Safe Travels Overseas

Going overseas involves more planning, more logistics, more money, and more awareness.

It’s that time again - your faithful super-secret agent must go on assignment overseas in service of everything he knows and loves! It may be a few weeks before I publish another entry, so in the interim, I hope you enjoy our time apart.

Today, I want to discuss travel preparedness. Specifically, international travel. Going overseas involves more planning, more logistics, more money, and more awareness. It’s all worth it in the end, but putting in the work ahead of time will allow you to better enjoy the time and make it back home in one piece.

So let’s get to it!

Brief Yourself On Your Destination

Obviously, you should know something about the country you’re traveling to. However, it’s also worth learning about its internal political and security situation as well. Stability is something those of us in the West take for granted, so we often need to force ourselves to take a closer look at what’s happening in our destination instead of just looking at pretty pictures of beaches, landscapes, and resorts.

The Department of State’s Travel Advisories is a great place to start. Yes, I know it’s produced by the federal government and no, we shouldn’t trust the government. However, this doesn’t mean everything the government does is fraudulent. The stuff which tends to be politicized is higher-profile, specifically geared towards crafting narratives, while the lower-level, operational-level stuff tends to be of greater integrity. I’ve also found the information contained in Travel Advisories to be consistent with what I’ve learned elsewhere.

Travel Advisories are basically an intelligence briefing on a given country’s internal situation. It’ll give you a quick rundown of the types of threats you’d be exposed to the risk of when visiting. Here’s the summary of France, for example:

Exercise increased caution in France due to terrorism and civil unrest.

Country Summary: Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in France. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas.

Incidents such as pickpocketing and phone snatchings occur frequently and can happen anywhere, especially in crowded areas such as airports, train stations, subway and train cars, and near tourist attractions.

Peaceful demonstrations and strikes in Paris and other cities throughout France occur regularly and can disrupt transportation. On rare occasions, demonstrations have included violence and property damage and police have responded with water cannons and tear gas.

Any surprises there? Even First World European countries aren’t entirely tranquil places. France is definitely a good example of this, the reason it’s a country I’ve spoken about often on this blog.

Tracking back to the issue of politicization, look at what it says about Hungary, a country the American Regime has long been at odds with:

Demonstrations: Political gatherings and protests occur frequently in Hungary, mostly in Budapest. They may take place in response to political or economic issues, on politically significant holidays, and during international events. Ethnic nationalist groups have gained popularity in Hungary in the past years, in some cases advocating intolerance towards migrants and minorities, including Jews, Roma, and LGBTI+ individuals. Although these far-right groups do not engage in violence and are not explicitly anti-United States, you should avoid public demonstrations and confrontations with their members.

Now compare it to what American leaders and media have been saying about the country. There’s a difference between narrative and reality, and the Travel Advisories trend towards the latter.

Here’s the rundown for Japan:

Crime: Crime against U.S. citizens in Japan is generally low and usually involves personal disputes, theft, or vandalism. In addition:

• Robberies committed after a victim has been drugged from a spiked drink can occur, especially in nightlife districts.

• Sexual assaults are not often reported, but they do occur, and victims may be randomly targeted. Victim's assistance resources or shelters are difficult for foreigners to access.

• Hate-related violent crimes rarely occur, although some U.S. citizens have reported being the target of discrimination because of their nationality or their race.

• Pick pocketing can occur in crowded shopping areas, on trains, and at airports.

• Police reports must be filed before leaving Japan, as Japanese police will not accept reports filed from overseas.

• In instances involving credit card theft or fraud, Japanese police often provide a report number rather than a police report. You can provide this report number to your credit card company to confirm the incident with the police.

Again, any surprises there? Is there anything you learned that you probably would’ve never known had you not briefed yourself? Japan is world-famous for being such a safe place to visit, but you can also see that there’s always more to the story.

Register In STEP

STEP is the acronym for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. Operated by the State Department, STEP allows Americans going overseas to make the diplomatic mission in your destination country or countries aware of your presence. You’ll be able to receive messages in case of an emergency, but more importantly, the embassy or consulate will know they have to look for you in case a major crisis occurs in the country while you’re there and incorporate you into any evacuation protocols.

