I hear and read lots of fears from travellers, or want-to-be travellers, about safety, and the worry about having things stolen whilst on the road. I remember landing in Cambodia this last trip and thinking that I had not really even given it much thought – I had just managed to throw things in my pack, and make my flight. All the other considerations about what to pack, and what things I needed to have arranged for the trip, and taken care of at home, had taken precedent.
I did start to give my personal safety, and the safety of the important things I needed to keep traveling, like my passport, my credit and debit cards, a little more thought once I got closer to my India leg.
In all of my travels, I have only been robbed once. (Touching every wooden thing in the room right now, to keep that luck in tact!) And I blame myself for that one – I was on a sleeper train in Vietnam travelling up to Sapa, and slept with my bag at my feet – my handbag! Talk about stupid, I was asking to be robbed. The person who took it snatched and ran – which woke me up, and I gave chase down the train carriage. Not sure what I thought I would have done if I had caught the person! Amazingly, my invisible robber dumped out my passport from my bag, before taking off with it. Which was awesome, because that would have been a mess to sort out! And then, after taking some cash, the robber later returned to bag to the outside of my train carriage! Seriously!
I guess one of our group on the Trans-Mongolian railway getting his passport and other bits and pieces taken, was also a near miss for me. Trains! I need to be careful on trains!
So when I was approached by The Clever Travel Companion to check out their range of pickpocket and loss proof travel gear, with hidden, zippered pockets to keep things like credit cards and your passport hidden and on your person, I was very interested. Having these items tucked away out of sight, but also somewhere where you can feel their presence, is reassuring. I have tested out a tank top with the pocket in the front, which fit reassuringly snug due to the type of material, and also lets you be free with the knowledge that your most important things are close to your body. The zip means that you know they are not going anywhere!
I certainly could have done with this at times on my trip. Whilst sleeping in the open room of the Monastery in Nyaungshwe in Burma, I had initially thought that having my bag with all my important things and my laptop lying next to me would be fine. I would hear someone coming that close to me, if they were going to take it! Turns out that would not have been the case, as when I awoke my travel mates had let me sleep on, and packed all their things next to me, without disturbing me at all. Luckily, I couldn’t sleep until I had tucked the bag in underneath me – but that was not the most comfortable! I was very tired after that surprise overnight bus!
I managed to avoid any overnight train travel in India, but personal safety and the safety of my things would have been my highest concerns. Checking out the range available with t-shirts, tank tops, underwear shorts, and longjohns, I could also opt for the little shorts, which would also be a reassuring placement of these crucial items for travel under longer pants or a skirt. Plus an additional place for a stash of cash, which I like to have in several different places across my luggage. And discretely hidden. Such a great idea!
The Clever Travel Companion comes in soft cotton or modal, a full size range, and are so reasonably priced. Shipping is free for any purchase over $US75, and to other places like Australia is between $US5 and $US20, depending on the weight and distance. The range can be found on their website, but also through Amazon.
As I start dreaming about my next big trip, a couple of pairs of these are already on my preparation list! I am bound to run out of luck with my important things one of these days, and these will be a nothing level of safety and theft prevention, to allow peace of mind for the kind of carefree travel I want!
*I was sent a sample to test out, in return for this post. Thoughts and silly travel stories are my own!
I did start to give my personal safety, and the safety of the important things I needed to keep traveling, like my passport, my credit and debit cards, a little more thought once I got closer to my India leg.
In all of my travels, I have only been robbed once. (Touching every wooden thing in the room right now, to keep that luck in tact!) And I blame myself for that one – I was on a sleeper train in Vietnam travelling up to Sapa, and slept with my bag at my feet – my handbag! Talk about stupid, I was asking to be robbed. The person who took it snatched and ran – which woke me up, and I gave chase down the train carriage. Not sure what I thought I would have done if I had caught the person! Amazingly, my invisible robber dumped out my passport from my bag, before taking off with it. Which was awesome, because that would have been a mess to sort out! And then, after taking some cash, the robber later returned to bag to the outside of my train carriage! Seriously!
I guess one of our group on the Trans-Mongolian railway getting his passport and other bits and pieces taken, was also a near miss for me. Trains! I need to be careful on trains!So when I was approached by The Clever Travel Companion to check out their range of pickpocket and loss proof travel gear, with hidden, zippered pockets to keep things like credit cards and your passport hidden and on your person, I was very interested. Having these items tucked away out of sight, but also somewhere where you can feel their presence, is reassuring. I have tested out a tank top with the pocket in the front, which fit reassuringly snug due to the type of material, and also lets you be free with the knowledge that your most important things are close to your body. The zip means that you know they are not going anywhere!
I certainly could have done with this at times on my trip. Whilst sleeping in the open room of the Monastery in Nyaungshwe in Burma, I had initially thought that having my bag with all my important things and my laptop lying next to me would be fine. I would hear someone coming that close to me, if they were going to take it! Turns out that would not have been the case, as when I awoke my travel mates had let me sleep on, and packed all their things next to me, without disturbing me at all. Luckily, I couldn’t sleep until I had tucked the bag in underneath me – but that was not the most comfortable! I was very tired after that surprise overnight bus!
I managed to avoid any overnight train travel in India, but personal safety and the safety of my things would have been my highest concerns. Checking out the range available with t-shirts, tank tops, underwear shorts, and longjohns, I could also opt for the little shorts, which would also be a reassuring placement of these crucial items for travel under longer pants or a skirt. Plus an additional place for a stash of cash, which I like to have in several different places across my luggage. And discretely hidden. Such a great idea!
The Clever Travel Companion comes in soft cotton or modal, a full size range, and are so reasonably priced. Shipping is free for any purchase over $US75, and to other places like Australia is between $US5 and $US20, depending on the weight and distance. The range can be found on their website, but also through Amazon.As I start dreaming about my next big trip, a couple of pairs of these are already on my preparation list! I am bound to run out of luck with my important things one of these days, and these will be a nothing level of safety and theft prevention, to allow peace of mind for the kind of carefree travel I want!
*I was sent a sample to test out, in return for this post. Thoughts and silly travel stories are my own!
Aren't they great? I was sent some lovely samples too. I'm wearing the little shorts right now! :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a great innovation!
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