The Portability Test: Best Electrolyte Powders for Travel

The electrolyte powder that works best at home might be terrible for travel. A 90-serving tub of Ultima Replenisher is a fantastic value at $0.53 per serving, but try fitting it into a carry-on and you will understand why format matters as much as formula.

We evaluated all seven brands across the dimensions that actually matter when you are moving: pack size, mixing ease, TSA compatibility, and how well each format survives being tossed into bags, pockets, and seat-back pouches.

Format Overview

The format grouping reveals a clear travel hierarchy. Stick packs and tablets pass through airport security without a second glance. Powder tubs need checked luggage or smaller travel portions. Pre-mixed liquids hit the TSA liquid limit unless you buy them past security.

Stick Packs: The Travel Default

LMNT

Each LMNT stick pack holds 1,000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, and 60 mg magnesium in a slim, tear-top packet. The packets are light, flat, and stack neatly in a passport holder or jacket pocket. You need about 16-20 oz of water to dilute the high sodium, so a standard water bottle works. Mixing is straightforward -- tear, pour, shake -- but the zero-sugar formula means no glucose to help the powder dissolve, so give it 10-15 seconds of vigorous shaking. LMNT sells in cases of 40 sticks, which is enough for a multi-week trip if you use one per day.

Travel strength: Maximum electrolyte density per packet. One stick replaces what other brands need two servings to deliver.

Travel weakness: The salty taste is polarizing. Hotel tap water with 1,000 mg sodium and no sugar can taste harsh if you are not used to it.

Liquid IV

Liquid IV stick packs are the most widely recognized format in this category. Each packet delivers 500 mg sodium, 370 mg potassium, and 11 grams of sugar into 16 oz of water. The sugar helps the powder dissolve almost instantly -- stir for 10 seconds and it is ready. The fruit-forward flavors (15 options including Passion Fruit and Strawberry Lemonade) make airport water taste significantly better. Stick packs fit easily into any bag pocket.

Travel strength: Fastest dissolve time. Tastes good with mediocre water. Available at many airport convenience stores if you forget to pack some.

Travel weakness: Most expensive at $1.49 per stick. The sugar content (11 g) adds up if you use multiple servings per travel day.

Drip Drop

Drip Drop stick packets come in both standard and Zero Sugar varieties, with 660 mg sodium per serving. The packets are sized for 8 oz or 16 oz mixing ratios, which adds flexibility -- use the 8 oz version when you only have a small cup on a plane. Fourteen flavors in the zero-sugar line give plenty of variety for long trips. Six certifications, including NSF Certified for Sport, make Drip Drop a solid choice for athletes traveling to competitions where supplement transparency matters.

Travel strength: The 8 oz mixing option works with small airplane cups and hotel glasses. Strong certification pedigree for competitive athletes.

Travel weakness: Less widely available at retail than Liquid IV. You need to pack ahead rather than buy on the go.

Tablets: The Ultralight Option

Nuun

Nuun tablets are the lightest, most compact electrolyte format you can carry. A tube of 10 tablets weighs almost nothing, fits in a pants pocket, and survives being crushed in a bag because the tablets are solid discs, not fragile powder. Drop one into 16 oz of water and it fizzes for about two minutes into a mildly flavored, sparkling drink with 300 mg sodium, 150 mg potassium, and 25 mg magnesium. One gram of sugar keeps it nearly calorie-free.

The tablet format eliminates every common travel annoyance. No powder to spill in your bag. No sticky residue on the packet seam. No need to shake -- just drop and wait. TSA does not even look twice at a tube of tablets.

Travel strength: Smallest footprint of any option. Zero mess. Works with any water source including restaurant glasses.

Travel weakness: Lower sodium (300 mg) means you may need two tablets after a heavy sweat day, which doubles the cost to $1.50. The fizz takes a couple of minutes, so it is not instant.

Powder Tubs: Best Left at Base Camp

Skratch Labs

Skratch Labs sells powder in 20-serving and 40-serving tubs that require a scoop. The formula (370 mg sodium, 220 mg potassium, 30 mg magnesium, 17 g sugar per scoop) is excellent for training, but the tub format is bulky. You can transfer scoops into small zip-lock bags for travel, but that creates a TSA conversation nobody wants to have -- unlabeled white powder in a plastic bag is not a great look at airport security.

