Nothing takes the fun out of a trip like having your luggage stolen, or getting a call from back home to let you know your house has been broken into. These things don’t just sour your trip for a day either – they cause continued inconveniences and tend to play on your mind. To keep that mind at ease, here are 5 easy tricks to keep yourself and your stuff safe while you’re away.
1. Protecting Your Home
Protecting your home while you’re away is very important, it’s the life you’re coming back to and you want it in one piece when you return. Make you have good door locks, window locks, and deadlocks on your house. A master key system is best so you can easily lock up your home with one key before leaving. Have a locksmith beef up your security if necessary.
Also, don’t make it too obvious your house is empty. Have friends or a service keep your lawn mown and house tidy, or even ask someone to house sit while you’re away. Your home will be less of a target if it’s occupied.
2. Protecting Your Luggage
Keep your luggage safe when travelling by fitting it with a quality lock. This will make it impossible for someone to quickly pilfer from your bags, and can help deter thieves from stealing your bag because of the extra effort in getting them open.
Suitcases are usually made of material that’s easy to slash, meaning locks are never the ultimate protection. This makes it important to keep items like your ID, credit cards and jewellery on your person or in carryon luggage.
3. Keep Your Money Safe
Being stuck far from home with little or no money is a nightmarish scenario. That’s why you should use a money belt to keep your cash secure and inaccessible under your clothes.
Take a few credit cards with you as well, but don’t ever carry them all together. Carry one and keep the others safe at your hotel. That way if the one you’re carrying is stolen you can cancel it without being left card-less.
4. Lock up Your Valuables
Don’t carry your valuables around with you, especially in crowded tourist spots. Obvious valuables like expensive watches or diamond necklaces are an invitation to thieves. Leave that stuff at your hotel when you head out, and have it secured in a room safe or the hotel safe.
5. Protect and Copy Your Documents
Avoid carrying essential documentation in a purse or wallet. Use a neck pouch that hides under your clothes. If you have other important documents, such as business contracts, keep them in a safe with other valuables. Be sure to make multiple copies of all important documents as well. Keep them in different parts of your luggage and leave copies with trusted friends or family back home. This way, you will always have copies of your documents even if all your luggage is lost or stolen.
Want to beef up home security before leaving, or get your suitcase fitted with a sturdy lock? Call United Locksmiths on 1800 539 636 or enquire online.