How do you carry your epi pens when out and about and it is 100*?

[Abs Mom]

We are heading to the beach today.  I am packing all safe food, but am working hard on having dd keep her pen with her and following the allergists orders.  How do you do it?  The epi pen can't be too hot or too cold.  It is supposed to be 100 degrees today.  I can't leave it in the car.   Which also leads me to question how to do the epi pen when dd is ski racing.  It gets mighty cold standing outside and coaches pack snacks for the children on the mountain.   Which in typing it out and thinking out loud, that will mean making sure I pack snacks for dd and keep them separate so the epi pen could then stay in the training room?    I'm sure I'm over thinking all of this -  learning curve....

[SilverLining]

You are not over thinking it.  These are the types of things you must think through, otherwise, you get blasse and don't bring the epi-pen.

For ski racing, I suggest a waist carrier, which can be worn under her coat.  Her body heat should keep it warm enough. 

For the beach, some people put it in the cooler.  There are also water-proof carriers available (though neither my son nor I wear our carriers while actually swimming).  I usually wrap an epi-pen in a plastic bag and put it in my waist carrier while walking the beach hunting for shells.  Since my son is allergic to insects, we have to have an epi with us while doing that, and he was little and tripped a lot on the beach, so I carried the epi-pen there.

Others may have better ideas.   

[CMdeux]

This about sums up my thinking on this one--  there are just two rules about carrying epinephrine:

1. The epipen needs to be within reach everywhere, all the time.  (I got a whiff of the thinking that if your child isn't EATING, then it isn't important-- that is NOT a good philosophy to have, by the way, because... well, for a variety of reasons)

2.  If I am comfortable without special effort, then so is my epinephrine.  If the PERSON is seeking ways to stay warm/cool then it is appropriate to also be concerned about keeping the epinephrine in temperature range, too.  Inner pockets on coats tend to be about right in winter, and outer pockets on soft-sided coolers do in summer. 


We mostly wing these as circumstance seems to demand. 

[booandbrimom]

We have an insulated cooler bag. If the temps are really high and we're going to be out for a while, I will wrap an ice pack in a towel and throw it in the bottom.

(Have to be careful - also don't want to FREEZE those puppies!)

[lakeswimr]

We have an insulated cooler bag. If the temps are really high and we're going to be out for a while, I will wrap an ice pack in a towel and throw it in the bottom.

(Have to be careful - also don't want to FREEZE those puppies!)

This is what we do, too.  I have a bigger cooler bag and wrap the ice pack in a few kitchen towels and maybe put another few between it and the epis so it keeps the inside of the bag colder than the air but it is kept far from the epi pens.  in the cold I keep it inside my jacket, near my body. 

[YouKnowWho]

We have a cooler bag with an outer pocket that we keep the ice in.

[GingerPye]

I'm not as freaked about it as I once was.  If it's going to be in extreme temps for a long time, I put an ice pack in the pocket that is right next to the main compartment of the bag.

[AllergyMum]

In the summer we use a Frio to keep them cool.  I put the epi's in a ziplock, and then put the Frio overtop of them, then stick it into his epi carrier and it works perfectly.  I have a waterproof carrier that I can stick it all in if we have to take it into the water.

In the winter he wears his epi carrier under his snowpants when sledding or playing in the snow.

[Jessica]

We use a frio. This year we'll be replacing the epis at the end of the summer anyway but we'll still be careful with them (dey told me years ago that if it was exposed to heat that it needed to be replaced within 12 weeks).

[Abs Mom]

Thanks, all.   
I am off to see what a frio is?

I kept the epi in the outer pocket of the cooler.   

<<<(I got a whiff of the thinking that if your child isn't EATING, then it isn't important-- that is NOT a good philosophy to have, by the way, because... well, for a variety of reasons)>>>

   CMDeux,    you are right - I KNOW we must carry the pen and I do NOT want to fall into a very dangerous habit of not having the pen.  Thank you. 

Thanks, all!

[AllergyMum]

Thanks, all.   
I am off to see what a frio is?

I kept the epi in the outer pocket of the cooler.   

<<<(I got a whiff of the thinking that if your child isn't EATING, then it isn't important-- that is NOT a good philosophy to have, by the way, because... well, for a variety of reasons)>>>

   CMDeux,    you are right - I KNOW we must carry the pen and I do NOT want to fall into a very dangerous habit of not having the pen.  Thank you. 

Thanks, all!

http://www.diabetesexpress.ca/insulin-insulin-cooling-wallets-frio-insulin-cooling-wallet-size-p-2166.html

[livingnutfree]

frio's are awesome! We ordered the duo for two epi jrs and the are a tight fight so I'd go with the large. I just talked gingham today and they said the newly designed epis don't as good

[Jessica]

I can't fit two regular epis in the duo at all. I can't return it though-should have ordered from amazon. So I don't know if I should order a 2nd one and sew them together somehow or just toss it. $25 well spent.

[brownie]

Just love the frio!  Can't live without it now that the kids are older!  I have 2 sizes...the smaller one just barely fits 2 of the new-shaped epis. The larger one I have though fits 3 of the new epis.  I can't say what size they actually are.  You can call and talk to someone at the company - they are helpful.  Realize that they swell up when you wet them and this leaves less room for the actual epi.  Brownie

[PurpleCat]

Large Frio holds 2 new style epis, 3 Benedryl teaspoons and DD's inhaler.  It was life changing for us to find this years ago.  We put it in a net camping bag with a "c" clip and it attaches right to a softball gear bag, beachbag, backpack, cooler handle, etc...

It lasts for days in very hot weather.



Love it!!!!