Skratch does sell single-serve stick packs and Hydration Mix Plus sticks for travel. These solve the portability problem but cost more per serving than the tub. If you are driving to a race or hiking from a base camp, the tub works well. For air travel, buy the sticks.

Travel strength: Best value per scoop from the tub. The sugar and carbs serve double duty as light fuel on long hikes.

Travel weakness: The tub stays home. Stick packs fix this but raise the per-serving cost.

Ultima Replenisher

Ultima's 90-serving tub is the best deal in electrolytes at $0.53 per scoop, but it is a stay-at-home product. The tub is large and heavy. However, Ultima also sells single-serve sticks and effervescent tablets, both of which travel well. The sticks deliver the same formula (270 mg sodium, 325 mg potassium, 60 mg magnesium, 0 g sugar) in a flat packet. The tablets work like Nuun -- drop in water and wait.

Travel strength: Multiple portable formats available. Zero sugar means no sticky residue if a packet tears in your bag.

Travel weakness: The sticks and tablets cost more per serving than the tub, narrowing Ultima's price advantage.

Pre-Mixed Liquid: The Pharmacy Backup

Pedialyte

Pedialyte bottles are pre-mixed and ready to drink, which sounds convenient until you try to get a liter of liquid through airport security. The formula is powerful (1,080 mg sodium, 780 mg potassium, 13 g sugar), but the liquid format limits portability to car trips, train travel, and post-security pharmacy purchases.

Pedialyte does sell powder packets that solve the travel problem completely. Each packet mixes into 16 oz of water and delivers the same clinical-strength electrolyte profile. If you know you want Pedialyte on the road, pack the powder packets and leave the bottles at home.

Travel strength: Powder packets are a legitimate travel option. Available at nearly every pharmacy and grocery store worldwide, so you can buy on arrival.

Travel weakness: The liquid bottles are a non-starter for flights. The taste is more medicinal than other brands, which can be off-putting on a long travel day.

Scenario Picks

Flying economy for 6+ hours

Pack 2-3 Liquid IV sticks or Nuun tablets. Airplane air is dry, and the recirculated cabin environment accelerates dehydration. Liquid IV dissolves quickly in the small cups flight attendants hand out. Nuun tablets work too -- drop one in and let it fizz while you wait for the drink cart to pass. Avoid tubs and pre-mixed liquids entirely.

Multi-day hiking or backpacking

LMNT stick packs win here. Each packet is lightweight and delivers 1,000 mg sodium, which matters when you are sweating on a trail for hours. The packets pack flat and take up almost no space in a hydration vest or hip belt. For longer trips, supplement with a few Skratch Labs sticks for the days when you want carbs with your electrolytes.

Business travel and conferences

Nuun tablets are the most discreet option. Toss a tube in your laptop bag and drop a tablet into your water glass during sessions. No tearing packets, no shaking bottles, no powder on your hands before a handshake. The mild flavor and gentle fizz look and taste like sparkling water, which avoids the "what is that" conversation.

Road trips and car camping

This is where tubs shine. Keep a Skratch Labs or Ultima tub in the cooler and scoop into cups at rest stops. No portability constraints, no TSA, no luggage limits. The tub formats give you the lowest per-serving cost and the most flexibility for mixing stronger or lighter servings.

International travel with uncertain water

Bring Liquid IV or Drip Drop sticks. The sugar in Liquid IV helps mask the taste of unfamiliar tap water and bottled water with different mineral profiles. Drip Drop's 8 oz mixing ratio works with the smaller water bottles common in many countries. Both dissolve quickly without vigorous shaking, which matters when you are mixing at a cramped restaurant table.

The Travel Kit

If you want one setup that covers every scenario, carry this combination:

• 4-6 Nuun tablets (one tube) for daily conference and flight hydration
• 3-4 LMNT sticks for heavy sweat days and outdoor activities
• 2-3 Liquid IV sticks for taste-sensitive moments and illness backup

That kit weighs almost nothing, fits in a single zip-lock bag, and covers light maintenance, heavy replacement, and crowd-pleasing flavor. Total cost: roughly $10-12 for a week of travel hydration. Leave the tubs at home and restock them when you get back.