The Hangover Kit: What to Pack for a Night Out (and the Morning After)

A useful hangover kit focuses on basics that address real symptoms: a refillable water bottle, oral rehydration packets, easy snacks like crackers, ginger chews, an appropriate pain reliever, earplugs and an eye mask, rather than products that promise to prevent hangovers. No kit can prevent or cure a hangover; only drinking less does that. A good kit just makes the night more manageable and the morning more comfortable.

Key takeaways

  • Systematic reviews in 2005 and 2022 found no compelling evidence, and at best very low-quality evidence, that any hangover remedy works.1, 2
  • In survey data, how much water people drank during a hangover wasn't related to how its severity changed.3
  • NCCIH says ginger may help nausea in pregnancy, but most motion-sickness studies found no benefit, and we found no hangover trials.4
  • In July 2020, FDA warned seven companies selling hangover products, treating claims to prevent or treat hangovers as drug claims.5

What can a hangover kit do, and what can't it?

A kit can make you more comfortable; it can't change how much you drank. NIAAA says there is no cure for a hangover other than time,6 and the two main reviews of remedies found no convincing evidence for any of them.1, 2

It can cover the fixable problems: thirst, a queasy stomach, a headache, short sleep and getting home safely.

What goes in a hangover kit? The core checklist

Seven items cover most of it. Here's what each is for and what the evidence says.

The core hangover kit, item by item
Item What it's for What the evidence says
Refillable water bottle Thirst, pacing Useful for pacing; not shown to prevent or shorten hangovers.3
Oral rehydration packets Thirst, or after vomiting Electrolyte disruption doesn't track hangover severity, per NIAAA.6
Crackers, pretzels, a banana Something bland Comfort, not a cure; we found no trials of specific foods for hangovers.
Ginger chews or tea A queasy stomach Mixed evidence for other kinds of nausea; no hangover trials found.4
A pain reliever you know is right for you Headache See the cautions below. Follow the label.7
Earplugs and an eye mask Protecting sleep Alcohol fragments the second half of the night.8
Phone charger and a ride plan Getting home Plan the ride before the first drink.

What helps with hangover nausea?

Small sips, bland food and patience: water or a rehydration drink a little at a time, then crackers or toast. Ginger is a reasonable comfort item, though the evidence is mixed outside pregnancy.4 More in the best foods for a hangover.

Vomiting that won't stop, or not being able to keep fluids down, is a reason to get medical care, and after heavy drinking it can be a sign of alcohol poisoning.9

What should you pack for a headache?

Water, a dark room and, if it's right for you, a pain reliever you've used before. The research is thin: loxoprofen, an NSAID, eased hangover headache in one Japanese trial.10

What helps you sleep after drinking?

A dark, quiet room. Alcohol helps you fall asleep, then fragments the second half of the night,8 so earplugs, an eye mask and a phone on silent protect what sleep you get. Leave sleep aids out of the kit: NIAAA lists them among the medicines that interact with alcohol.11

Optional extras, including supplements: how do you choose responsibly?

Keep extras simple, read labels and skip anything that promises to prevent a hangover.

Electrolyte drinks are fine for thirst but not proven to shorten a hangover. See our electrolyte drink comparison.

Supplements are where kits get oversold. A 2025 analysis of the US hangover-product market concluded that no product on it had been shown to prevent or reduce hangovers.12 Dihydromyricetin (DHM), a plant flavonoid in many of these products, has been studied mostly in rats and mice, often by injection, and as of October 2026 no published randomized trial has tested DHM alone for hangovers in people.13 More in do hangover pills work?

If you pack one, pack only supplements you already take, used as labeled, and ask a pharmacist if you take prescription medicines; lab studies show DHM can inhibit some liver enzymes that process drugs.14 No pill is permission to drink more.

Leave out: mini bottles for "hair of the dog," which NIAAA says can prolong the malaise,6 sleeping pills, and anything labeled as a hangover cure or preventive, the kind of claim FDA cited in its 2020 warning letters.5

How should you adapt the kit for weddings, bachelorettes and travel?

  • Weddings: add blister bandages, flats, sunscreen and stain wipes. See our wedding hangover guide.
  • Bachelor and bachelorette weekends: one water bottle per person, group snacks, sunscreen and a shared note with addresses. See the weekend survival plan.
  • Flights: TSA allows liquids in 3.4-ounce (100 mL) containers in one quart-size bag; powders over 12 oz may need extra screening; label medication.15 Pack the bottle empty and fill it after security.
  • New Year's Eve: set it all up on the nightstand before you leave. See the New Year's plan.

