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Picture this: You are away for the weekend celebrating the impending marriage of one of your closest friends. You and your crew have big plans ranging from late nights to Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas which will inevitably turn into a good day buzz.
Everybody loves weekends like this, but what happens when that first night wrecks your crew and you all cruise into the next day with awful hangovers? Those fun weekends can quickly take a turn for the worse when everyone drinks too much on night one.
If you drank too much the night before it is important that you have a hangover recovery kit ready for the next day.
In this article we will discuss:
- The purpose of hangover kits
- When to distribute them
- And what to include inside your hangover kits.
So, what exactly is a hangover kit?
Hangover kits are typically distributed at weddings or other celebratory events where guests or participants will be consuming alcohol in large quantities. They contain a variety of items ranging from pain relievers to bottles of water or virtually anything that meets the need to kick or alleviate a hangover.
What is the purpose of a hangover recovery kit?
Hangover recovery kits can surprisingly serve multiple purposes. While the fact that they typically contain items to help kick that hell of a hangover is a given, there are other unique reasons that people may choose to distribute hangover recovery kits. They’re fun, they’re useful and who doesn’t love a goodie bag?
- Hangover kits can be used as a sign of appreciation. Oftentimes a bride and groom will leave hangover recovery kits at the front desk of the hotel that their guests are staying at for distribution at check in. This is a great way to surprise your guests with a small, yet useful, token of appreciation for not only attending your wedding but possibly traveling to do so.
- Hangover kits can be used as a party favor. You may receive a hangover recovery kit if you are celebrating a milestone birthday or bachelor/bachelorette party. Typically the host creates the kits and distributes to guests attending the event. They are cute, trendy, and again, useful, making a hangover recovery kit a wonderful party favor which everyone will love.
- Hangover recovery kits are used for the actual purpose of helping to rid the symptoms of a hangover. That's right! Hangover recovery kits can even be created by Y-O-U when you are headed out for a night on the town. The contents do not have to be flashy… they just have to work! Grab a gallon sized Ziplock bag and throw some of your go-to cures into it, leaving yourself with the confidence to enjoy your evening, knowing you will have your convenient hangover recovery kit to turn to in the morning.
Now that you’re getting a feel for the purpose of a hangover recovery kit, you may be wondering if your event might be a good fit for distributing these little bags of fun. The truth is, you can distribute hangover kits at virtually any event, celebration, or gathering. As mentioned above, you may even consider creating a small kit for yourself when you are about to head out for a night on the town or a boozy date night. While some events may be more popular for hangover recovery kits than others, there is no right or wrong time to make one.
Here are some popular events where having a hangover kit can be a great idea:
- Weddings
- Bachelor or bachelorette parties
- Holiday parties
- Birthday celebrations
- Guys or girls’ weekends
- Vacations
- Galas or fundraiser events
- Tailgates or professional sport outings
- Winery tours
While a hangover recovery kit can consist of anything and everything that may help take the edge off, there are certainly some staples that should be included. This list is far from all-encompassing, but should give you a more clear perspective as to what your recipients may be looking for.
What should be in a hangover kit?
- Pain relievers - Common pain relievers such as Aspirin, Tylenol, or Advil, are much needed necessities. Generally speaking, after a night of drinking your body is experiencing a myriad of unpleasant symptoms from a pounding headache to body aches and soreness. The headache is caused by dilated blood vessels from the alcohol consumed the night before while the soreness could be attributed to a multitude of factors surrounding lowered inhibitions and awareness resulting in less scripted body movements. So, let’s break it down to determine exactly which pain reliever will best help alleviate your symptoms.
- Acetaminophen, more commonly known as Tylenol is often a quick go to for headaches, body, or muscle aches and pains, however this may not be the best choice. Tylenol is better for your cold-related symptoms rather than hangover related due to the fact that it processes in your stomach, which is already aggravated from the drinking and doesn’t have the necessary anti-inflammatory properties that your body is craving.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also known as NSAIDs include Advil, ibuprofen, Aleve, and Motrin. These pain relievers are best suited for curing those pesky hangover symptoms for a few reasons. First, they are not processed through the already irritated stomach. Second, unlike acetaminophen, NSAIDs are anti-inflammatory drugs, which is what would be needed to kick that hangover induced headache.
- Diving even further into analyzing which pain reliever to put into your hangover recovery kit, you might be wondering which NSAID, out of the wide-variety of options, is best. While they all tend to have the same effect, some work for extended periods of time and require less dosage in doing so. If you are hoping for a “one-and-done” type of medication, lean towards Naproxen-based pain relievers such as Aleve. They will last much longer than Advil or ibuprofen.
