Lady Travel Talk: Staying Safe without Losing Adventure

We are pleased to introduce our 3rd guest blogger of the Lady Travel Talk series, a mini-series tailor made for female travelers. This series covers a host of topics related to the travel experiences of each of the ladies contributing. Today's guest blogger is Brenda Boitson, she is a Content Producer for Associated Content, a blogger and first time novelist.

She works for an architectural firm, storage rental facility during the day, in addition to her freelance work for Associated. Brenda will graduate with her Associate's Degree in Business this fall. Actively involved in sarcoma and young grief awareness due to personal experience, Brenda maintains a blog about her life as a widow.

Brenda is resident of Lancaster, PA and spends a lot of her time exploring the world around her through various forms of travel: road trips, camping, flying, on her bike, etc. She's embarked on numerous road trips to nearly a dozen National Parks, has visited 37 states, and enjoys camping, hiking and surf fishing.

Today Brenda shares insights from her journeys that have kept her adventures safe, not sorry:

Post-high school graduation, a girlfriend and I drove from Pennsylvania to California and back in 15 days, camping most of the way. That trip was just the start of an insane love affair with the open road, the clear blue skies, and being anywhere but here.

I have taken my various trips by road, and by air, and have learned along the way how to stay safe as a women traveler. While I am fiercely independent, I also understand that does not mean I need to ignore warning signs.

With restrictions on the types of protection you can bring with your person on an airplane, it has become harder to protect ourselves with common devices such as pepper spray. Around town, it stays with me all the time, but when I travel it is prohibited.

Before you leave on any trip, streamline your belongings. That means you need to clean out your purse, or decide to leave it at home. Bring only the necessary cash, credit cards, and identification-leave everything else in a secure spot at home. The more you bring the greater chance you have of dropping something, or losing your entire identity on a trip.

Over the years, I have learned to keep a bag ready to go with an extra set of toiletries so that all I have to do is throw in some clothes, and I am good to go. It has helped me to stay organized, and never forget a thing. This also allows me to make more spontaneous trips, as I can leave at a moment’s notice. Make sure you know where all your important documents are stored that are required for traveling so you can grab and go.

Another good pre-trip necessity is to program emergency contact cell phone numbers into your phone. Who would you want called if you are found lying in the street? While I hope this never happens to any of you, it will save emergency officials time and possibly your life to be able to call a family member or friend immediately. I have those people listed as “Emergency Contact #1, #2 and #3” in my phone.

I would highly consider purchasing travel insurance. It is quick and easy to purchase online, and there are many reputable companies that offer this service. It can be done on your way to the airport, and may save you thousands of dollars if you become ill or have an accident on your trip.

When flying, I opt not to use the overhead compartment on the airlines as my luggage storage. I check all my bags but one that contains my check in necessities, along with clean underwear, toothbrush, deodorant, contact solution, and of course, a good book. While my luggage has been lost in the past, I find that dragging my luggage through the airports weighs me down. I feel better protected with having it stored away to be lost at someone else’s expense, versus making me a target.

When you arrive at your destination, familiarize yourself with key locations. Find out where the nearest hospital is located, make sure you have important contact numbers in the case of an emergency, and stay organized. Usually when I arrive at my destination, I throw my suitcase on the ground, and collapse on the bed. It is always good to unpack immediately to make sure you have all the items you brought with yourself, and to store away important items you cannot risk losing.

You can become sufficient in protecting yourself just by becoming aware of your surroundings. Stay around groups of people, look down all alleys you pass, and never be afraid to look behind you like a paranoid tourist. So often I catch myself riffling through my purse trying to find my lip balm, and that distracts me from my surroundings. Moments like these put us at risk for becoming a potential victim. Use a purse that goes across your torso, and again-streamline, streamline, streamline. Traveling is a great time to become organized!

Before you leave your destination, re-organize your suitcase, carry on, and purse. Make a list of the items you purchased at your destination in case of having to claim them. Double check your room before you check out and always provide a tip for the cleaning staff. Don’t forget that clean pair of underwear in your carryon bag. One never knows when bad weather will strike and an unexpected overnight layover will occur; no one wants to go commando on an airplane!

By far, traveling spontaneously is one of the best adventures you can take. However, we should never lose sight of preparation. You can be prepared for spontaneity if you stay organized, and still enjoy the beauty of exploring the world.

Do you, like Brenda, take time to familiarize yourself with your surroundings when traveling?
What have you found to be the best method to do this?
Another point that we found interesting from Brenda's post is the recommendation of checking your bags to lighten your load once in the airport. Do you agree?