Gifts For Diabetic Travelers—From Essentials To Unexpected

Traveling With Diabetes Can Be Easier…And Even Safer…With The Right Gear

Know someone with diabetes that refuses to deny their wanderlust? Well, first of all, bravo to them! Second, traveling with diabetes can be really stressful, so it’s cool that you’re thinking of how you can help with that. Third…living with diabetes is expensive…so receiving really helpful and thoughtful gifts means that person doesn’t have to pay for it themselves, along with all of their other expenses. Triple-win.

Traveling with diabetes—especially type 1 diabetes— comes with unique challenges that require different solutions. There are different needs and situations for short trips compared to longer adventure, so sometimes different planning, supplies, and gear can be helpful, depending.

This ever-expanding guide highlights thoughtful gifts that can help ease some of the more stressful aspects of diabetes life and management while traveling—whether domestically or internationally, short-term or for longer trips.

Keep in mind that some of these gifts aren’t “just for travelers.” Many can be extremely helpful in the daily life of someone with living with diabetes.

How This Guide Works

This gift list highlights essential travel items for managing diabetes and explains why some are must-haves. Insulin temperature control is crucial—frozen insulin becomes unusable, a risk especially important for people traveling with type 1 diabetes should be prepared for. Some gifts prioritize space-saving and efficiency, making them ideal for light packers or longer trips.

Some things in this gift guide may seem unexpected at first—especially if you’re not the one living with diabetes—but each serves a valuable purpose. So make sure to read the details for each—there’s a method to the madness!

Insulin Coolers & Diabetes Bags & Pouches

Especially for people with type 1 diabetes, there are some serious logistics involved when traveling with insulin and keeping it at safe temperatures. There are plenty of options for carrying diabetes supplies, from simple pouches to bags designed to keep insulin cool. A durable, water-resistant and easy-to-clean design also makes a big difference when traveling.

48-72+ Hour “Refrigerator Temperature” Coolers For Insulin

When taking a plane flight or train across a country, I keep opened and unopened/unused insulin in one of these insulin coolers and have literally no fears that the frozen bio gel will keep things at the right temps. When in doubt, the powered insulin cooler combined with this high-capacity power bank (details later in the guide) is a great combination.

Frio Insulin Cooling Wallets – For Short-Term Insulin Cooling

These insulin-cooling “wallets” are activated by water and are reusable. Good for hours or even days of protecting insulin from high-temperatures. Just note that these are not for keeping insulin at refrigerated temperature only .

Vivi Cap Insulin Flexpen Shield

Another solution for specifically for keeping insulin flexpens cool are these insulin flexpen coolers. They have built-in temperature indicators that show whether insulin is being kept at a safe temperature.

Small, Water-Resistant Diabetes Bag

Nope. This little toiletry bag isn’t specifically marketed for diabetes, but it is great for many reasons. It’s small (roughly 8.5″ x 2.75″ x 2″), water-resistant, and comes in some really rad colors. Small enough to be compact, but big enough to hold “everyday carry” items for most type one diabetics, including needles, manual glucose testing supplies, glucagon, glucose gels, and more. And it doesn’t scream “diabetes” like some diabetes bags do.

Magnetic, beltless waist pouch

I used this magnetic waist pouch specifically for my insulin pump when I was working as a server. It held my pump and my phone and an emergency glucose gel, so I had everything I needed. Perfect for runs or gym trips too.

Glucose Gels For Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)

These glucose gels are a great give for diabetic travelers—or even hikers or really athletic people—but they’re not cheap. (That’s why they’re a great gift idea!) They actually taste good and they come in a bunch of different flavors and contain 15g of fast-acting glucose. They’re super handy when walking around a city all day and underestimating how much that cardio can tank blood sugars!

Glucose Tablets For Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)

A cheaper and potentially more versatile glucose solution are these glucose tablets. They’re great because they’re only 3.75g of carbs per tablet, with a “crease” in the middle in case only half is needed. Managing blood sugar levels is often easier with smaller increments of either insulin or glucose (to avoid the roller-coaster of highs and lows), so these are really a must-have for any type 1 diabetic.

Device & Insulin Protection—Sleeves, Pump Covers & Glucose Monitor Gifts

Cases and protective screens on every piece of tech can really save the day for expensive tech, whether for diabetes tech or just in general. Computers, phones, cameras…and especially insulin pumps, insulin vials, and more.

