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More often than not, we tend to forget about taking certain smart precautions when out on our travel adventures. You sort of forget about safety tips when you travel because you’re so excited to get going.
The problem is that few people actually prepare themselves, and don’t put much effort into their own self-preparation.
It’s probably just ingrained into our brains here at O.C.A, but we’ve mentioned it a LOT. You know the saying from the Boy Scouts of America – BE PREPARED!
There’s a lot more danger out there than you might think, and being unprepared is flat out not an option. It’s imperative that you be prepared for the worst outcome. Even if it doesn’t happen.
We don’t point these out to make you fearful in any way, That is not our goal. Our end goal at O.C.A. is to keep you as safe as possible for as long as possible in case of danger. But we sincerely hope that we can help to keep you out of danger in the first place.
There’s a lot more than what meets the eyes out in the world and anything can happen at any time. Good or bad. The main point that we’re trying to get across is that although bad things don’t happen to you all the time, it doesn’t mean that something bad won’t happen to you. Keep this in mind while you’re reading this.
The key to survival sometimes means thinking outside of the box. Your brain is your greatest ally, so use it to your advantage. Like it’s meant to be used. Your brain is a POWERFUL machine. If used right, it can get you out of just about anything. As well as get you into anything.
So, with all of that in mind. Let’s get started on these 22 smart travel tips that are proven to save your life. Shall we?
#1 – Stay Aware Of Your Surroundings:
Staying constantly aware of your surroundings is important. It’s one of the main actions that you need to do in order to keep yourself safe.
If you’re constantly oblivious of your surroundings while you’re traveling, then you’re more likely to run into issues.
For the most part, traveling is pretty safe. However, the unfortunates that get fooled and/or robbed are the same people that tend to be careless with their own safety.
Don’t be careless about what’s going on around you. Bad things will happen, and if you don’t prepare yourself, then it could be you that the bad things happen to.
It’s for your own safety. Remember: You’re the only one they can keep you safe in the end. So always keep your eyes peeled.
#2 – Keep Your Loved Ones Updated:
Stay in touch with your loved ones. Contact them at least once in the morning and once at night.
This will help them feel better, and it will seriously help the authorities in the case of your unexpected disappearance.
If someone knows where you are, and you don’t respond for a pre-calculated or pre-determined amount of time, then they can call the authorizes and organize a search party and A.P.B out for you.
#3 – Social Distancing:
Be sure to keep strangers at arms reach. Keep in mind that when you travel, you’re going to be very unfamiliar with your surroundings. Making sure that you always have one eye on the people around you will go a long way towards protecting yourself. It’s not just a tip, it’s one of the really smart travel tips to keep your distance. However, you don’t have to avoid people altogether. Just keep your 6-foot space.
If you allow just anyone to invade your personal space, you might leave yourself susceptible to thieves. You’ve seen the movies right? Someone “accidentally” bumps into you and…BOOM! Your money is suddenly gone…and so is the thief. You can also get sick easier when you let everyone get too close.
It may seem silly, but it’s honest advice from people that have gone through these unfortunate situations more than once. Trust us, we’ve seen a thing or two. 😉
#4 – First Aid:
First aid is a very important one of the smart travel tips. It will be vital for your health in case of emergencies. You don’t know how much you need a first aid kit…until you do. So prepare yourself before-hand and it very well could save your life. For a full list of medical supplies for a D.I.Y first aid kit, feel free to check out mayoclinic.org.
First Aid Kits Typically Come Standard With The Following – (First Aid Kits Vary):
- Disposable gloves
- Safety pins in assorted sizes
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Hand sanitizer
- Antibiotic ointment
- Antiseptic solution
- towelettes
- Bulb suction device for flushing wounds
- Surgical masks
- Medicine cup or syringe
- A first-aid manual
- Hydrogen peroxide to disinfect
- Adhesive tape
- Elastic wrap bandages
- Bandage strips and “butterfly” bandages in assorted sizes
- A Tourniquet
- Roller gauze in assorted sizes
- Large triangular bandages
- Finger splint
- Cotton balls and/or cotton-tipped swabs
#5 – Dress For The OCCASION:
When traveling, especially in foreign countries, you’ll want to do your best to blend in as much as possible. Blending in can solve a LOT of the common “tourist problems” that people run into when traveling. Theft for example.
