Travel Gear for Safety

In our BLOG Safe Travel Begins with Knowledge, we learned a lot about how to travel and stay safe. Examples included “Why NOT to travel to…” and “Tourist scams in….” We learned about pickpockets and luggage theft rings in some major cities, and the old, “Ain’t nothing free” scam of handing you a flower, bracelet, picture, trinket and saying it is free. Only to have them begin following you and demanding a contribution or donation as payment.

With pickpockets in mind, Shannon and I began looking for backpacks and travel bags that would meet our needs and be more secure. There are many on the market with the traveler/tourist in mind, and some are not cheap in price, and some are cheap in material, or just felt impractical for daily use. Being able to get to something inside in a timely manner for us, while keeping out wandering hands was a point in our search. Not having any exterior pouches, and a locking, single main packing cavity may be very secure; but wanting to re-charge your phone from your spare battery while on board a train would be impractical if not impossible.

After a few trial packs didn’t meet the muster, we took a day trip North of Seattle to Edmonds, WA., and Rick Steves’ Travel Center. Rick Steves is an American who has traveled for decades and has a widely popular television show, blogs, podcasts and videos. He has touched on security while traveling in his videos, and with that and functionality in mind, helped design several bag and luggage styles. We weren’t disappointed. We bought matching bags in two different colors. We used them on a handful of day trips and adventures before we left, and they proved to be what we wanted. They have been perfect in functionality, and no issues with construction so far after 12 weeks of continuous travel.

Shannon has a TravelOn purse (purchased at Target for $30 that has clasp-lock zippers, RFID blocking, and a heavy strap that would be very difficult to cut or snap with a hard pull by someone passing in the opposite direction in a crowd. The fabric itself is a cut resistant material.

I have a fanny pack/shoulder bag with a cut resistant wire cable that runs through the strap and zippers that can be locked together. I normally have a D-ring or carabiner hooked through them which also allows me to quickly attach it or other things to me when we’re moving quickly on a travel day or sightseeing. I also keep my tiny rechargeable flashlight on the D-ring, which is very bright and has been handy many times. Shannon has one as well on her bag.

Our gear has served us very well and we are pleased that manufacturers are providing study and functional options for the short and long-term traveler. You can find lots of Bloggers and Vloggers who describe their gear. Look at the options before you decide which security gear will work for you.