- bring lantus pens
- bring a backup pump. If you've been on a pump for more than 5 years you've probably gotten a new pump because the old one went out of warranty coverage. I have 2 old pumps which still work in an emergency (although without closed-loop - they will still do basal and bolus).
- regarding being forced to prime 10 units of insulin out of the tandem x2 just to use the existing cartridge when the tube is already full of insulin. This has always annoyed me as well. If you are in a pinch or really don't want to waste insulin what I've done is take the needle part off a two-part syringe (assuming you have that kind) and stick the end of the pump tube (the coupling part of the pump site) into the hole of the syringe and prime directly into it. Then you can put the needle back on the syringe and inject the primed insulin back into your insulin bottle.