- Antacids - A booze-filled belly is sure to cause some discomfort the next morning and a great way to combat that is to include an antacid in your hangover recovery kit. Similar to pain relievers, there is an array of options when it comes to which antacid to choose. However, on the contrary, all antacids work by neutralizing the stomach acid that can cause heartburn, nausea, and upset stomach caused by drinking. With that said, choosing to add Tums or Pepto-Bismol to your hangover kit can aid in the relief of tummy symptoms and you don’t have to be brand specific.
- Toiletries - This is where you can begin to get creative in your hangover recovery kit. Think about what it feels like when you first start to stir after a night of drinking. For many, the desire to just “feel normal” hits hard and fast. So, add items that will help do just that:
- Mouthwash - This is a quick fix for nasty morning breath after a night of drinking. It can also help soothe or alleviate feelings of nausea due to its minty properties. Finally, mouthwash is a must have in the event that the hangover causes you to vomit.
- Toothbrush and toothpaste - See above! When you are feeling less than stellar the morning after a fun night out, you may not want to search through your overnight bag to find the toothbrush and toothpaste you packed. Putting a set in your hangover recovery kits make it a quick grab crowd pleaser for sure.
- Face wipes - For ladies, these can be super beneficial in removing makeup left on from the previous night. For men, they are a nice way to clean up before heading to brunch. Additionally, face wipes are a nice way to quickly freshen up if you are not feeling up to taking a full shower or if you overslept.
- Chapstick - Alcohol consumption leads to dehydration and a leading sign of dehydration is dry lips. Throwing some Chapstick into your hangover recovery kit is a nice added bonus surprise for your lips the morning after indulging.
- Hand sanitizer - Late nights at the bars and clubs may leave you feeling vulnerable and prone to catching whatever cough, cold, or flu is floating around.
Typically, after a night of drinking or celebrating you have come in contact with a multitude of people. Hand sanitizer is a wonderful added touch to your hangover recovery kit, helping kill those late-night germs that may still be lingering. Plus, this is a great gift to tote around to future outings.
- Visine eye drops - Another fabulous symptom of a hangover is dry, red eyes. Incorporating Visine eye drops as a part of your hangover recovery kit is a great way to combat this side effect. Additionally, this is a wonderful addition that your guests will thank you for if you have business to attend to the next day. The appearance of your eyes are a tell-tale way to identify a hangover or someone feeling under the weather. Make yourself less transparent with some Visine!
- Snacks and drinks - Whether diving into the hangover recovery kit for those late night snacks while still intoxicated or saving them for the morning after, either way adding some treats can be beneficial. Two factors that contribute to a hangover include dehydration and drinking on an empty stomach. Providing remedies for these symptom-inducers will help alleviate hangover discomfort.
- Snack ideas - thinks Carbs! Carbs are a great way to fill your stomach and help soak up the alcohol. What is even more is that these types of snacks (crackers, cookies, or chips) come in individual packages making it easy to add them to your hangover recovery kits. Go with a sweet and salty combination of cookies and chips which will be sure to satisfy all of your kit recipients. Finally, granola bars are also a hit and you can even find certain brands jam-packed with nutrients.
- Drink ideas - Of course, a solid go-to is a bottle of water. Water is generally less expensive than other choices and does just the same work. If you are searching for something a little fancier, consider a sparkling water like the ever-popular La Croix or San Pellegrino. Another option would be a drink with electrolytes like Gatorade or coconut water-although the trick may be finding fun-sized bottles of the coconut water. Ginger ale and Sprite are also two popular beverages of choice to sip on when feeling crummy.
When considering a beverage to include in your hangover recovery kit, a lot of the deciding factors will be personal preference. What do you typically grab when you’re feeling the aftermath from a night of drinking?
However, an important factor to consider is the benefits of kicking the hydration up a notch with an electrolyte filled sports drink such as Gatorade, Powerade, or even Pedialyte. If you want the best of both worlds, put a bottle of water in with a powder drink mix (Gatorade, Powerade or Pedialyte all make powder mixes). This way, you can choose whichever sounds best in the midst of your hangover.
- Airplane bottles - Yup! That is right… nothing cures a hangover quite as good as more alcohol. Putting small, airplane sized bottles of vodka or champagne into your hangover kit along with a mixer such as orange juice or cranberry juice could be just the cure your crew needs the morning after a long night of drinking. This addition is especially beneficial if you are celebrating for more than one night…a bachelor or bachelorette weekend getaway, for example.