Now isn’t the time to be a libertarian! I don’t like the government being involved in my travel plans either, but let’s face it: we need someone watching out for us. In some instances, only our government has any power to do anything to assist us in the event you run into a serious problem overseas. Note: don’t do anything illegal! If you commit a crime overseas, there’s little the U.S. government can do for you, since they cannot overrule foreign governments.

However, as long as you haven’t broken the law, our government can provide some assistance or guidance in the event a problem arises. Make sure you take down the address and phone number of the U.S. embassy, along with your nearest consulate, whenever you travel internationally. You won’t need their help until you do.

Avoid Traveling Alone

This isn’t to say, “Never travel alone.” I’ve traveled alone overseas many times. Sometimes, the only alternative to traveling alone is to not travel at all. That’s a pretty easy choice to make, honestly.

However, if you can travel with someone else, do so. It doesn’t even have to be someone you know - group tours are an excellent way to travel. There’s not only safety in numbers, but there’s always a leader who speaks the local language, knows their way around, and keeps you informed as to anything that may be going on, along with helping you stay out of trouble. There’s really no substitute for someone who knows the country like the back of their hand.

If you travel with a group, avoid going around alone. If you do go around alone, do so during daylight hours only. There are very few places in the world where walking around alone at night as a tourist is safe to do - think Tokyo - and I’ve been in places where we were specifically instructed to always have at least one other person with you after dark.

Ladies: try not to travel alone. I know you don’t like hearing this, but too bad. You cannot claim to fear for your life in the presence of men you don’t know, but then go to a foreign country and try to get around by yourself. This is obviously true if you visit a Second or Third World country, but even Europe isn’t as safe for women as it once was. Human trafficking occurs in developed countries also, and women are disproportionately its victims.

Whether you’re a man or woman, at the end of the day, solo travel is a risky bet. Millions of people do so annually without problems, but again, there’s safety in numbers. As preppers, we never throw caution into the wind, even when stepping outside our comfort zone. Travel solo if you must - it builds character - but don’t make a habit of it.

Stay In A Reputable Hotel

I’ve gone down the AirBnB route and I’m not a fan, honestly. It’s not that I had a bad experience - the host and their residence were wonderful - but it’s not always the most comfortable experience. For example, air conditioning is quite uncommon in many parts of the world, even Europe. Likewise, much of the world’s population resides in buildings and not all of them have elevators. I once stayed at an AirBnB overseas with no elevator, and my gracious host lived on the sixth floor - the top floor. Hotels are often the only place to stay where you can find both climate control and elevators. AirBnBs can be cheaper, but remember: you get what you pay for.

Brand-name, mid-market hotels like Best Western and Holiday Inn are always safe bets. However, there are also many locally-owned and operated “boutique” hotels out there. Give these strong consideration: they can be high-quality, often surpassing that of corporate-owned, brand-name hotels, plus you’ll be supporting the local economy! It’ll take a bit more effort on your part to find and book a room, but I assure you, it’s worth it! The quality of these hotels blew me away. Look for one with great reviews, beautiful photographs, and are located in safe neighborhoods frequented by tourists.

When picking a room, if you have a choice, stay on the second floor. It gives you the best of both worlds: any potential criminal has to go deeper into the building to get to you, plus it’ll be an easier egress in the case of an emergency, during which you likely won’t be able to use an elevator.

As for hostels, I’d avoid them. I get it, when you’re a young, backpacking traveler without a lot of money, hostels are ideal. Since I believing trying things once, do it one time, and use a reputable one located in a safe area, but don’t make a habit of staying in hostels. If you can afford a hotel, hostels aren’t worth the expense, no matter how much cheaper they may be.

Stay In Touch

Don’t be someone who cuts off all contact with family and friends just because you don’t want to be bothered on vacation. Be considerate: communicate daily to keep everyone appraised of your welfare. This can be something as simple as sending a text or E-mail once or twice a day. All you’re doing is telling them you’re alive and well. That’s it. It costs you nothing. If, for any reason, you anticipate you’ll be out of contact for an extended period of time, let your people know ahead of time, so they won’t need to worry.