Insulin Vial Protective Silicone Covers

Most insulin vials are made of glass, so it’s really smart to add one of these silicone insulin vail covers the minute insulin makes it home from the pharmacy.

These are even more important when traveling with insulin and when multiple vails may live together for an extended amount of time when traveling in an insulin cooler!

Insulin Pump Silicone Covers & Screen Protectors

To protect an expensive insulin pump (can cost upwards of $5k depending on insurance…) a silicon insulin pump protector and an insulin pump screen protector are really important. There are silicone pump protectors for pretty much any pump on the market in many different colors. If you’re buying these as gifts, just ask which pump you need to buy for!

CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) Sensor Protective Armbands

For those wearing a CGM on their arm and doing more high-impact adventures like football, soccer, ziplining, watersports or the like, a protective armband like this might be perfect. And they make one that glows in the dark…which is just fun.

Excursions & Tours—Gift Cards For Adventures

Some travelers have a hard time spending more money on a vacation or trip once their actually on the trip. That’s why gifting someone a tour gift card can be a great idea so that they can choose what to do at their next big adventure!

Just search “Gift Card” in their search field or go here directly. Honestly, this is another great gift idea for anyone! 

Apple Airtags

Finally companies have come up with a fairly cost-effective solution for tracking lost luggage or personal belongings. Use these Apple airtags (or less expensive alternatives like these) for checked bags, backpacks around town, or with other important belongings while traveling.

Evacuation Insurance—For Getting Back Home During A Medical Emergency

This is one of the most unique gifts, but also extremely valid and thoughtful, for diabetic travelers on this list. Anyone who’s traveling outside the US should have travel medical insurance. I will scream that from the mountaintops until I die.

But most people are unaware that evacuation insurance is as important—if not more important—as travel medical insurance even when only traveling in the US. If a traveler ends up in the hospital and needs to get back to their home state, that’s where evacuation insurance kicks in. This one’s expensive, so unfortunately it can be a touch financial add for someone that’s already spending a lot of money on type 1 related meds and supplies.

That piece of mind is paramount for breaking through the fear and stress that comes with long-term international travel with type 1 diabetes.

App Subscriptions—Streaming Music, Books, & More

A subscription to a streaming music or reading app can allow for downloading music and books for use abroad, especially where data can be expensive or non-existent. You can buy gift cards good for the app stores on Apple & Android devices which can then be used for streaming services reading apps (like Audible or Kindle), Netflix, or Amazon Prime, and meditation apps.

The Travel Book

The Travel Book is one of three in a series that Lonely Planet produced. Another great one for the coffee table is this “Cities” book. A beautiful gift for anyone that wants to travel anywhere…or everywhere.

Tech & Space-Saving—Gifts For Staying Charged & Packing

Again, saving space and having the power to top off devices or use an insulin coolers without access to a wall plug is very important, especially when traveling light. These are nuances of traveling with diabetes and all the tech that comes with that, but nuances are important.

26800mAh Power Bank and 32W/20W Dual Fast-Charger

Having the ability to charge tech on the go is always important, but it gets even more important when the tech that needs charged is something like a life-changing insulin pump. This super high-capacity power bank can charge a lot of things…a lot of times!

And having multiple high-capacity charging outputs from the high speed wall charger means having the ability to charge the power bank and a pump, or whatever else, at the same time.

Thoughtful Donations—Important Diabetes Charities

When in doubt, donate in the name of your friend or family member to one of the extremely important organizations working endlessly on their behalf.

They are the unsung heroes of people living with diabetes, and they need as much financial support as they can get.

• American Diabetes Association
• Breakthrough T1D
• Diabetes Research Institute Foundation

About Jason Robinson

Jason is the author and designer of “The Beginner Traveler’s Guide,” creator of this hiking journal for type 1s, as well as the voice behind the words and the eye behind the lens for The Nomad Experiment and the Type 1 Diabetes Travel website.

“Planning to travel at some point” wasn’t actually getting the job done, so nearing 40 he decided to make it a priority, nomatter how scary that was. A few years later—through the pandemic and a type 1 diabetes diagnosis at age 42—now living a life of nomadic travel, he’s speaking out to encourage others of any age, or with any serious medical diagnosis, to live an unconventional life.

Tough Love, Tips & Strategies To Help You Finally Kick-Start Your Travel Life…Or Go Full Nomad!

Been wondering how the hell all those digital nomads, location-independent travelers, and remote workers, travel “full-time?” Maybe you’ve thought about living that life one day, but you’re really not sure where to start.

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