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Travel Tips
How to Keep Luggage Safe While Traveling
1. As much as that lock on your bag makes you feel safe, it is also a magnet for thieves who want to steal your valuables. Although locks can be a great addition to your luggage, they can be easily circumvented through the decades-old method of zipper puncturing. This is when a thief strikes through the teeth of the zipper, ultimately creating an opening for them to rummage inside. So in addition to any locks that you have, choose to buy tamper resistant luggage. These bags will come with anti-slash material and all zippers will be anti-puncture. If you want to go a step further, you can choose to go with a hasp secured bag. By using a combination of luggage resistant bags and locks, you can have a pretty secure bag that is less likely to be targeted for theft.
2. Choose to go with high-security locks on your bags and a luggage case that has a hard-sided case. When buying and researching what padlock to get, do not cheap out! Find one that has a solid construction and does not have any listed weaknesses or bypasses. You want to find a padlock that protects against multiple types of attacks and one that will protect multiple attack tries as bags are often left unattended for extended periods of time. Although most criminals tend not to pick locks, they do have a lot of time to figure out how to shim them. So choose a padlock that is constructed with ball bearings as these are impossible to bypass with a piece of metal or pliers. Finally, do not go with a TSA lock as the skeleton key schematics for these have been placed on the internet, so anyone can just buy a key for the locks, so no picking is required. Plus, these types of locks have very thin shackles which provide little protection as they can be easily cut.
3. Choose unique ways to mark your luggage. For instance, go with extremely unique looking zip ties. These show thieves that you will be quite aware if your case gets opened and they can’t be easily replaced. Keep in mind that if you use regular zip ties, a lot of airport employees will have these on hand and will be able to replace them if they do open up your luggage. Obviously, this isn’t a method that should be used alone, but it is a creative way to ward of thieves as it is out of the ordinary which may be enough to deter those thinking about getting into your luggage. You don’t necessarily have to “best” the criminal, but rather just make your luggage look like the least appealing target so that you get bypassed while the bag next to you gets chosen. Another option that falls into this category is using non-standard tape seals or saran wrap.
4. Choose to go with a hard-sided suitcase rather than a fabric one. Unfortunately, with fabric suitcases, even if you use a high-security locking system, can be easily broken into because the fabric can either be punctured, slashed, cut, or pushed in. Instead, choose a hard-sided suitcase that has a hasp lock system in place. These types of hard-sided cases will have two places where you can attach high-security locks, will provide you with an unbroken seal, and are foolproof against puncture attacks as there are no zippers. The only thing you have to keep in mind here is that you need to choose locks that do not have extremely long shackles. If the case can be opened without unlocking the locks because the shackles are too long, then your contents are still susceptible. Finally, always buy your hard-sided case in person as this allows you to inspect and ensure that the material is of solid construction.
5. Place valuables in unorthodox places so that they look inconspicuous. This could be as easy as placing valuables in pockets of clothing and folding them up. Although it is best to carry higher priced items on your person like jewelry or wads of cash, but if you have to place these items in your luggage, choose hiding spots that won’t draw attention. A great example of this is to use unremarkable toiletry supplies, like a hollowed out deodorant container or a makeup bag with makeup containers. The idea here is to keep the valuables out of sight so that if your bag is broken into, the thieves won’t be able to find them easily. When they can’t find them easily or in “quick enough” time, they will often leave them disregarded as they don’t want to be caught in the act of stealing. This is a great security measure to take if you are worried that your luggage will get broken into.
6. Another really good tip is to bury your wallet and your cash in your carry on. This way, if you are on a long flight and have to get up to use the washroom, or you happen to fall asleep, it is less likely that any of these items will be taken. When you board the plane, you really shouldn’t need your wallet for anything unless you choose to buy food or drinks from the airplane stewardess. So, burying it deeply into your carry on bag shouldn’t be too much of an issue. The idea here is that if for some reason your bag does get stolen, gets taken out of the storage holder, or is inevitable checked, someone will have to completely dump your bag to find any of the valuables.
7. Choose to keep only a few items on your person. You mainly want to keep your identification cards, a credit card, and your cell phone on your person. This way, if your bag does get stolen, or your carry on bag does get checked, you won’t have to worry about being in a jam later on. These items are the ones that you can’t easily replace, so you want to keep them on your person in case an emergency happens while you are traveling. Identification and credit cards are used to book hotel rooms and car rentals, while a cell phone will provide you with emergency contacts. The only other item that should be kept on a person when taking a flight are prescription medications for those who need them. In some cases, a stolen bag that has prescription medications in them can be the difference between life and death in extreme cases, and replacing them can be expensive.
