Solo travel can be a potentially scary prospect.
Even though I’ve done my best to minimize dangerous situations, there are still moments when I can’t steer clear of menacing cab drivers, guesthouses at the end of sketchy alleys and walking home late at night.
What’s a backpacker to do?
Here are five simple items that make me feel safer — and all of them are small, inexpensive and easy to pack in a bag or purse.
1. Knife. Stab attackers right in the neck! BOO-YAH!
OK, probably not. I know someone would have to be super close for me to actually wield this little guy in defense. But I like that it fits easily into my palm and I can open it one-handed.
Beyond that, this knife has been invaluable for slicing open stubborn packages and cutting stray threads. It even has a bottle opener!
2. Tiny flashlight. A small but mighty LED light packs a punch in dark, scary places. This has come in handy more times than I can remember.
(Shoutout to Steve and Sara for the wonderful gift!)
3. Door stop. I’ve stayed in hostels where the locks don’t work. Heck, I’ve stayed in hostels where the doorknob falls off the door. And sometimes I just get creeped out by the hostel owner. (I am specifically thinking of one weirdo hostel manager who gave me a beer. When I offered to pay he ominously said, “Don’t worry, you’ll pay. Americans always pay.”)
A 99-cent door stop wedges the door shut, ensuring nobody can come into my room unannounced.
4. Xubaz scarf. Have you seen these marvelous scarves yet?
It’s a fashion accessory, it’s a traveler’s best friend. Each scarf has thoughtful elements like a hidden pocket, secret zipper pouches and bungees to secure it all to your belt loops. In the event that something terrible happens, you’ll still have a stash of money, credit cards or your passport.
Looks cute after four days of hiking the Inca Trail too!
5. Whistle. I’ve never had to use this one yet, but it makes me feel more confident just seeing it dangle on the zipper of my purse.
BONUS!
You should always bring a baggage lock or two with you. You know this already.
Beyond little combination locks, I also love having this cable lock on hand. It’s perfect for those moments where I want to keep my things safe from grabby hands, but I also don’t want to devote 100 percent of my attention to my bags.
A perfect example is an overnight train — I just use the cable to secure my bag to something immobile, and then I can snooze without worry.
It won’t stop someone who really, really wants to steal my things, but I don’t think anything short of an ACME industrial-sized vault would keep my things completely protected.
And let’s face it. That’s just not practical.