Recently, I’ve had two friends who are traveling crop up on Facebook saying their iPhones have been stolen – one in Beijing and the other in Hanoi. Aside from losing the phone, it can be extremely frustrating even when you have travel insurance because you lose a number of things that might have not been backed up – such as photos and contacts. Keeping your electronics safe on the road is more than just preventing them being stolen and here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way.
Get Travel Insurance
While in the Czech Republic, I opened my Toshiba laptop to see that the entire screen was shattered. What had it been doing? It was sitting on my desk, exactly where I’d closed it the night prior. I’m guessing a little stone or bead was stuck under the lid and caused the entire screen to shatter. My camera was stolen by valet parking in Los Angeles and again travel insurance allowed me to get most of my gear replaced without financially crippling me – do not go traveling without it.
Don’t get Blind Drunk
Sorry to say, but a big bunch of my friends who have lost items on the road, particularly cellphones and wallets, have been blind drunk. I’m pretty sure a few girls I know who have had their “phones stolen” were actually busy grinding on the dance floor, drunk and oblivious to the fact their phones fell out of their purse or pockets… If you’re stumbling around somewhere that is very foreign to you and a local person spots you, you will become an easy target. If you are having a big night out, why not lock your valuables in your locker or hotel room? Take an appropriate amount of cash for the evening, and leave anything that you don’t want stolen or lost behind.
Invest in Waterproof Cases
When I was in Spain, I looked in my bag to see that my laptop was in its case in my bag…. Which seemed fairly standard, except it was surrounded by a little moat of water. My drink bottle had leaked, but thankfully I had a waterproof case. I took my laptop out immediately and it was bone dry on the inside. If you’re traveling on boats you can easily put electronics (cords, phones, cameras) inside zip lock bags to give them a little bit of extra protection.
Sleep With Your Valuables
This might seem stupid, but I’ve stayed in a few dorms in dodgy places that haven’t had lockers. Often you can ask if you can leave valuables with the front desk, but when that’s not a possibility I simply sleep with my laptop, phone and wallet under my pillow. If someone wants to try their luck at prying my sleeping, snoring self off my valuables in the middle of the night in the dark, then maybe they deserve them!
Carry Small Locks
I love to lock things! When I’m on night trains I’ll lock my bags, either together, or to a pole or the railing. There’s nothing worse than having a terrible sleep tossing and turning being concerned about the safety of your electronics. Having a few small locks means that you have lots of options to keep your items safe regardless of where you are.
Do you have any tips for keeping your electronics safe? Have you had any crazy electronic disasters on the road?
If you are travelling with electronics, try to take copies of your receipts with you. If you have items that are lost/damaged/stolen, your insurance company will want proof of ownership.
Having these receipts on hand will mean you can process your insurance claim before returning home – meaning, if necessary, that you can replace your items on the road.
Thanks for the tips! I am really hooked with my gadgets that is why I always take good care of it all the time! I will try and do some of those tips!