8. Be extremely cautious when choosing to use lockers or safes in hotel rooms, at hostels, or even at airports. Not only can these be easily compromised by employees, but commercial facilities almost always have a master key or code to unlock all safe containers, meaning your items are at a high risk of being compromised by facility employees or anyone who can access these protocols. When trying to stay safe at a hotel, don’t use their “light safes” as these can be opened by hitting the top of the safe hard while moving the handle from side to side (a process called bouncing). Hostels unfortunately, have very little security because the storage areas are shared spaces, so either do not take valuable items with you when staying at a hostel or employ other methods of security.
9. Choose to store valuable items all in one place like a clear plastic Ziploc bag. At first this seems a bit counter-intuitive because someone could easily grab all of your stuff and make off with it, but on the flip side you will never lose track of it and people have less incentive to actually steal it because they know what you are carrying. This tip works really well when you are heading through security, as there is no reason for anyone to open it up and take a look inside. If you don’t want to go the full Ziploc bag route, choose an obvious pocket and reserve it for critical items like your identification and wallet. Not only do you not have to rifle through all of your bags to get to these items, but you save precious time in figuring out of anything has been stolen or is missing.
10. Choose to run the bag in a bag method. When packing your carry on, place all of your valuables into a smaller and easily accessible bag. This way, if you end up on a flight that has a ton of people and you are near the end of the line, you can avoid losing your valuables if your carry on bag gets checked. A lot of the time if the overhead bins begin filling up too much, people who board near the end will have their bags placed in checking despite them being marked as a carry-on. This happens primarily because other individuals aren’t following regular carry on size requirements. This way, if you get to the end of the gangway and they tell you your bag is going to be checked, you can pull out the much smaller bag and keep it on your person.
Protecting Yourself Against Identity Theft
1. Do not forget to unpack the essential documents that you carry around with you when you are not travelling. These items may include your social security card, medical documents, checkbook, and bank statements. It is important to either not bring these along at all, or if you absolutely need to, add them to a money belt on your person. Not only does this help keep you from being a pickpocket target but it ensures that sensitive information stays secure. Once you are out on the road, consider pairing down the document list even further, especially if you are going to a crowded area like a square, nightclub, or concert, as these sensitive items may be prone to getting lost or stolen. If you are tempted to leave these in the hotel safe, don’t as this isn’t necessarily a secure area. Instead, choose a document protector, an RFID blocking wallet, or a money belt.
2. Be extremely cautious when using free Wi-FI hotspots while travelling. This is probably one of the most difficult things to do because every single signal that you will come across is more than likely an unsecured connection. However, if you choose to connect to an insecure connection, you risk having any information that you type into your keyboard revealed to the general public. This could include e-mail passwords, and website logins. If possible, you want to make sure that you only connect to websites that read HTTPS rather than HTTP as the S means that the website is a secure connection as the data is encrypted. Easy solutions to this is to get a plug-in for your Google Chrome, Opera, or Firefox browser, use a secure VPN to encrypt your data, or do not ever type in sensitive data.
3. If you choose to use a public computer or terminal while you are traveling, these are definitely not safe from data sharing. Although they are often set up to automatically delete data, that isn’t always the case. So, when using a public terminal, make sure to delete all of the cookies and the browsing history prior to logging off. If you use any type of social media website, remember to log off and then delete the information from the input boxes. Typically, you will be safe when using public terminals, but it is always a good idea to take extra security measures as doing so will offer you a peace of mind.
4. Always have a dedicated e-mail set up for your travel adventures. If you use your personal e-mail address or even your work e-mail address, the damage that can be done to your livelihood is incredible. You do not want any sensitive information to be at risk and when you use your personal e-mail or work e-mail, that is exactly what you are doing, putting your entire livelihood at risk. It is actually not all that uncommon to see travel exclusive e-mails for people and it works as a great way to keep your travel communications separate from other life events.
5. Protect your cell phone. Yes, your computer is quite vulnerable, but your smartphone even more so. Not only are you always logged into your favorite applications while your phone is on, but a lot of these applications will provide others with access to personal information. Make sure to always set a password on your phone so that if it gets stolen or lost, no one can log into it. Choose to delete sensitive applications off the phone such as banking applications, social networks, e-mail sync. Choose to log out of any applications that you do keep around such as Twitter and Instagram. Also keep in mind that clicking on malware links is a lot easier on your cell phone, so be wary of any suspicious e-mails you get while abroad. Finally, the same rule applies here about the public Wi-Fi spots. Don’t connect to any website that is insecure as this leaves your information open for stealing.
6. Almost all major credit card companies and banks issue cards that have RFID enabled technology. Radio Frequency Identification Technology is what allows us to use the “pay wave” or “pay pass” that you see hallmarked on the front of most cards. When you wave your credit card or debit card in front of a scanner rather than using the magnetic strip, you are opening yourself up to possible trouble. The scanner in which you wave your card across is recognized by the antenna within the card, which is connected to the RFID chip you see on the front of the card. When activated, this is how a “tap” payment goes through. Unfortunately, the card can be hijacked by those who have hand-held scanners. In order to avoid having your card information stolen, make sure that no one is standing relatively close to you when you go to make a “tap” payment with your card.