- Trinkets or event-specific necessities - When creating a hangover recovery kit, there is a lot of room for personalization. You may want to include fun, gag-gifts if you are building a hangover recovery kit for a bachelor or bachelorette party. If you are developing kits to distribute to wedding guests, you may want to stick with more formalized contents. Regardless of your event, personalizing the kits make for an exciting way to have your day stand out. Here are some suggestions:
- Hair ties - Hair ties are a great addition for ladies after a night out because you can simply toss your hair in a cute ponytail and continue with your day. Not to mention the not-so-cute benefit of holding your hair back if you are feeling sick and hugging the toilet. Regardless, throwing a few hair ties into your hangover recovery kit is not only beneficial but easy on the wallet as well since they usually come in multi-packs.
- Band-Aids - Simple first aid items are popular add-ins for hangover recovery kits. Weddings usually consist of a busy night on the dance floor, as are a lot of other events where drinking is involved. With that comes blisters, bumps, scratches and bruises. An alternative use of band-aids is a preventative measure of using them as a barrier to prevent blisters. Altogether, band-aids are yet another beneficial add-in while keeping your wallet in mind.
- Sunglasses - Sunglasses are both fun and useful and you can even find them in bulk, fairly priced on sites like Amazon or Oriental Trading. Throwing a pair of sunglasses into your hangover recovery kit will not only give your event pictures added flair but they will also get put to good use if you are continuing the celebrations outdoors.
- Gum or mints - Similar to mouthwash, gum and mints can help rid the rough morning breath associated with drinking, and again, their minty properties may help with nausea caused by one too many vodka cranberries. Gum and mints can also come in handy the night of the party by keeping your breath fresh in-between drinks.
- Five-hour energy shots - The name says it all. Five-hour energy shots will give you that long-lasting burst of energy you may need to get through your day after a night of celebrating.
- Ear plugs - Nothing is worse when you are hungover than dealing with loud noises, your partner snoring, music from the room next door, etc. Ear plugs make a nice, unique addition to your hangover recovery kit, allowing you to have a peaceful night’s sleep without the disturbance of loud or disturbing noises.
- Eye masks - Right along with noises comes the annoyance and sensitivity to light when you are hungover. Using an eye mask can help you get a better sleep and ease the discomfort of the morning sunlight shining through. These are also beneficial because they can be reused.
- Sunscreen - Sunscreen may be location or event specific but definitely something to think of if you will be spending time in the sun. Protecting your skin if you are drinking in the sun is crucial because there are few things more unbearable than sunburn combined with a hangover. Plus, similar to how alcohol dehydrates you, the sun does too! Small, travel sized bottles of sunscreen can be a lifesaver.
- Ice packs or cold compresses - There are so many great uses for ice packs or cold compresses. They can help ease a hangover headache or sore muscles, alleviate nausea, and of course cool you down. Ice packs may also be more event-specific, but should be considered as a beneficial add.
- Reusable water bottles, tumblers, or mugs - These are quite possibly some of the most popular items out there to include as favors or gifts within a hangover recovery kit. You can personalize them to match your event or even find plain ones in bulk. Regardless of the route you go, reusable bottles, tumblers and mugs are always a crowd pleaser and great commemorative gifts highlight your day.
In addition to hangover kits, you can really set your event apart by investing in IV hydration treatments. Hangover recovery kits can contain a multitude of fun yet helpful goodies to help kick those nasty hangover symptoms. From pain relievers to snacks and more, you are sure to find something to assist in taking the edge off after a night of drinking.
But what if you could take care of all the hangover symptoms-including but not limited to upset stomach, dehydration, headache, and body aches- with one, simple treatment?
With Reset IV you can do just that. Medical professionals come to your home, hotel, or even your office and administer a medical-grade concoction of just the right vitamins, minerals, and medications to alleviate the unpleasant side-effects from drinking. You have the ability to choose from a variety of packages which are comprised of various antidotes, making sure that you are targeting all the right hangover symptoms. While Reset IV liquid hydration is currently available in 3 major party cities/regions including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and South Florida, keep your eyes posted for more locations coming soon!
So don’t hesitate to make the ever-popular hangover recovery kits-they are fun and contain a lot of great remedies. Consider taking it up a notch by adding a liquid-gold, sure-fire way to end the agony of a hangover. Having the reassurance of IV therapy to fall back on will give you the confidence to party and celebrate without holding back. You will be able to more thoroughly enjoy your evening or weekend knowing you have the safety of IV therapy heading your way.
For a list of our coverage areas check out our location list below: