Tag: security

Safe Travel- 10 Tips for Increasing Your Security While Backpacking

Safe Travel- 10 Tips for Increasing Your Security While Backpacking

Unfortunately you can run into problems while backpacking. Do not get paranoid – it will ruin your trip, but do have a healthy respect for things that can happen. Certain places are higher risk and warrant extra attention such as around ATMs, money changers, bus and train stations, crowded streets and markets. Adapt to the country you visit, some countries are high risk and other are low risk.

Check your guidebook and with the locals to see what the scam of the day is and which areas are best avoided (varies during day and night).

  1. If you carry around a hand bag in high risk environments (e.g. markets) keep the bag in front of you and keep one hand on top of the zipper. Do not let it hang on your back.

  2. Spread your money into several places (e.g. your daypack, backpack, wallet and money belt) so that you do not lose all at the same time. Hide some emergency cash under the sole of your shoe, in your sock or elsewhere.

  3. Do not keep valuables easily accessible in your day pack and then hang it on your back. Bag slashers use razors to cut your bag and steal your valuables without you noticing. You will not feel it. Put something of little value in the outer compartment so that they get hold of that if they get hold of anything.

  4. Be careful with your valuables and important documents (passport, tickets, and traveler?s cheques), use a money belt or leg pouch. You can get belts with secret pockets on the inside where you can store cash or you can get a separate pocket for money which you can put on the inside of your pants. The idea behind a money belt is to keep it on you – not in the daypack which you carry on your back. If it is too sweaty you may be better off leaving the valuables in your hotel than carrying them in your backpack.

  5. If you walk with your backpack and have to stop, move a little from side to side so that it will be more difficult for anyone to get to your bag without you noticing.

  6. Staff in supermarkets and stores may try to short change you i.e. they give you back less change than you are supposed to get and will play all innocent when you point this out. Count it to make sure you get all the money you are supposed to get.

  7. Avoid flashing expensive jewellery, money and watches around.

  8. Do not give money to beggars. If you want to help give to charity instead. If you still want to give money do not flash your big wallet. Instead keep some small change in your pocket to hand over.

  9. Use small locks to lock your backpack and daypack. Combination locks are easier to handle than key locks since you do not have to bother with the keys. A disadvantage with combination locks is that they can get worn out rather quickly and suddenly they will stop working, usually when your backpack is tied to something and you are in a hurry to catch a bus 🙂 Once the locks start giving you trouble throw them away and get new ones. If you find yourself with the combination lock not responding, dial it to your set combination and try changing the first digit one step up and one step down (e.g. your combination is 1234, change it to 0234 and 2234), if that does not work do the same with the next digit (i.e. 1134, then 1334) until you have tried them all.

  10. Keep the lock on your daypack when you go on day tours. If you have to leave the bags behind e.g. in order to do snorkelling or to go deep into a grotto this prevents curious hands from going through your bags while you are busy elsewhere.

Personal Experience – The Hoi An Hang-up

When I was in Hoi An in Vietnam I had locked my backpack to the bed with a combination lock. When it was time to leave the lock would not unlock no matter how much I tried. Finally we had to use a hammer to smash the lock. It took quite a surprising lot of beating before it gave in. Buying quality sometimes has its drawbacks 🙂

Happy travels!

RV rental Deposits

RV rental Deposits

RV travel can be the climax of your splendid travel, it can also be the most efficient budget travel. These are often two reasons why RV traveling is increasingly becoming popular. In the United States, you can travel state by state without blowing your budget Or set beside sceneries that you haven’t ever experienced.
MyDriveHoliday and CamperTravel have collected quality suppliers around USA to provide 24 hour RV USA rental assistance. Other than the all day all week service, they offer competitive rates. Or  simply, you are like renting from suppliers, but the advantage is that you can check availability and rates from an array of vehicles without harassing you phone by calling different companies.
Like renting a regular automobile, there are also very important minutiaes to bear in mind, such as the rule on Deposits. For most RV companies, Deposits are non refundable, others are very surprised about this.
We sort out vehicles according to its size, feature and its rate. Once done, we want to put it under our name for security. This is where the Deposit comes in. Usually an RV rental company whether a supplier or a dealer, collects 20% of the rental for a so called “deposit”. Most companies do not refund Deposits (ask your agent about this). Why is it non refundable if you aren’t renting it anyway? Because as soon as you have placed a Deposit, that specific vehicle you requested is instantly locked under your name. You can always withdraw or cancel the rental, but remember that you may never have your Deposit refunded. In most cases, the company wouldn’t be able to get another renter for the inclusive dates. Always check rules on deposits, that isn’t hard to do.

