Solo Travel

How to Avoid Pickpockets and Protect Your Valuables

April 20, 2023

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One of the issues that vacationers fear about most is how you can keep away from pickpockets. It’s a sound concern and we lately heard from a reader who was the sufferer of 1.

She had her cash and bank cards stolen whereas touring. It was not a contented state of affairs however she managed to get issues straightened away and transfer on together with her journey.

None of us want this sort of downside.

Fortunately there are issues you are able to do to guard your self and your valuables from pickpockets.

How to Avoid Pickpockets and Safeguard Your Cards & Cash

Take precautions earlier than you permit. Just in case, regardless of all the ideas under, you continue to fall prey to a pickpocket, just remember to have:
- copies of your journey itinerary, passport, visa, vaccination paperwork, bank cards, debit playing cards, and financial institution info on you, with a good friend at house, and within the cloud
- insurance coverage towards theft ought to or not it’s your cellphone or different merchandise that goes lacking. Read A Complete Guide to Travel Insurance for Solo Travelers.
- photographs of your costly gear in case you’ll want to make a declare
Stash your money in a number of locations. Make positive that you just carry your cash in a number of secure locations in your individual. One is perhaps in a belt that holds cash.
Beware of crowded locations. Markets, prepare stations, giant public occasions–these are the forms of locations that pickpockets love. If you are carrying a handbag, it ought to have a flap and a zipper. Or contemplate one thing just like the Travelon Cross-body Messenger Bag with locking zippers (Tracey swears by this one). If you carry a daypack, put on it in your entrance somewhat than your again in these locations. If you insist on carrying a pockets in your pocket, it needs to be a entrance pocket, not within the again.
Be cautious round warning indicators about pickpockets. If you see an indication in a public place warning you about pickpockets, don’t contact your pocket to examine in your valuables. Pickpockets hand around in such locations ready for harmless individuals to level out the place their pockets is. Don’t assist them out. You could not be capable to keep away from pickpockets however you possibly can definitely make it tougher for them to targe
Keep your precedence gadgets to a minimal. I examine for my most necessary gadgets each time I stand as much as transfer on. These are my pockets, cellphone, and passport. That’s it. If I overlook one thing else, it isn’t that necessary.
Always look again. Whenever you are leaving a restaurant, hopping off a bus, or getting up from a park bench, at all times look again at the place you had been seated earlier than shifting on. This can prevent numerous fear and backtracking on the lookout for forgotten gadgets.
Anchor your purse or pack. Many vacationers have misplaced a pack or purse off the again of a restaurant chair. Loop a strap by means of the leg of the chair, maintain it in your lap or squeezed between you and a companion, no matter will maintain it secure. Consider the Loctote antitheft sack. It is a secure and it is a backpack. Take it with you or go away it in your room locked to an immovable object along with your valuables inside and every thing will probably be secure.
Use an RFID blocking pockets. I hardly use money now once I journey. I put as a lot as I can on my bank card. Ah, however what about id theft?. That’s the place an RFID blocking pockets is helpful. RFID skimming is the place, with the fitting know-how, an individual close to you possibly can collect information out of your bank cards with out your data. There’s a little bit of a debate about them however there is no hurt erring on the aspect of security. Such wallets can be found in hard-shell card holders and leather-based wallets.
Wear pickpocket-proof clothes. Pants with zippered pockets within pockets, bras with stash pockets for bank cards, and jackets with inside pockets are all nice locations to maintain money. Here’s a hyperlink to Amazon’s many pickpocket proof gadgets.
Use a cash belt or neck stash. I exploit these typically however definitely not at all times. However, it does maintain your valuables out of sight and onerous to get at. Again, RFID safety is a good suggestion. Here are a cash belt and a neck stash to contemplate.
Keep spare money the place nobody would look forward to finding it. This tip to keep away from pickpockets comes from Journeywoman. Roll just a few payments and put them in an nearly empty capsule jar in order that the bottle nonetheless makes a noise when shaken. If anybody ever rifles by means of your issues they will not assume that you’ve got cash there.