Traveling can be a lot of fun. You have the opportunity to see new things, try different foods, and experience cultures and people outside your everyday life. However, by exploring out of your safety net, you also open yourself up to the possibility of theft. It is no surprise that tourists can be targets. For some, the risk can sometimes outweigh the rewards of traveling, especially when it comes to solo adventures. However, there are ways to get out and explore new places while still ensuring you and the valuables that you choose to bring along on your journey are safe. Here are four tips for keeping your valuables safe while traveling:
Do Not Take More Than You Need
When out on the road, a good rule of thumb is to only bring along what you need, no more and no less. Expensive jewelry, excessive amounts of cash, and other valuables could probably stand to stay behind. Plus, in most places around the world, there are plenty of ATMs available for your convenience to access funds when you need it so there is no need to carry along large sums of cash on your person or in your vehicle. And if you think you are good at hiding your cash and valuables, you’re not. Theives know all the hiding places better than you. Just don’t take things that can get taken by criminals.
Make Use of Your Hotel or Hostels Safe
If you are staying at a hotel or hostel overnight, odds are that they have a provided safe for you to store any important valuables or expensive items while away from your room. If you are traveling for business, you might have to bring along your laptop or other tech that you use for work. In that case, keeping these devices in a safe while you are away is a great idea. If you are using your own vehicle for traveling, you might want to install a car gun safe or truck gun safes in your vehicle before hitting the road. These safes offer a smart, secure storage solution for more than just firearms. These safes can be easily installed without any professional help and most are specifically designed to your vehicle’s exact specifications so you do not have to worry about it not fitting correctly in your vehicle.
Do Not Make Yourself an Easy Target
With the prevalence of pickpockets in major metropolitan cities and major destination areas, it is smart to keep a close eye on your things while out and about. Keep your valuables out of line of sight when in public, especially on public transportation. If you’re carrying a bag, make sure it can not be easily taken off your shoulder or leave it unattended for any amount of time. In short, do not make yourself an easy target for a thief. Most importantly, do not carry around large sums of cash on you and show it off in public. This seems obvious but when traveling, especially in a different country with their own currency, it can be an easy thing to do. Overall, the best thing to do is to not bring as much unnecessary attention to yourself as possible.
Invest in a Theft-Proof Bags
While out in public, keep your things in either a cross body bag (this type of bag is much harder to snag off someone’s shoulder) or use a theft-resistant backpack. These types of bags are discrete enough to wear in public and also allow for plenty of storage so you can keep valuables you might want to bring along like, phones, tablets, or digital cameras without the worry of someone coming along and stealing your things. There are plenty of these types of bags online to choose from, all you need to do is find the one right one for you.
