Just because you’re travelling – whether on foot, on the road, or overseas – that’s no reason to ditch the need for prepping. Far from it. It’s when you’re travelling that the unexpected might be most likely to happen. And as always, the better prepared you are for the completely unexpected, the better the outcome is likely to be for you and your loved ones.
Focus – what are you prepping for?
You’ll be prepping for the unexpected and unpredictable but there are likely to be certain categories of events or emergencies that habitually give you greater cause for concern. If you have a handle on the types of incident you’re most worried about, it makes it all a tad easier to plan for them.
Sort out in your own mind, therefore, whether you are likely to be most worried about, let’s say, natural disasters – storms, earthquakes, hurricanes, and the like – or civil unrest and terrorist attacks. Your priorities and prepping focus might depend on the categories that give you the greatest cause for concern.
Advance planning and research
Knowledge is power, suggests the Savvy Globetrotter – the power to forearm yourself against the challenges you’re likely to encounter.
When you’re travelling, that means doing your homework and learning as much as you can about the country or countries you’ll be visiting and what to expect when you get there.
This is much more than the contents of the local tourist guide, of course, but aimed at understanding something of the traditions, culture, and language(s) of the people you’ll encounter.
Do your research about the kind of services and facilities you might need in any emergency or crisis – the obvious ones, like hospitals, doctors, and police stations, but also key events in the local calendar, such as major festivals and celebrations, or even something as simple as the opening hours of local chemists, shops, and supermarkets.
Purchases
That background research will help you discover what you can and cannot buy on the ground in the countries you’ll be visiting.
Be absolutely sure, for example, that any essential supplies are going to be available on the open market once you arrive there. If you are in any doubt at all, then buy what you need before you set off on your travels (subject to any restrictions – see the next section).
Restrictions
You will need to pay particular attention to any prohibited goods in the countries in which you’ll be travelling. Certain medications prescribed by your doctor here in the UK, for example, might be prohibited at your destination – countries such as India, Turkey, Pakistan, and United Arab Emirates, have especially strict rules. Make sure to check the status of your essential medication with the Embassy of the relevant country here in the UK before you go.
The website Fit for Travel offers more detailed advice but when you are travelling remember to take sufficient medication for your whole trip. Keep the medication in its original packaging, together with the information leaflets that come with it. Take with you copies of the prescriptions – checking whether versions in English will be acceptable or whether you need to get a translation.
In addition to restrictions on medicines and drugs some countries also have those banning you from bringing other items into the country – there is a surprisingly long list of countries that ban the import of camouflage clothing, for instance.
In-flight security
If you are travelling by plane, there are even more restrictions on what you can and cannot pack in the baggage that goes in the hold and the carry-on bags you take into the cabin.
Because of threats from terrorist attacks and security fears, cabin baggage is most strictly controlled. European regulations, for instance, prevent you from taking on board any firearms, stun guns, sharp-edged or pointed objects (such as knives – including the Swiss Army knife you were probably hoping to see you through many an emergency), tools, blunt instruments, and explosives.
All explosive, flammable, and corrosive materials are also banned from luggage you send to be carried in the hold of the aircraft.
Recce
The wonders of the internet let us do a lot of travelling virtually – just think of the Street View function on Google Maps.
That lets you “walk” the streets of the towns and cities you’re likely to be visiting just about anywhere in the world. It’s a great way of making a recce of any place you’re going to visit. So, do that before you go – and, provided you have an internet connection, do further recces once you get there.
General safety
Before you travel:
- consider investing in things such as RIFD blocking cards, an RIFD blocking wallet or handbag;
- make sure that any of your luggage or travel bags are extra secure – for example, if you have a shoulder bag, make sure the strap could not easily be cut through and your bag stolen;
- don’t wear expensive clothes or jewellery – anything that could make you stand out as a target to a thief;
- make copies of your passport and any other important documents in case the originals get lost or stolen.
Summary
Whether or not you’re already in the habit of prepping, if you are planning to travel anywhere anytime soon it’s probably a good idea to get used to the idea.
Travel prepping will take some of the sting out of those many unexpected and unpredictable events you’ll encounter along the way – and may even help you avoid the more severe consequences of whatever lies just around some corner of a foreign land.
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