It doesn’t matter how you’re traveling or what the specific travel circumstances are, keeping your luggage, money, and other valuables safe should be one of your top priorities. Whether you are traveling to the beach for a day, embarking on a long backpacking adventure, canoeing down a river for a week, or heading off on a prolonged around the world journey, the tips for keeping your luggage safe are universal.
In the article below we’ll walk you through some common sense methods that experienced travelers use to keep their luggage, money, and valuables safe. While some of the tips might seem like overkill, always remember, all it takes is one clever thief to ruin what would be an otherwise great memory or once in a lifetime adventure.
The Best Way to Hide Your Money
The best way to hide your money is to keep it hidden and secure somewhere on your body. There are all sorts of cleverly designed travel items that allow you to safely store money on your body without it being obvious. These items include hair rollers with hidden compartments, money bras, pocket underwear, money socks, and belts with hidden money sleeves. These items and others are very effective when it comes to storing money very inconspicuously and safely. If, however, you are traveling to very dangerous areas, only bring a minimal amount of money if possible, regardless of how you hide it.
How to Safely Store Valuables Inside of Your Luggage
The best way to safely store valuables inside of carry-on luggage is to always make sure that the items are enclosed in a locked or zipped pouch or compartment. When it comes to cash, credit cards, or passports, you would be best served making sure that a small travel lock makes it impossible for a pick-pocket to grab. Some expert pick-pocketers will use knives to quickly access locked or zipped luggage compartments, so make sure that these areas within your luggage cannot be penetrated by a sharp instrument.
When it comes to check-in luggage, the best way to keep valuables safe is to not put them into the luggage in the first place. TSA has released astonishing reports that seem to reveal that check-in luggage is routinely sifted through and opened by would-be thieves during transit. Never take a chance and put valuable or irreplaceable items into your check-in luggage.
Leave Your RV Somewhere Secure if You Plan an Excursion
RVs are extremely susceptible to burglary when left unattended in RV parks or campgrounds. If you plan to leave your RV unattended for a prolonged period, then you should strongly consider leaving it at a secure facility, especially one that offers covered RV storage in a well-lit area. This ensures that your luggage and valuables inside of it will remain safe and secure. Most RV storage facilities are equipped with bright lights, video surveillance, and even roaming security personnel. Leaving your RV in a remote location unattended is almost a call sign for it to be vandalized or burglarized, so always take the extra step and store it somewhere safe, even if you only plan on being away from it for 8 hours or more.
Invest in Tamper-proof Luggage
Tamper-proof luggage can be one of the best investments that a traveler can make. This luggage is meticulously designed so that it cannot be penetrated or broken into using any conventional means, such as with knives, screwdrivers, hammers, hacksaws, and other tools. Often times tamper-proof luggage will feature anti-slash fabric or materials, hasps instead of zippers, anti-puncture zippers, built-in combination locks, and even GPS trackers. While tamper-proof luggage will most certainly cost more than conventional luggage, it is a worthwhile investment, especially if you travel a lot.
Don’t Be Overconfident With Hotel or Airport Safes and Lockers
Hotel safes and airport lockers have long been a favorite hot spot for thieves. Most travelers would be shocked at how sophisticated thieves are these days, with them being able to make easy work of airport lockers and hotel safes. Maids will often know how to easily open any safe. Airport locker thieves will often use key molds to replicate locker keys with ease. If you possess something that is of the utmost value such as a large amount of cash, then consider leaving it in a safety deposit box at a trusted corporate bank chain. These banks will usually insure each safety deposit box, so in the small chance something goes missing, rest assured you will be compensated for the loss.
Ask The Hotel Reception to Look After a Bag
If you are staying at a reputable hotel, then don’t be afraid to ask the hotel reception to look after your luggage, bag, or valuables. Many large hotel chains have a secure vault onsite that they can place your luggage or valuables into while you are away. They will usually use a ticket system for drop-offs and reclaims, and will often have a roaming security guard in charge of making sure that the vault or secure storage facility is attended to. Sadly, this option is usually only available at upscale or larger hotel chains. Smaller hotels can also occasionally feature this service, however, you need to be a lot more guarded when it comes to handing over your valuables to the staff at a much smaller hotel venue.
Securing Semi-valuables
When it comes to securing semi-valuables or bags and luggage containers that don’t contain anything of tremendous value, you definitely have many more options when it comes to securing them. If you’re hiking and want to leave it behind, tie it to a tree or leave it under a designated or well-marked pile of brush. If you want to leave a bag unattended to on the beach for a couple of hours, tie it to a beach chair or bury it in the sand and mark it with a stick or rock. You can also chain or lock valuables to a bike, motorcycle, or automobile, so long as they are left in an area not particularly prone to theft.
