Photo by Senioscopia

1. Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine by Paul S. Auerbach, Howard J. Donner, and Eric A. Weiss

A condensed version of Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine, Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine is a must-have for travelers not only because of its conveniently compact size, but also because it provides important information and solutions to unique medical situations.

Auerbach helps readers identify symptoms, execute immediate treatments, and make use of whatever materials they have on hand in very easy to understand language. You won’t find any esoteric medical wording here.

While filled with specialized information, this book is written with a non-medical audience in mind. Auerbach even includes drawings and color plates to help readers identify various skin rashes, plants, snakes, insects, and more.

Poisoned? This book will tell you what to do next. Injured at a high altitude? This book will tell you which steps to take.

2. Travel and Tropical Medicine Manual by Elaine C. Jong and Russell McMullen

For travelers who are currently in or plan on leaving for tropical destinations, the Travel and Tropical Medicine Manual is a practical guide to health problems commonly encountered in such environments.

From Malaria to Lyme disease, this book covers the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment topics for today’s travelers. Included are passages written specifically for pregnant travelers as well as HIV-infected travelers.

And most importantly, it is incredibly concise! No need to flip through pages of verbose descriptions or unessential information.

This book gets right down to what world travelers’ need to know when navigating tropical locations. It’s small enough to fit in any pack you’ve decided to bring.

3. Where There Is No Doctor by Jane Maxwell, Carol Thuman, and David Werner

Referred to as the “Bible” of health education, Where There Is No Doctor is often considered to be the most widely-used health care manual in the world.

This book offers practical, no-nonsense information on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of various common diseases, including specific information for children and adults. It has been translated into more than 75 languages and is specifically tailored for readers without a medical background.

In straightforward language and easy to understand diagnostic charts, this book is essential for any traveler that ventures to areas far from medical centers where doctor care is unavailable. Interested in volunteering abroad?

This book should be the first thing you pack. Planning to join the Peace Corps? This book should sit alongside your toothbrush.