Prior to the trip, send loved ones or some other trusted agent a copy of your itinerary, hotel information, names and contact information of those you’re going on the trip with, etc. The more information, the better. If something, God forbid, does happen to you, there may not be enough time to get all this information to them in the heat of the moment. You may not even have an opportunity to do so. Give them everything they may need ahead of time so in case an emergency arises, they’ll be ready to take action right away.

Have redundancy in communications devices. When I travel, domestic or international, I carry my smartphone, my laptop, and a Garmin InReach. This might seem overkill, but it’s really not. The laptop is a more capable device, not to mention easier to use when it comes to certain tasks. On top of that, it helps me stay entertained during trip downtimes and up to date on events back home.

The Garmin InReach is a small, lightweight device I can clip to a belt loop, so it costs little in terms of comfort and convenience to have it on me at all times. It’s a satellite communicator; combined with an annual subscription, it allows me to send text messages in the event of an emergency. If in a dire, and I mean dire, emergency, it can also be used to transmit an “SOS” signal to Garmin, who’ll then fix your location, then notify the proper authorities that you’re in distress. I hope to never have to hit that SOS button.

Satellite communications is worth a discussion all its own. Because it relies entirely on line-of-sight, it isn’t as reliable as telecommunications. But satellite communications is primarily intended to be for emergency purposes, anyway. Not to mention both equipment and usage are very expensive. It may not be an affordable or even practical solution for most people. However, if you’re a frequent international traveler or someone who lives adventurously like me, it’s worth consideration.

Be A Packrat. Just Don’t Overpack.

All things considered, what to pack and what not to pack is the most important consideration when planning a trip. There’s obviously no “right” answer, since what you bring along with you on your journey is context-specific. Generally speaking, don’t look for excuses to bring something along. Instead of asking yourself, “Do I need this?” ask yourself, “What’s the risk of me not bringing this with me?” The first question forces you to come up with a scenario where you need to have it with you, while the second instead focuses on benefits and costs of bringing something along.

For example, consider the Garmin InReach I talked about in the prior section. I don’t want to use it and if I never need to use it, it likely meant I had a great vacation. So, why do I carry it?

Because if I ever do need it but don’t have it, it might be the last regret I ever have. I’m not carrying around a massive piece of equipment; it’s a small device that costs me almost nothing in weight or discomfort to have on my person. Similarly, it’s worth it to carry a small first aid kit and some over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen along with you. Nobody expects to get hurt or sick on vacation, but it happens, and the last thing you want to do is to scramble to find medical supplies or medication in a foreign country. Antacids and pro-biotics may be useful for relieving your stomach, especially if you ingest ingredients your body isn’t accustomed to. If you’re traveling over five hours past your home time zone, having sleeping medications may help you overcome jet lag, though your circadian rhythm will take longer to adjust.

As for clothing, pack for the climate, obviously. There are certain items you ought to have with you everywhere you go, however. For example, you should have swimwear with you, in case you want to hit the hotel pool or hot tub. You should also have rain gear, since inclement weather is a risk anywhere on the planet. It’s also not a bad idea to take a jacket and a sweatshirt everywhere you travel, even to a hot climate, as it might get cold at night or you may run into instances where you may need to wear something warm. Again, don’t what if? your way into bringing your whole wardrobe, but having one or two “off-climate” pieces of clothing isn’t a bad idea.

Footwear is important. You’re probably going to do a lot more walking on vacation than you do in your life at home, so don’t neglect to take care of your feet. Have a pair or two of closed-toe shoes, plus a pair of flip-flops or sandals. If you plan on going out to upscale establishments, have at least one pair of nice shoes. Considering using insoles; if you already do, replace them before you go on your trip, since you’ll be spending a lot of time on your feet. Have plenty of socks on hand, as they afford a strong layer of protection and can prevent totally avoidable injuries, like blisters. I also recommend swimming shoes if you go into or near water.

As you’d consider the climate, consider the environment as well. If bugs are common in your destination (often in humid, tropical climates), take bug spray. It’s not that this stuff is hard to find in other countries, but it’s that finding that stuff takes time better spent having fun and relaxing. You probably don’t need much; they make everything in travel size these days. Having items like eye drops are a good idea, also. They come in small packages and can become useful when you need to moisten or rinse out your eyes and clean water isn’t accessible.

