How to Stay Safe While Traveling
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”- Benjamin Franklin, 1736
Traveling is one of the most fun things you can do, hands down. There’s an almost endless list of things you can do and there is a style of travel for everyone. No matter how you travel or where you travel though, travel safety is something that everyone needs to keep in mind. We aren’t saying you need to be a martial arts expert or safety specialist or anything like that, but being aware and taking precautions can make a world of difference on how your trips go.
This week, we would like to go over a few things that we do and have learned from others, (some of which are experts) to keep ourselves safe and our trips fun! You can’t prepare for everything, and sometimes things still happen, but a few precautions here and there lower your chances of having a bad time.
Out in public
No matter if you are traveling in a new city, a new state, across the border or overseas, here’s a few things to keep in mind when you go out to explore your new location.
If you are traveling alone, be sure to keep your phone on you and take lots of pictures or pretend to be talking to family on the phone. If you start getting a bad feeling, call a friend or FaceTime someone. If you can’t do that, start video recording and talking to the camera like you are doing a live video or vlog.
If you have someone or a few someone’s you are traveling with, try to go out in pairs at least. If not, tell them where you are going and when you plan to return. Check in regularly.
Know the location of safe spots ahead of time and download offline maps just in case so you can find fire/ems/police or if overseas, your consulate too.
If you are in a crowded area, stop and examine your surroundings regularly. Take a moment to look around you, notice the people around you and take your time. Don’t be oblivious and get distracted easily. The more distracted you look, the easier of a target you can become.
On that note, make it obvious that you are aware of your surroundings. Smile confidently and move deliberately and with purpose. The more you make it known that you know who and what is around you, the less easy it is for someone to make you their mark.
If you are in a foreign country, and don’t speak the language, be sure to know the location of a local cafe or restaurant or business that speaks your language in case you need help.
Securing your valuables
While traveling, securing your valuables should be one of the first things you plan for. As a matter of fact, you should start this process before you leave.
If you are planning on traveling with cash, don’t keep it all in your wallet or purse or all in one place. Break it up and tuck some of it into your luggage, your carry-on, your day bag, your jacket, and maybe even into your hat. Keep as much as you may need in your wallet or purse for your travel, but be sure to break it up in hiding spots that only you know. I like to tuck a few bills into my tablet case when I travel for an example.
When you get to your location, be sure to keep your things with you at all times. If you have to leave them somewhere, be sure to leave them with the front desk of where you are staying or find a bus/train depot that you can buy locker space in for the day. If you need to leave your things, keep the most important ones on your person in case of something going wrong.
Your computer, tablet, passport, etc should be kept with you until you can get to your final destination and locked up safely. When traveling with your passport on you, always keep your passport in a front pocket of your pants or in an inside pocket of your jacket, preferably zipped up. Never carry your passport in your back pocket or in a backpack in an outer pocket. It’s too easy to steal.
Once you can get settled, lock your passport away in a room safe or hidden with your belongings and carry a picture of it on your phone or even a photocopy of it in your wallet in case it’s needed.
One thing we carry with us when we travel is a small snowboard lock. They are compact, lightweight and use coiled steel cable that locks with a combo. It’s not foolproof, but it’s enough to keep a bag tethered to a chair or table while you’re hanging out and deters people that would casually grab n go.
Securing your space
When it comes to securing your space you are staying in, there are many ideas and techniques. These are just a few and some may work for you and some may not. If you are a solo traveler or solo female traveler, these tips could really come in handy for you.
Once you are in your room, get familiar with the space. Does it have interior locks? Do the windows have locks? If you are on a ground floor, do the windows have any type of barricade or safety feature? Does the bathroom have a window or windows? Can they lock? Is there an adjoining room door? If so, which side does it lock from? Can you secure that door?
If there is a sliding door, be sure you can place a rod or device in the channel to keep the door from opening all the way when you are gone or sleeping.
If you want the windows open for airflow, be sure you can secure them from opening any more than you are comfortable with.
Be sure to lock your front door when you are in your room and use whatever locks there may be. One thing we travel with is a rubber door stop. It seems silly, but wedging that under your front door in addition to the locks is one extra step that keeps that door in place. When Ashley travels solo, she always carry’s one.
We’ll go over some other techniques in another article next week about creative things you can use that you may find in your room.
Traveling is one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences you can do. These are just some tips and tricks that we use when we travel whether it be in the states, over the boarder, or overseas. Everyone normally assumes that bad things won’t happen, but these things do happen fairly frequently. If you use just a few of the things we shared here, you lower your chances of them happening to you. On a personal note, someone very close to us just had their bag stolen when traveling to a Christmas market in Europe. We were shocked to hear it but it brought these principles back to the forefront for us and we wanted to share them with you.
Check in next week when we share some of our other tricks and little things we carry when we travel.
So get out there, have fun and travel safely! We’ll see you out there!