7. Get your mail stopped at the local post office. Although it may seem or feel convenient to have your neighbor pick up your mail, if there is a thief prowling through your neighborhood, they will eventually figure out that you are not home. This means that they have the potential to reach your mail before your neighbor does and if this happens, they can still some very sensitive information. Another tip regarding this is to never bring mail with you while you are travelling. It may seem like a good idea to bring bills with you so you can pay them when they come due, but this type of action may actually cause you a lot of harm. Bills and statements often have sensitive account information printed on them and when brought along on a vacation, they can become a serious threat to your identity. Always make sure that as bills come in, they get shredded so your information cannot be stolen.
8. Be extremely wary of what ATM’s you use as generic and standalone machines have an increased risk of skimming incidents. There have even been a few incidents where an ATM was purchased online and set up as a real kiosk. All it takes is a bit of money, a clever hack, and a convenient location to set up one of these fake ATM machines. Always make sure to jiggle the card slot on the front of the ATM machine and if found to be loose, don’t use it at all. A lot of ATM’s will be rigged to skim the information from your card by changing out the card reading slot. If possible, always go to a branch during regular hours and take out money that way, or use a cashback option at reputable shops. If you are traveling with a partner, have them block the view of your card when using a kiosk.
9. Always make sure that you are monitoring your bank accounts for suspicious activity while you are traveling. In most cases, thieves bank on the fact that you won’t discover the theft until well after it has happened. One of the easiest ways to shut down identity theft is to make sure your accounts look normal and if they don’t, take immediate action. Keep in mind though that you should only check your accounts on a secured connection as you don’t want to possibly give up your banking credentials. Another tip directly related to this is to set up e-mail or text message alerts with your bank prior to traveling as they can notify you of any suspicious activity without requiring a phone call. This is important as phone calls can be missed due to being in a different region or time zone.
10.Never let your credit card out of sight. If you choose to eat out at a restaurant, do not let the waiter or waitress take your card and disappear with it. Dishonest employees will take your card and skim the information off of it. If this does happen, you can have your card replaced easily enough, but keep in mind that they may now have access to your entire account which means either a lot of money lost or a frozen account. In addition to this, keep in mind that some of the handheld card machines are not encrypted, which leaves your information in a vulnerable spot. You won’t really be able to tell an encrypted machine from a non-encrypted machine, but generally smaller non-franchised restaurants will be more likely to have a machine that is not encrypted.
Safety Tips for Traveling Solo
1. Regardless of your gender, learning about the culture in which you are traveling to is paramount to avoiding any type of physical violence or harassment. When you go to pack up the type of clothing you will be wearing, make sure that there are no restrictive rules associated with items like short skirts, short shorts, or even bathing suits. In some countries, there are extremely strict laws for women around these types of clothing, making it so that they either cannot be worn at all or only worn in some areas like a beach. Also keep in mind that there will be dress codes for religious sites, so if you have bare legs or shoulders, you might get turned away which ends up being wasted money for you. Finally, it is a good idea to learn a few phrases or the bare basics of the language so that you can at least talk to those who may provide you with assistance. Pay special attention to hand gestures as a lot of these are considered to be rude or inappropriate and may either land you in a dispute or in jail.
2. Always make sure to connect with others, whether it be locals or other travelers, in a cautious manner. Although most people will have good intentions, some strangers are chatting you up specifically to get valuable information out of you. If you are asked about your travel plans, where you might be headed next, what hotel or area you are staying at, keep the answers to these questions vague or completely to yourself, as this type of information is what is used to scheme an attack against you later down the line. If you are asked about whether you are travelling alone, never reveal that you are and instead make up a story about a sibling, spouse, or friend. With this said, don’t let fear completely ruin your interactions though as some of the best experiences come from sharing with the locals, eating at hidden restaurants, and enjoying what the culture of the area has to offer.
3. Walk around with confidence and always look like you know where you are going. Although this might be a bit difficult to do at first when you are in an unfamiliar place, it is a great tactic to use so that you don’t draw attention to yourself. If you stop along the sidewalk to pull out a large guidebook or a huge folding map, then you will instantly get pegged as someone who may need help because you are unfamiliar with this region. This may draw in the wrong type of attraction from individuals who don’t have your best interests at heart. One way of avoiding the use of a large guidebook or map is to either memorize the route in your hotel room prior to leaving, or using a smartphone navigation system. The smartphone navigation system is less obtrusive, it allows you to check it discretely and quickly, and if you really need to you can then use the guidebook or map as a second reference point to your phone.
