This was a massive worry of mine when I first started travelling. Now, I rarely think about it.
So when a friend of mine asked me for my advice I thought I'd turn it into an article instead.
Whenever I travel I always use a 4-point approach in order to keep all my personal belongings safe. And here's how I do it…
Point 1
Don't travel with anything you can't live without/mind losing.
This is the first rule. And as the saying goes…
“Plan for the worst, but hope for the best”
If you have something so personal to you that if you lost it you'd be inconsolable or devastated… don't travel with it in the first place! Simply leave it at home or in storage.
I never travel with anything that I can't live without. For example, if you are about to hit the road for the next 12 months and you don't want to take along your brand new MacBook Pro - because you simple can't live without it - then buy a little E-book like the one below and travel with it instead.
It's my number one tip for keeping your stuff safe… because, at the end of the day, you don't mind your stuff not being safe in the first place!!!
Point 2
Only take your credit cards.
I remember back in the day when I used to buy travellers checks before I departed on any of my travels! Now I barely take anything apart from some emergency money and my credit cards!
Credit card should be taken over debit cards for several good reasons:
1. Credit cards will enable you to hire cars/ motorbikes (nowhere will allow you to leave your debit card as a deposit)
2. If your credit card gets stolen and money gets withdrawn, as long as you report it in time, you will usually be able to claim the stolen money back. The same is NOT true for money taken out by your debit card
In the world we live in today, you are honestly never far away from a working ATM. And let's face it… you never, ever want to be walking around with more than a few hundred bucks on you. Again - as I mentioned in Point 1 - never travel with anything you mind losing!
Point 3
Keep $200, in bills, stashed somewhere.
Whenever I go travelling I always hide a few $100 bills around my person.
This is your 'emergency fund' if anything should go wrong. When you're travelling from A to B it's best to put this in your sock or down your pants… in case something terrible happens like your backpack gets nicked or your wallet get stolen.
If you want to be extra safe you could always buy a pair of 'Brief Safe's' like the picture below!
Point 4
Buy a 'key safe'.
This 'key safe' above is the greatest thing I've ever bought. When you leave your hostel all you have to do is attach it to your bed and 'hey presto'… your $200 emergency money and credit cards are totally safe! And if you happen to rent a bike or car it's a brilliant place to stash your keys and keep them safe while you swim/camp/sleep.
And that's it for my 4 point approach to keeping your stuff safe while you travel. If you have any other point/s that you want to share feel free to write something in the https://www.andalastourism.com site :)
Happy Travels!