Backpacking around the world can be safe, and you can have an amazing adventure and return home safe and sound, If you have the right knowledge and take the right precautions.
Regardless of what you may hear in the mass media, the world is not as dangerous as people make it out to be, and I really do not want to add to the scaremongering that is already out there. Instead, I want to reassure you all that with reasonable common sense precautions – most of which no more than you would use at home or on a night out – then you will be absolutely fine. Honestly, you will.
Backpacking is generally very safe indeed, really. I know some tragic cases do occur and get reported in the media, often with great relish. But it is important not to blow these incidents out of proportion. Terrible things do happen from time to time, no one can deny that, but these incidents are rare, and the majority of backpackers set off on gap years or short backpacking adventures every year and have no problems at all. It is important to keep that perspective. All of the worst case scenarios that may be running through your head as you plan your big trip are the absolute vast majority of the time completely avoidable with some good, sound common sense, a lot of local knowledge and research and some good, solid preparation.
That isn’t to say you still don’t have to be careful of course, but there is absolutely no need to let yourself become worried to the point of paranoia. Being sensible and using reasonable precautions to keep yourself safe whilst travelling is a good thing, but if you let that spill over into outright paranoia you will not only ruin your trip, but you will end up a quivering wreck! And no one wants that!
With these top 10 tips, you can minimise the risk of anything happening to you and be assured that you will have a safe trip and enjoy your travels.
1- Make sure all your vaccinations and travel insurance are in place and up to date.
2- Keep a copy of all your important documents and passport separate from the originals, so that you always have a copy if anything does get lost or stolen. The easiest way now is to scan them and email them to yourself or keep them on a cloud drive. That way they can be accessed at any time, anywhere.
3- Research the places you are going to. Have a good working knowledge of the culture, the places, the scams, forewarned really is forearmed.
4- Use your common sense. This is essential here so I’ll repeat it again. Use your common sense! It really can be that simple. Don’t get so drunk you have no control over what happens to you, don’t go down a dark alley alone at night, don’t accept that lift off a bunch of complete strangers, be mindful of local scams when strangers approach you to talk and listen to those gut feelings. You use your common sense all the time at home, so why would it be any different when you are travelling?
5- Keep an eye on your stuff. I know you are in a new and exciting place and it is all too easy to get distracted and leave your bag/laptop/camera unattended for a second while you grab another drink or gaze at some new and wonderful sight, but just get into the habit of being aware of your surroundings and your stuff.
6- Don’t stand out. Don’t advertise the fact that you are carrying expensive equipment or jewellery or a big wad of cash around with you. Don’t hang that £3000 camera with oversized lens around your neck for all to see. You may as well stick a big neon sign over your head declaring you a target for thieves.
7- Blend in. Don’t look like a tourist. If you wander about dressed completely inappropriately for the environment (think hot pants, bum bag and bikini top straight off a cruise liner in a Muslim country, and yes I have seen that!) Or wonder about with your nose in a guidebook looking lost, you are advertising the fact that you are in new, unfamiliar and confusing surroundings and will make yourself a target for touts and scam artists. Wear comfortable but respectable clothing that lets you blend in with the majority of people around you, act confident and look like you belong there.
8- Develop your situational awareness. All this means is just staying alert and being aware of your surroundings, that’s it. Take out the earphones unless you are in transit or in your room, lift your head up from the screen of your pad of smartphone and pay attention! There is no need to take this to the point where you are paranoid about everything and everyone, just learn to pay attention to your surroundings and the people around you.
9- Separate your sources of money. If you keep a week’s worth of money with you while you travel, then have just what you will need for the day in your pocket (so you are not pulling out huge wads of money every time you buy a mango juice), keep some of it in your main purse or wallet, some in a secure bra stash or money belt, then maybe have a little bit in a cheap throw away purse or wallet that you can pull out when making little purchases and won’t mind parting with if something does happen. Losing £10 or £20 is much more preferable than the alternatives. It is also a good idea to have your emergency credit card with a little bit of cash hidden carefully in your main pack just in case you do lose your main wallet or purse.
10- Get a pacsafe. If you don’t know what these are, they are essentially steel wire nets that cover your backpack and have a chain and padlock to secure it to something. Basically they stop anyone getting into your pack or taking it away if you are not there or your bag is in the cargo hold of a plane. They are expensive, heavy and take up space, but they are more than worth it.
Finally, just relax. Okay, I know this isn’t technically a safety tip, but I want to give you some reassurance too. I want you to be able to enjoy your trip and not worry about anything happening to you. It is good to be careful, excellent to be prepared, but bad to be paranoid. If you are confident, relaxed and follow the basic common sense advice above, because that is essentially all it is, then you will be absolutely fine. So go, enjoy your travels.
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