4. Always drink responsibly! Although this tip might be a more obvious one, too many solo travelers get sucked up in the moment and end up having too much alcohol. Not only can drinking too much put you into an unsafe position, but accidents, injuries, and mishaps while under the influence are also not covered under travel insurance. You also will need to do research on whether or not drinking in public is legal with where you are going as some countries have rules and regulations around drinking in public, carrying alcohol on one’s person in public, or walking around the town while intoxicated. Furthermore, when drunk, your inhibitions are lowered, you are less likely to notice if someone is going to spike your drink, no one will be there to help you if someone tries to steal your valuables or kidnap you, and generally those who have bad intentions are going to find you a lot easier.
5. When you need to, be able to find creative ways to invent a group. Since a solo traveler does not have an inherent group that they can blend in with, creating one or inventing one may be required if you find yourself in a dangerous situation. One way of doing this is to go to a public area, sit down near individuals who are not preoccupied, and start talking to them. You can ask general questions about the food, area, weather, or landmarks but try to keep it as casual as possible so you don’t look out of place. This will deter people from following you, trying to take your items, or harming you as you won’t be isolated enough to get near. If you are unable to invent or join a group, find one that is headed to the same area you are and “tag” along behind them. Not only does this afford you some group security, but you can still respect their privacy without needing to have an awkward interaction.
6. When using public transportation, never share a cab with a stranger and always stay awake. If you have to take a cab, always look for a legitimate badge or ask to see a permit to ensure that you are not getting into a “fake” taxi cab. Also keep wary of sharing cabs as a common scams involve a stranger leaving behind contraband in the cab, while a fake cop arrests you for it at your next stop and then proceeds to steal your identification. It is also imperative that you know where you are going, because the taxi cab driver is not responsible for you and may have their own plans for you. By knowing where you are going and paying attention, you protect yourself and make it harder for strangers to hurt you or take advantage of you.
7. Know where to find the emergency consular or embassy for your country. This is invaluable information because they can provide you with extremely important services. For instance, if your passport has been lost or stolen, they might be able to help you either replace it or retrieve it. If you require an emergency contact out of the country and you are in an emergency situation, they can help contact them as well as find you information for reputable hospitals and doctors. They may also be able to aid you in getting emergency money wired over or booking airline tickets out of the country. Essentially, an embassy or consular is a safe place that you should have tracked and noted so that if you get yourself into some trouble, you can head there.
8. Many solo travelers find themselves either hating the fact that they have to dine alone because it is lonely, or are scared enough to not want to dine alone at all for the fear of appearing like an easy target. If this is the case for you, there are a few things that you can do to make this process easier. First, chat with the waitress and waiters in a friendly manner without keeping them too long. Choose to sit at a counter seat or at a bar seat as this is typically where solo individuals can sit without drawing any attention to themselves. Choose to eat at cafes rather than fancy restaurants as it is easier to find a secluded spot to sit on the patio or in the corner rather than in a big booth with little privacy. If you find yourself really uncomfortable, pull out a book or use your phone to read while you are eating.
9. Distribute your valuables across several mediums to ensure that they stay safe. Permitting that you have a good memory and can remember where you store your valuables, it can be a good idea to distribute them so that if you are robbed or kidnapped, you will not lose everything in one shot. Try storing an extra credit card and cash on a money belt, while your hidden inside pocket contains your everyday cash or cash for emergencies. You could go as far as keeping an old and worn wallet on your person and stuffing it full of expired identification or bills with fake information on them as a decoy option. This way if your wallet gets robbed or you have to hand over your money, you can give away the fake one and the robber won’t even know. You may also want to hold onto “ransom money” as a way to buy off people who are trying to take your stuff. By having an extra stash of money that can be used in this way, you may be able to prevent further damage if your situation begins to go badly.
10. Always trust your gut. Whether you believe in intuition or not, if you begin to feel uncomfortable in a situation or something just doesn’t feel quite right, then remove yourself from the area. If an individual is following you, making unwanted advances, or trying to gain your attention, move away from them. It is extremely important though that you do not isolate yourself and instead move towards other groups of people. If for some reason you just can’t shake the other person, call attention to them in a loud and obnoxious way, as this almost always gets them to shy away as they don’t want the attention put on them. Finally, don’t feel embarrassed about leaving a situation you are uncomfortable with or calling attention to someone; it is important that you protect yourself and this is a great way to do it.
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Excellent Publishing, publisher of Is Your Vacation City, is a part of the RASBiz, Inc. family of companies and is a member of affiliate marketing programs. This means that when you click on some links in isyourvacationcity.com, a small commission on your purchase, if made, will be received by us. The price is the same to you and this allows us to supplement our income which helps us to keep providing you with the best information for free.