How many bags? The fewer, the better. That said, anything beyond a week and I’m carrying two bags. Consider your level of activity, also. If you plan on being active, you may need to carry two bags even for a one-week trip. Sure, you may find an opportunity to do laundry, but it may not be easy to find a place for doing so. Having plenty of clean clothes, socks, and undergarments is never a bad idea, unless you want to wear the same stuff all trip long. Be considerate - if you don’t like someone stinking up the place, don’t you be that guy/gal!

It need not be said, but remember: don’t take anything illegal with you! Take no weapons and always check first to see if anything you intend to carry with you is prohibited on foreign soil. You might be surprised to discover what you’re not allowed to have in other countries. On that note, see this story where a Scottish woman was arrested for possessing a Garmin InReach while visiting India. It’s one of 14 countries where such devices are prohibited. Thankfully, they’re mostly countries which you don’t want to visit, but still, beware and always check ahead of time: Thailand, one of the world’s most popular travel destinations, is on that list.

Have Fun, But Don’t Be Stupid

I get it - traveling is about adventure, risk-taking, and going off the beaten path. However, none of this is a reason to throw caution and common sense to the wind.

The reality is, when you travel, you’re leaving your comfort zone. Again, that’s the idea, but it also means the rules you live by at home no longer apply. While you should be willing to try new things, it also means you need to be more discretionary.

For example, if someone tells you not to go to a certain part of town or the country, don’t go, idiot! They know the country better than you do. There’s no reason to warn someone against going to a certain part of town or country unless it’d be problematic to do so.

During travel is often the only time many of us do something daring, like cliff-diving. If you can, get some training ahead of time. If you can get some training once in-country, follow their lead. If you don’t feel comfortable doing it, don’t. Listen to your gut. Remember that medical care in other countries may not be as reliable as ours. It may be superior in some, but getting hurt or sick overseas isn’t something you want to deal with. Use your best judgment, always. Yes, absolutely, try new things. But not everything you’ve never done before is worth trying. For example, if you’ve never even so much as swam in a pool before, is it a good idea to jump off a boat to swim in the ocean without a life-preserver?

It’s nice to be able to try new food and drink when vacationing in a foreign land. That said, be discriminatory about what you consume. If your body is sensitive to different kinds of ingredients, or perhaps even allergic, don’t just eat anything that looks tasty. This is where having a trip leader or tour guide comes in handy. They can find out or may know off-hand if there’s problematic ingredients in a particular item. For the love of God, always eat at reputable restaurants and vendors! Anywhere else and you’re taking a big chance with your health. Not all street food is unsanitary, but in many parts of the world, especially outside the First World, they simply don’t follow the same standards as we do with regards to health and safety.

Here’s a video of a traveler from Mexico attempting to consume Indian street food, which is notorious for being unsanitary:

It’s no joke: be on high alert when it comes to what you eat and drink overseas.

Even if an activity considered illicit in your home country, such as prostitution, is legal in some foreign country, strongly consider maintaining your integrity. Just because it might be legal doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe. Even legal prostitution and drug use attracts unseemly figures.

Remember: if you can’t trust your government at home, don’t expect to be able to trust a foreign government. I don’t care how low their corruption index is or how well-governed some journalist says they are. If you aren’t a citizen of their country, they have no unique responsibility to you. Not only are government workers overseas often even less helpful than our own, if you’re a foreigner or cannot speak any local languages, they won’t help you at all.

Don’t expect to be able to rely on the police. It’s not entirely a matter of corruption, but it’s because the police in other countries play a different role in society than they do in ours. In America, police are expected to adjudicate in interpersonal interactions gone wrong. This isn’t the case in other countries, where the police play a hands-off role in keeping the peace, getting involved only in the event of SHTF. For better and for worse, most cultures of the world are more self-policing than they are in the U.S. or Canada. If you end up conflicting with a local and the cops do get involved, don’t be surprised if they side with the local over you, no matter the facts.

