Street Smart: How to Keep Your Stuff Safe While Traveling
- Elisabeth Caraballo
- Jun 8, 2018
- 3 min read
When you’ve been traveling for a while, you know very well how easy it is to get distracted and forget about your belongings for a moment. Most of the time, it’s alright - you find that everything is where it should be and might even find a renewed sense of hope in your fellow humans. Yet, other times there’s a slip-up and something gets lost, broken or stolen and it’s just the worst kind of feeling.
Don’t let this ruin your travel experience; just make sure you’re street smart and prepared for whatever the world may throw at you while you’re out and about. Here are a couple of the best ways to keep your stuff safe and secure so that nobody can get their hands on it.
1. Never dress to impress
There is a time and place for everything and a day out with your backpack while exploring a new city is simply not the right time to dress fancy. Leave your jewelry in the hotel or hostel you’re staying at, preferably locked in the safe or, even better, leave everything that glitters at home. Thieves can and will rip that gold right off your neck or even out of your earlobes so don’t give them an excuse to approach you. Dress casual and try to not look overly rich, to put it like that; this includes saving your fancy sunglasses for another occasion and only looking at your smartphone when you have to. Staring at it for no good reason while you’re taking the bus or subway is an absolute no-go. When you’re traveling in an entirely new and foreign area, it’s best to wear an air of confidence. Try to not look too confused, pretend that you know what you’re doing, and you might just avoid being targeted by someone who is out to take advantage of tourists.
2. Always keep your belongings where you can see them
While we may be a bit naive at home, it’s actually quite easy for the trained pickpocketer to spot a confused tourist. They tend to approach you when you’re making your way through a crowded area and this is when you should keep an extra eye out for your bag. Consider purchasing one of those bags from Backpacks Global with safety features for extra protection and go all-out by wearing your most valuable possessions in a fanny pack. That way, you’ll have the most important stuff close to your body at all times and you’ll never have to experience that dreaded gut-sinking feeling of not finding your passport. Remember to keep an eye out for your travel companions’ stuff as well, by the way. They’d really appreciate it and will definitely do the same for you.
3. Insure the belongings you can’t afford to repurchase
The best decision is, of course, to leave as much of your valuables at home where they belong. Yet, sometimes we don’t have a choice so consider insuring some of it. You can easily find a travel insurance that covers everything but these are often rather costly - consider insuring just one or two of your valuables instead such as your laptop and camera. Not having to worry about your precious belongings makes it a lot easier to relax and get the most out of your holiday. Be smart about it, take care of each other, and never accept the seemingly friendly offer of help while you’re standing by the ATM.