People in other countries dress differently. Some countries have very strict ways of dressing and you can actually get in trouble for not dressing how they expect you to dress.
#6 – Self-Defense:
Knowing how to properly defend yourself can be the difference between life and death for you. It might not be a “common occurrence”, but it does happen. In Frank Sinatra’s own words – “That’s Life!”
Something like a taser as shown in the image above could be exactly what you need. There are other options such as mace that tend to be easier to bring along for travelers. When you bring something that can keep you safe, you’ll be in good shape.
#7 – Bring A Decent Backpack:
Bringing a good backpack along with you on your travels will be of a lot of help. Store everything in your backpack when traveling. This helps you stay safer because it is a lot harder to take someone’s backpack than a purse or wallet.
As another plus, your hands will always be free for exploration of your surroundings! Think about it real quick. Traveling with even a fanny pack or something similar is a LOT less safe than utilizing a backpack.
With a backpack equipped, you’ll be able to fully attach all of your belongings to your person with very little trouble. For instance, say someone comes up behind you and rips the fanny pack off of you and poof…all gone in an instant.
On the other hand, if you have a backpack holding all of your belongings, it will not only be harder to steal your possessions because it will be securely attached to your back. But it will also make your life easier through your own organization.
All you’ll need is your backpack wherever you go! Given that you pack your backpack according to your needs.
#8 – Consume With Caution:
Most experts will agree that you can get food poisoning from just about any food. Every country is different and food poisoning is always a possibility.
No matter where you travel. Even if you travel into the most sanitized place on the planet, there will always be the possibility of ingesting poisoned food. If that isn’t already common knowledge, it should be.
#9 – Let Your Bank Know Where You’ll Be Going:
Telling your bank where you’re going will immediately solve one of the biggest issues that come with traveling. Access to your own money!
You might already know this, but it’s important to let your bank know where you’re going. It can become a problem if you don’t tell your bank where you’re going because they won’t be able to tell who is making the transactions.
When your bank cannot identify that it is you, then they can and will cut you off. In the end, it is for your protection, so tell them where you’ll be and make everyone’s life easier for the entirety of your travel tip. Wherever you might go.
#10 – Use The Buddy System:
The buddy system has always been and always will be one of the best ways to ensure your own safety when traveling. Going it alone is most often NOT the best option.
If you go completely alone, you are always taking the real risk of a whole slew of unfortunate situations. Not to say that traveling alone is a death sentence, but the more the merrier… and safer. Safety in numbers right?
#11 – Be Cautious With Public Wifi:
Public WiFi is never safe. Even when you’re close to home. It isn’t hard for someone to hack into your device and steal information through public WiFi.
Public WiFi is not a good way to use the internet. However, if it is necessary that you use public WiFi, try and use the safest and strongest internet explorers and mobile security that you have access to.
#12 – Don’t Flash Your Jewlery:
Flashing your jewelry around is one of the worst things that you can do when you’re traveling. You’re basically saying – “hey, come take my stuff” – Not literally of course, but that is what thieves see when you flash your expensive jewelry around.
Keep in mind that when you flash your expensive jewelry around, it will make you a prime target for thieves.
It’s just a smart thing to do when you’re traveling. Keep your jewels away and safe so that you don’t have any mishaps.
#13 – Let The Locals Help You:
Keep my mind that the locals of the area can be of much use to you on your travels. If you ever need help or get lost, there will usually be a multitude of gas stations, restaurants, and hotels for example.
So at the very least. Wherever you can find legitimate businesses, you will be able to find help easily. The locals might even yield their very own unique and smart travel tips for you!
Locals can help you find your way around and tell you where really cool spots to visit are. The locals will know just about everything you need to know about the area that you’re in. Wherever that might be.