Don’t Drink The Water

Not from the faucet. Even at home, I don’t drink tap water. Generally speaking, if I can’t see it, I don’t drink it. When overseas, even in a country where they say it’s completely safe to drink water from the tap, don’t. Spend the extra money, drink bottled water.

How unreliable can be tap water overseas? It depends on the country, but in Mexico, our trip leader told us a story about how a prior traveler of hers swallowed a tiny bit of tap water while brushing his teeth and ended up getting sick. Don’t let these stories terrify you into not brushing your teeth, but instead use it as an example of how you can never be too careful when it comes to where you get your drinking water from.

Could you bring water purification tablets or even a travel-sized filtration system? I’d definitely bring some of the former, but only for use in an emergency. Travel-sized filtration systems produced by companies like Grayl and Sawyer do exist, but they’re expensive, take up more room in your luggage, and may simply not be needed, unless you’re spending lots of time in places where access to fresh water is limited. As I keep saying, don’t come up with what-if? scenarios where you might need something and instead consider the risk of not bringing it along. There’s not much point in taking a travel-sized water filtering system unless you’re going on an extended stay. As long as you have a reliable source of bottled drinking water, it’s just not worth buying and bringing along.

Drink bottled water. Got it?

Don’t Neglect Pre-Travel Preps

It’s easy to overlook, since our focus during the lead-up to any trip is the trip itself. However, you don’t want to be scrambling at the last minute to secure your residence to remain unoccupied for an extended period of time. Even if you do it all on the day of departure, you don’t want to miss anything, lest you want to spend all trip worrying about whether you turned the stove off!

The same way you might create a packing list, create a pre-travel checklist of actions to take prior to traveling. Here’s a sample of what you might put on that list:

• Remove and pack your passport ahead of time.

• Notify neighbors/landlord of your absence.

• Shut off gas and water (for extended absences).

• Check all faucets and stoves on departure day.

• Check all doors and windows on departure day.

• Unplug all non-essential electrical devices (they can still draw power even if not turned on).

• Withdraw cash and convert into foreign currency.

• Pay off any outstanding balances, such as credit card, mortgage, rent, etc.

• Sanitize luggage. Remove anything you are prohibited from taking on a flight, to a foreign country, or would otherwise be imprudent to have in your possession during your travels (weaponry comes to mind).

• Do laundry.

• Suspend any memberships or subscriptions you will not be around to receive services for. Examples: meal prep, gym memberships.

• Secure firearms or turn them over to a trusted custodian.

• Secure valuables in a safe, lockbox, in storage, or to a trusted custodian.

• Brief family and friends on emergency contacts and procedures.

As you can see, when you write it all out, there’s quite a lot that goes into preparing for travel. In order to avoid cramming, establish a timetable to have some or all tasks completed by a certain date.

Finally, consider scheduling certain key appointments prior to traveling. Try to go see your doctor or get maintenance done on your car or home well in advance of your trip. You want to make sure you’re in good health to travel, that your home won’t fall apart in your absence, and generally just resolve as many issues as possible so you’ll have less to worry about while away. Sure, ignorance is bliss, but we’re preppers, and we don’t live by the seat of our pants. It’s also nice to be able to return home after a long journey and to be able to ease back into your routine without having a bajillion things to take care of.

Time To Get Packing!

Much of what I’ve shared in this essay are lessons I’ve learned through my travels. None of it’s to say something bad is guaranteed to happen if you go against these best practices. But it’s to say the likelihood of a problem occurring increases significantly if you do.

You cannot eliminate all risks and I’ve never been a safetyist, but I also believe in preventing or at least minimizing avoidable risks. It’s foolish and needlessly reckless not to. It won’t make your trip less enjoyable; if anything, it’ll make it more so, because it’ll give you less to worry about.

Remember: choosing not to worry because you want to avoid “bad vibes” is to put your well-being into the hands of uncertainty. It’s much better to not worry because you made the choice to prepare.

With that, it’s off to the airport! What are your international travel best practices? Is there anything you’ve read that you disagree with? What sorts of experiences, good or bad, have you had on overseas trips? What would you have done differently, if anything?

Enjoy our time apart. I’ll talk to you all again soon!

Max Remington writes about armed conflict and prepping. Follow him on Twitter at @AgentMax90.

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