Printable hangover kit checklist

In your bag:

  • Refillable water bottle
  • Small snack
  • Phone charger and your ride plan
  • Sunscreen and hat (outdoors)

On your nightstand:

  • A full glass or bottle of water
  • Oral rehydration packet
  • Crackers or a banana
  • Earplugs and eye mask
  • Alarm off, curtains closed

For the morning:

  • Ginger chews or tea
  • A pain reliever you know is right for you, with its label
  • Any supplements you already take, used as labeled
  • A free morning, if you can manage it

What we don't know

Most of these items have never been tested for hangovers, which is why the list sticks to comfort and safety. What does have consistent support is drinking less: "Consume less alcohol for better overall health."16

Frequently asked questions

What do you put in a hangover kit?

A refillable water bottle, oral rehydration packets, bland snacks, ginger chews, a pain reliever you know is right for you, earplugs, an eye mask and a phone charger. None of it prevents a hangover; it covers thirst, nausea, headache and sleep.

What's in a bachelorette hangover kit?

One water bottle per person, rehydration packets, snacks, ginger chews, sunscreen, earplugs, eye masks and chargers. Everyone should bring their own pain relievers and any supplements they already take, used as labeled, rather than sharing medicines.

Are hangover kits good gifts?

Yes, as a comfort kit for adults 21+: a nice water bottle, snacks, rehydration packets, an eye mask and an alcohol-free drink. Skip jokes about drinking more and anything that promises to prevent a hangover.

Can you bring a hangover kit on a plane?

Mostly, yes. Liquids must be in 3.4-ounce (100 mL) containers in one quart-size bag, powders over 12 oz may need extra screening, and medication should be clearly labeled. Bring your water bottle empty, and remember TSA officers make the final decision.

Sources

  1. Pittler MH, Verster JC, Ernst E. Interventions for preventing or treating alcohol hangover: systematic review of randomised controlled trials. BMJ. 2005;331(7531):1515–1518. PubMed
  2. Roberts E, Smith R, Hotopf M, Drummond C. The efficacy and tolerability of pharmacologically active interventions for alcohol-induced hangover symptomatology: a systematic review of the evidence from randomised placebo-controlled trials. Addiction. 2022;117(8):2157–2167. PubMed
  3. Mackus M, Stock AK, Garssen J, Scholey A, Verster JC. Alcohol hangover versus dehydration revisited: the effect of drinking water to prevent or alleviate the alcohol hangover. Alcohol. 2024;121:9–18. PubMed
  4. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Ginger. Updated February 2025. Link
  5. US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Sends Warning Letters to Seven Companies Illegally Selling Hangover Products. Constituent update, July 29, 2020. Link
  6. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Hangovers. Updated December 2025. Link
  7. US Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR 201.326: Over-the-counter drug products containing internal analgesic/antipyretic active ingredients; required warnings. eCFR. Link
  8. Ebrahim IO, Shapiro CM, Williams AJ, Fenwick PB. Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2013;37(4):539–549. PubMed
  9. NIAAA. Understanding the Dangers of Alcohol Overdose. Updated December 2025. Link
  10. Hara M, Hayashi K, Kitamura T, Honda M, Tamaki M. A nationwide randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled physicians' trial of loxoprofen for the treatment of fatigue, headache, and nausea after hangovers. Alcohol. 2020;84:21–25. PubMed
  11. NIAAA. Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol With Medicines. NIH Publication No. 13-5329, revised 2014. Link
  12. Verster JC, Zijlstra MN, Barré Q, Schulz SE, Išerić E, Scholey A. The alcohol hangover product market of the United States of America. Drug Science, Policy and Law. 2025. Link
  13. Skinner SG, Matcha S, Davies DL. Therapeutic effects of dihydromyricetin on wholly alcohol-attributed conditions: a systematic review. Nutrients. 2026;18(14). PubMed
  14. Liu L, Sun S, Rui H, Li X. In vitro inhibitory effects of dihydromyricetin on human liver cytochrome P450 enzymes. Pharm Biol. 2017;55(1):1868–1874. PubMed
  15. Transportation Security Administration. Frequently Asked Questions. Accessed October 9, 2026. Link
  16. US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030. Released January 7, 2026. PDF

Published by Fuller Health, which makes After Party. This article is general information, not medical advice: talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your own health, medicines and drinking. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. How we research and write.

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