Safety Tips
As mentioned, I am primarily a solo traveler and if I’m not solo traveling, I’m still likely the one in charge of travel for the group. In both situations, I’m keen to focus on getting myself and those with me back home safely after a fun adventure.
Situational Awareness
For those who happen to work in the construction industry, this may be a phrase you are familiar with. Know what is going on around you at all times. This doesn’t mean that you have to have your head rotating constantly like a security camera. It does mean that you notice if the same car has been behind you for longer than any of the others. It does mean that you notice if there are limited exits in an unfamiliar part of town. It does mean that you notice that everyone else happens to be avoiding a giant pothole or barricade. It means keeping your eyes peeled and ears open to potential hazards.
What I’m going to recommend seems to be controversial, but when I am travelling alone, I wear ear buds and if still day, sunglasses. My reasoning is so that I can pretend to ignore anyone who approaches me. This doesn’t mean that I have anything playing or that my hearing is restricted, but it allows me to continue to walk straight forward as if I didn’t hear that guy approaching asking if I had plans that night. The sunglasses allow me to spot that same approaching guy without making eye contact. This seems to be controversial because others suggest it limits your senses, so take my advice as just that – one opinion of many.
Research your Destinations
I shared recently that I used to look for shopping malls to book hotels as those were typically in safe areas, but given the status of malls these days, I’ve changed to look for Starbucks. Regardless of what you decide on, there tend to some commercial business who has already done the market research, so why not try to benefit from it. With that said, I have made some bad calls over my trips and the thing to keep in mind is that your safety is the top priority. If you do not feel comfortable for whatever reason, seek an alternative solution. For me, that could mean forfeiting a night’s fee and driving another hour down the freeway to find a more populated city or even calling the front desk to ask for their security guard to escort me in.
Let people know where you are going
Especially if you are traveling alone, identify someone as your primary contact. Text them your itinerary and check-in throughout the trip. I always had this thought that if I were kidnapped or worse, I’d want to give the FBI a decent starting point. With GPS / Location on phones, this makes this option a little less required, but it’s still a bit of comfort to know someone knows where you are at all times. This also applies to hiking. You’ll see in my stories why you might want to let the rangers know if you are headed down an unmarked path.
First Aid Kit
At a minimum, I carry Tylenol, Benadryl, and Band-Aids with me. For longer trips, I’ll take a full pre-stocked First Aid kit that you can buy at most pharmacies.