Trip security when going out of home country

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Lonewolf88

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So if your planning on heading out of country on a trip you need to make sure you see what kind of activity is going on in the areas you will be traveling.

You should always research and find out whats happening in the areas you will be traveling into. The world is not what it once was and you need to make sure you don't become a victim. You can search online about travel restrictions to specific areas around the glob. this should be done in your trip planning but also checked continuously while the trip is underway. all you need to do is search us travel warnings and it will be the first link that comes up. This will be a great tool to use.

what you wear while in another country.

if you are traveling to a area that might be having some issues i highly recommend you try to use plan clothes that don't identify what country you are from. This can make you a target, and i understand we will all stand out just because how we may look or talk but the less you stand out the safer you will be. wear plain shirts that don't have country specific logos on them.

use your local resource to see whats going on in the area and if any new hotspots have jumped up during your travels. locals have a wealth of information and consider calling the local embassy to get info as well. try to get a contact in the country you are traveling too before you head out. not all government agency's will know of everything going on in a area so your local assets will be able to fill in any gaps or give you information that the travel warnings or embassy didn't give you.

The bigger the group the safer you are.

As with any overlanding trip its always better to have other people with you to help you if you need the assistance. criminals are gonna be less likely to mess with you if you are with a large group. if you are in a larger group do your best to stay together at all times when you can. if your on foot move in "battle buddie" teams. Something that was grained into me while i was in the military. you were never alone when deployed.

Protection

so this will be different per country you go to and how you travel to that country. always check with customs on what you can and cant take with you. your best thing will be to have a knife that is OK to be taken into another country. a knife is better then nothing when you need to defend yourself. some self defense classes would also be a good thing to have under your belt in situations where you cant have a knife. if you do take a class bring up why your taking and the instructors should be able to give you pointers on specific tactics to use in the event you need to defend yourself.

Finally life saftey

if all they want is money then just give it to them. always hide some money so you have a backup in case this happens. DO NOT RISK YOUR LIFE OVER SOMETHING THAT CAN BE REPLACED, YOUR LIFE CANT BE REPLACED!
Do your research and know some basic first aid. you can walk into most fire departments and they will be able to give you some advice or even offer a free first aid class.

Some of you may already know all this information or have more that can be added to it and i encourage you to do so. this was all compiled from my experiences from military travel.

Be safe and see the outdoors!
 

Wabbit

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thanks for posting the link, i wasn't sure if it would work or not so i didn't put it in
All great info OP, coming from a service member stationed overseas, I’d also add the following:
  • Always carry local contact info for the closest hospital/Embassy/local police department

  • Know how to dial local numbers. i.e 911 is different in each country

  • When trying to blend in, be mindful of your volume. (I’ve noticed that you can hear Americans well before you see them)

  • Carry local currency (I’ve found myself at a French hospital with no ATM in sight and faced with a 300 Euro bill before…no bueno)

  • Lastly, people watch. Since many places don’t have the same personal space rules that Americans are accustom too, pickpocketing is a huge huge problem, least in Europe that is. (Carry wallet in front pocket and ladies try to leave the purses at home)
 
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Lonewolf88

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All great info OP, coming from a service member stationed overseas, I’d also add the following:
  • Always carry local contact info for the closest hospital/Embassy/local police department

  • Know how to dial local numbers. i.e 911 is different in each country

  • When trying to blend in, be mindful of your volume. (I’ve noticed that you can hear Americans well before you see them)

  • Carry local currency (I’ve found myself at a French hospital with no ATM in sight and faced with a 300 Euro bill before…no bueno)

  • Lastly, people watch. Since many places don’t have the same personal space rules that Americans are accustom too, pickpocketing is a huge huge problem, least in Europe that is. (Carry wallet in front pocket and ladies try to leave the purses at home)
Those are all very good points that I forgot to include. Thanks for the added information

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MOAK

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These are all great points and well taken. I would add the necessity of purchasing overseas extraction, health and hospitalization insurance. It is not very expensive compared to that $50,000 bill you'll get from Botswana or Australia for services rendered. In all reality, once one has addressed their personal and familial safety and communication concerns it's mostly just about "keeping a low profile, a small footprint, and being cool". Something that, sadly, most Americans simply do not know how to do. Even if one might recognize their inability, the learning curve is very long. So, my best recommendation for those folks would be to continue going to resorts, riding on cruise ships or simply just stay home. Speaking of being waylaid, here is a comic relief skit from one of our old time classic comedians. Peace out!
 
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T.Shack

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So if your planning on heading out of country on a trip you need to make sure you see what kind of activity is going on in the areas you will be traveling.

You should always research and find out whats happening in the areas you will be traveling into. The world is not what it once was and you need to make sure you don't become a victim. You can search online about travel restrictions to specific areas around the glob. this should be done in your trip planning but also checked continuously while the trip is underway. all you need to do is search us travel warnings and it will be the first link that comes up. This will be a great tool to use.

what you wear while in another country.

if you are traveling to a area that might be having some issues i highly recommend you try to use plan clothes that don't identify what country you are from. This can make you a target, and i understand we will all stand out just because how we may look or talk but the less you stand out the safer you will be. wear plain shirts that don't have country specific logos on them.

use your local resource to see whats going on in the area and if any new hotspots have jumped up during your travels. locals have a wealth of information and consider calling the local embassy to get info as well. try to get a contact in the country you are traveling too before you head out. not all government agency's will know of everything going on in a area so your local assets will be able to fill in any gaps or give you information that the travel warnings or embassy didn't give you.

The bigger the group the safer you are.

As with any overlanding trip its always better to have other people with you to help you if you need the assistance. criminals are gonna be less likely to mess with you if you are with a large group. if you are in a larger group do your best to stay together at all times when you can. if your on foot move in "battle buddie" teams. Something that was grained into me while i was in the military. you were never alone when deployed.

Protection

so this will be different per country you go to and how you travel to that country. always check with customs on what you can and cant take with you. your best thing will be to have a knife that is OK to be taken into another country. a knife is better then nothing when you need to defend yourself. some self defense classes would also be a good thing to have under your belt in situations where you cant have a knife. if you do take a class bring up why your taking and the instructors should be able to give you pointers on specific tactics to use in the event you need to defend yourself.

Finally life saftey

if all they want is money then just give it to them. always hide some money so you have a backup in case this happens. DO NOT RISK YOUR LIFE OVER SOMETHING THAT CAN BE REPLACED, YOUR LIFE CANT BE REPLACED!
Do your research and know some basic first aid. you can walk into most fire departments and they will be able to give you some advice or even offer a free first aid class.

Some of you may already know all this information or have more that can be added to it and i encourage you to do so. this was all compiled from my experiences from military travel.

Be safe and see the outdoors!
Great write up! As for the knife some were there was a video on getting knives while traveling. The guy suggested going to the local market places & picking up a used cheap kitchen type knife & having card board for the sheath. If you are checked by the local law enforcement & they confiscated it, you are not out a bunch of money. They may be less likely to take a kitchen knife then some sort of tactical or hunting knife. Also It is hardly nothing to leave it behind (possably selling it back?) when leaving.