My Next Top 10 Travel Tips

My Next Top 10 Travel Tips

Earlier, I wrote my Top 10 Travel Tips and I had a number of people offer suggestions.  I thought it was time to write the next Top 10 Travel Tips. Hope these are helpful!

1.   This one is from a friend.  Pack with travel cubes – or any other type of bag within a bag. This helps keep clothes organized and when security rifles through everything, “things” won’t go flying.
2.  Wear shoes that slip on and off easily to the airport – I like Dansko.

3.  Drink a glass of water every hour (when the water is safe).

4.  This one if from friend…and a little gross.  Put a little Vaseline in your nostrils and a just a little in the corners of your eyes – you get less dry.  I tried it and it works!

5.  When making decisions about activities, ask yourself how you’d feel 5 or 10 years from now about each decision.  Do I go to the museum or do the boat tour? Do I have a fancy dinner or go to a play?  Spend an extra day in Paris or see the countryside?  Lie at the beach or site see?
6.  This one is also from a friend.  He was in Cambodia after traveling for months.  There was a movie theater playing an American movie.  He fully enjoyed the movie and forgot where he was.  When he walked out he had a renewed appreciation for where he was and where he came from.

7.  It’s hard to enjoy yourself if you are tired or sore.  A quality memory foam travel pillow is a necessity. You’ll find yourself wearing it on planes, trains, and long car rides.  The best travel pillows. will provide full support for your head and neck.  Also, more and more airlines are no longer offering airline pillows.

8.  Bring a couple packs of Wet One’s or Handy Wipes.  They are useful for hygiene, comfort, and even make-up removal.

9.  Save a copy of your itinerary on the Internet.  Just email it to yourself.
10.  This one is from a friend.  If you find yourself trying to sleep and there is a mosquito in your room, ask the front desk for a fan.  Turns out, mosquito’s hate even a light breeze.

Happy travels!

Personal Protection and Traveling Alone

Personal Protection and Traveling Alone

Traveling alone makes people vulnerable and open for danger.  There are many things that you can do for personal protection to ensure your safety.
When you are traveling alone and you know you will be alone it is very important to plan your trip in advance.  Know where you are going to be, learn the map, determine your transportation and more.  If you get a rental car the best thing you can do is get the GPS system.  The last thing you want to happen is to get lost from your hotel on a bad side of town.  A GPS allows you not to have to stop to ask strangers that you don’t know for directions.  Also, you should find out if the place you are traveling to is a safe destination for women to go to, especially if you are headed out of the country.
When you are traveling alone it may be tempting to get a cheap hotel so you can save money.  One thing to consider is that the majority of the criminals are not going to target people in the larger and safer hotels.  This is because the larger hotels have a valet service, security guards, security cameras, and provide a safe place to stay.  The cheaper places may have the door to your room on the outside of the hotel, no security, and may not even have a well lit parking lot.  Also, when you choose your hotel make sure it is near attractions and the location you need to go to.  This way you won’t have to travel as far and you will minimize the chances of getting lost.
If you are traveling to another country it is important to learn the language a little bit so you do not have too big of a communication gap.  When you are alone in another country and something happens to you it will be impossible to find help if you cannot speak the language. Practice before you plan your vacation.
Another very important thing you need to do when you are traveling out of the states by yourself is find out where the US embassy is located.  If you are robbed, attacked, raped, kidnapped, or anything else this is where you need to go.  They will protect you and get you back to the states and home to your family.
You might consider personal devices for protection and self defense when you travel out of the country.  Always find out what the laws are before you board a plane.  You don’t want to end up in a foreign jail because you didn’t do the proper research.  Take care of yourself and plan ahead so you can have a safe vacation.
When you are traveling out of the country there are many things you need to consider so you are as safe as possible.  The best thing you can do is plenty of research on the crime and the city you are going to.  Find a big and safe hotel and don’t be too cheap.  Paying for safety is the best thing you can do in another country.  Also, find the US embassy and be clear about how to get to it.