#14 – Think Smart:
Smart thinking is an asset to you on its own. Some call it the “gut feeling”. Some call it “intuition”. And some simply call it “instinct”. Whatever you choose to call it, you want to become familiarized with this internal compass that we are all gifted with upon birth.
For instance, if you plan to travel to a foreign country that is at war, then you can take some training courses to see how you react in deadly situations and see if you can handle where you’re going. Or to simply improve your own confidence in going there.
#15 – Travel Saftey APps:
There are some really cool travel apps that’s can give you some seriously useful advantages whenever you travel. Both free and paid apps. These apps will help you find your way around where you are as well as showing you smart travel tips that will help you to find cool new places.
Many of these apps can and even help to keep you protected for your whole trip by giving you constant updates about the area that you’re traveling to and planning to stay in!
These applications are very useful when traveling around the world or just inside of your own country. There are a lot of them in the app store, so experiment with different apps and find what works for you.
#16 – Always Be DiscreeT:
Another key tip to keep in mind while your traveling is to do your best to be discreet. In whatever you do. For example, if you’re planning a party with alcohol for you and your guests. Don’t tell anyone that you’ll be drinking alcoholic beverages.
It’s a sad thing, but if the wrong person gets information like that about you, who knows what they’ll do with it. This is one of the more far-fetched tips on this list. We realize that.
However, things like that DO happen, and we are simply passing on the information that we know. It’s all here to help you!
#17 – GEt Travel Insurance:
Travel insurance is an excellent way to safeguard against thieves and injuries alike. When you have travel insurance and either one of the set happens to you, you’ll be covered the whole way.
Yes, sometimes travel insurance can be a bit pricey, but it is just one of the things that come with self-preparedness. Travel insurance is not a necessity but is a very good precaution. It’s up to you in the end. So let’s move on to the next one.
#18 – Keep Common Medicines Handy:
Common medicines is another one of the very smart travel tips on this list. They are very important to bring with you. Although it may not seem so right now, it will when you need them and don’t have them. As it has always been said, it’s better to be over-prepared than not prepared at all. That saying rings true in every way.
Common medicines such as:
- Dramamine
- Ibuprofen
- Allergy medicines such as (cetirizine and fexofenadine).
#19 – Communication:
Wherever you travel, make sure that you put some effort into learning some of the basic words and phrases that you’ll need to get the basics.
Basic words such as “food” and “bathroom” are two perfect examples. You don’t realize how much you talk to others until you’re in another country in which they can’t understand you. You will feel really alone all of a sudden. But don’t worry, you’ll figure it out. It’s all part of traveling.
#20 – Stay Away From Shady Areas:
Shady areas are your mortal enemy when it comes to traveling. You don’t know about these areas. Therefore it probably isn’t going to be all that you think it is. So when you put forth the effort and stay in relatively safe places that make you feel at ease.
#21 – Stay INFORMED About Where You’re Going:
There are a lot of things going on all over the world all the time. So you have to keep yourself informed. Yet another one of the smart travel tips There are a lot of different sources that are placed all over the planet.
These include satellites and networks placed all over the world. Many companies from every part of the planet have technology everywhere, and for good reason.
They are there to help you find out what is going on in whatever place in the world that you plan to go to.
#22 – Always Have A Map:
You will never regret carrying a map with you at all times. It’s not just a piece of paper. It’s your backup for when you have no means of figuring out where the heck you are. It’ll be your last resort if you’re not keen on bringing it along with you.
It won’t ever weigh you down or get in the way, but when the need arises for the use of the map. You can expect exactly what should be expected. Directions. Something to help get you the heck out of dodge and back home A.S.A.P!
In Summary:
There are a lot of different things that you can do to prepare yourself for your travel adventures.
Keep yourself as up to date about where you’re going. Just remember not to overthink the whole thing. Being prepared is important, but it’s also important to be realistic about what you get yourself into.
In other words, be prepared but don’t go crazy preparing. Rock the boat, but don’t flip the ship over.
We hope that this has been helpful and these smart travel tips were a beneficial read for you. We’ll see you next time. Right here, at outdoorcampingadvice.com!
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