
• Take a small chair pad to protect seats on public transport - material upholstery can stain!
• Pack a head torch so that if you are in unfamiliar surroundings you can use it and be hands-free.
• Use a vacuum bag or strong tape to reduce the size of large pad supplies.
• Pack pads in a large, square-shaped plastic holdall which is top-zipped and waterproof; it folds small into a suitcase for return, being light and flexible.

• Use a coat hanger for a make-shift urine drainage bag hanger.

• Women can cut off the top of a plastic bottle to use as a urinal.

• When staying in hotels, don't put pads under the pillow with night wear or protective sheets on the bed early in the day - you may be embarrassed when your continence products are seen by maids coming to service your room.
• Find out about 24 hour supermarkets or local hospitals from where an emergency product supply could be obtained.

• Contact the airline before you fly, I did this and I cannot stress how helpful they were

• Some countries have locked toilet schemes - you can purchase a key which gives you access to toilets across the country. Click on worldwide for further information from organisations in your country. If you live in or are visiting the UK you can purchase a Radar key which fits over 7000 toilets across the country. Disability rights UK also produce a guide to accompany the key detailing the locations of accessible toilets.

• Some organisations produce 'Just can't wait!' toilet cards - you can use these to ask for a toilet without embarrassment; for example, in shops when you need to use the toilet in a hurry. Click on worldwide for further information from organisations in your country.
• Look for maps which set out toilets in your country. Click on worldwide for further information from organisations in your country. Apps are now being developed for users to download locations and directions to toilets direct to your smartphone.

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