8 tips for keeping your luggage safe
WORLDWIDE | Monday, 13 October 2008 | Views [2349] | Comments [5]
There's two parts to this discussion – planning the right luggage before you go and then how to use it safely when you’re on the road.
As usual, Sensible Sanchez says the best advice is just to use your common sense! Read on for more tips we've gathered to keep you travelling safely.
Before you go:
1. Be sure you pack your own bag.
Make sure that you are certain of its contents when you're crossing borders, catching flights or passing through Customs. Don't offer to carry anything for anyone else. This might seem like common sense, but there are many stories of unsuspecting travellers just trying to help out their new found travel companion who seemed like "such a good bloke" at the time. By all means make new friends on the road – but let them carry their own bags.
2. Understand the local quarantine laws.
Everyone’s heard stories about drugs that were 'planted’ in some unsuspecting traveller's luggage. But you also need to be aware of particular countries’ quarantine laws and be sure you're not importing illegal substances – which could be as innocent as fruit or wood carvings, or as sinister as the body parts of endangered animals. In some countries the penalties are much harsher than a verbal telling off – in a country like Australia for example, you could receive an on-the-spot fine of up to $AUD220, or for a serious offence, you could be prosecuted and face a fine of up to $AUD66,000 or 10 years imprisonment. Ouch.
3. Get the right gear.
Really think about how much gear you need to take (trust me – less IS more!) and then consider how many bags you need for that. It is much easier to get around and keep an eye on one bag rather than two.
Take a sturdy bag that's not easily tampered with and keep it securely locked.
If you are travelling to the United States, make sure your luggage lock is in accordance with their specific baggage lock requirements – these can be opened by security officers using universal "master" keys so that your locks may not have to be cut.
Information about these locks is available from the Transportation Security Administration’s website
4. Take some zip-ties in your luggage.
Although these don't replace a secure lock, sometimes they're incredibly useful for making sure your bags aren’t tampered with in the short term. You can easily cut them off, but they prevent easy access for opportunists.
If you're wondering what a zip-tie (or cable-tie) is, check this out.
5. Get the right level of Travel Insurance cover.
You need to understand exactly what your travel insurance policy covers you for – they are all different. Many people take out travel insurance because they think that losing their luggage would be 'the end of the world'. It’s probably nothing really compared to a big-time medical emergency in a foreign country which is what you should really be covering your arse for. However, lost luggage is a lot more common! It's inconvenient for sure, and possibly expensive to replace everything. Make sure you get the right level of cover for your trip.
Good, light packing is an art form – I'll save it for another post when I can really let loose on the topic. However, my basic advice is not to pack anything which you couldn't bear to part with, especially sentimental and valuable stuff. But sometimes with lost luggage, it's the bag itself that you miss most... seasoned travelers can spend their lifetime searching for the ultimate backpack.
On the road:
6. Just one word of advice here: never, ever leave your bag unattended.
At the beach, in a café, or even the airport lounge, always keep your luggage with you or have a trusted travelling companion mind it for you. Make sure your hotel room is secure and take advantage of hotel safes (as long as they are reliable!).
If you do leave your luggage in your room, make sure you lock up the zips etc. Although someone could steal the whole bag, the aim is to make it more difficult for any opportunistic thief – and trying to cut a lock off is quite difficult.
Thieves can act with extraordinary alacrity and your bag can vanish or have stuff selectively swiped from it in the blink of an eye. Always keep your valuables (especially passport and money) well hidden on your person, rather than in your luggage.
If you’re sitting in a café or restaurant, slip the strap of your bag around your chair leg or secure it to the table (see those zip-ties might come in handy here too!).
8. I’m in the bus, but my bag is not!
Can I tell you how many travel insurance claim stories I've read that say... "My bag was on the roof of the bus and when I got off, my camera was gone!" ?
Seriously folks. Go back and read Point 6 above. Never, ever leave your bag unattended.
But, but, but... what happens when you've got no choice; the roof of the chicken-bus is the only place big enough for that whopping 90 Litre backpack you've brought?
Take out anything and everything valuable and stuff it into your day-pack. Then use the zip ties or your locks to secure your main bag as best as you can, throw it up on top of the bus with all the rest and hope for the best. And finally, sit with your overfull daypack exploding onto your lap for the next 15 hours and don’t complain. Because after all, you paid attention to the big tip about luggage – never leave it unattended. And then maybe think about how you’re going to travel really light on that next trip...
7. Carry your day-pack or handbag securely.
Don’t leave the zips undone or pockets flapping open – it’s too easy for pick-pockets to steal your gear... or even more stupidly, for it to fall out on the pavement.
In crowded areas like markets or train-stations, it's wise to wear your day-pack on the front - you might look a bit uncool hugging your bag, but at least it’s not exposed to the world. People often think that they could tell if someone was reaching inside their bag, but this isn't always the case; it's another all-too familiar claim story.
Handbags should be worn across the body with the strap diagonally over one shoulder. Don't let your bag hang loose off your shoulder as this makes it an easy target for a snatch-and-run thief.
8. Make sure you always know what’s in your luggage.
Pack it yourself and never offer to carry something for another person. Drugs or other contraband can 'magically' appear in your luggage - and no matter how they got there, you will be subject to the local law that applies to drug charges.
Top tip for keeping your luggage safe: Make sure that you never leave it unattended.
Tags: luggage, bag, backpack, suitcase, daypack, safety tips, travel safety
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