IBD Outdoors: A Guide to Adventuring with IBD

Welcome to my new series as we transition into Summer living in the Midwest!

While I’m absolutely no survivalist, having quite a few hobbies outdoors while living with IBD can be dreadful if you are ill-prepared and don’t pack what you need to stay comfortable. I love the outdoors so I am always changing what I pack, wear & the clean, dry clothes I have packed up for when I’m done.

Here are some things that will be covered within each series while I’m on adventures:

Tips to adventure with IBD

Any time I know that I’ll be outside in any kind of element, I’ve always packed a gallon-size ziplock bag with contents that I know will come in handy. Ziplock bag for travel and waterproof reasons. In this new series of adventuring with IBD, I’ll share tips that come in handy when you need them the most. Tips like: If I have needed to, I’ve placed wet wipes in a ziplock bag if I’ve needed to in the past to include in my bigger Ziplock bag!

Medication to pack when adventuring with IBD

How do I not overpack, but get everything into a small container for traveling? How do I keep things waterproof, secure away from other people and make sure to take my meds on time (even if I’m on the water Kayaking)? How do I pack for an undetermined number of days? How do I pack if I'm leaving for a month? How will I get all the medications that I need in time?

Safety and medical attention considerations

If ever I feel unsafe or need immediate medical attention, I have used a GPS service for an emergency button in the past. Thankfully, I’ve never had to use certain features on it, but it gives my loved ones an idea of where I am since it has the option to be used as a locator/tracker. A lot of people assume that safety devices can’t be used for anything other than that - safety. This is quite untrue. With certain trackers, you can mark a spot or go back to a spot later.

Dealing with symptoms when away from home

How do I deal with IBD symptoms while I’m in the middle of a hike, in the middle of a lake or taking a really long car ride in order to get where we’re going. We’ll tackle nausea, incontinence, possibilities of being prepared in every way we possibly can.

Snacks to pack

Obviously, if you know me, or you have IBD - you can relate to the snacking abilities I've acquired over the last 15 years. I don't consider myself a survivalist, but I definitely consider myself a snack connoisseur. You'll want to sit next to me on these adventures - I pack the good stuff.

Why?

Because we deserve peace and leisure when we vacation too! We should be able to enjoy the outdoors and not just put up with the outhouse.

Are you ready for an adventure? Where should we go first?