Ways to Keep Your Belongings Safe While Traveling

 

When it comes to you and your stuff, there is no telling how or when you might be separated, whether briefly or permanently, in your trek from your car seat to your airplane seat and back again.

How safe are your belongings when you fly? In just the past few years, TSA employees have been caught running robbery rings and enabling drug trade. If security agents are robbing travelers, imagine what is going on among baggage handlers, gate agents or anyone alone with your stuff for the very brief moment it takes to steal something. Even fellow travelers have been caught nicking stuff from overhead bins during flight. You don't have to be paranoid and suspicious every moment of your trip; start out by trusting everyone, but don't make it easy for anyone.

Perhaps the most important thing to know to protect your belongings from that one person along the way is this: the best thieves know not to steal stuff that will be missed any time soon. They want you to figure it out when you get to your hotel room a few time zones away. While they won’t protect everything you take with you, use these tips to help protect the things that matter most.

All in One Place
Before you leave the house, put the important stuff in one place, and never lose track of it. A friend of mine has taken to putting her most critical and valuable items (identification, wallet, cash, jewelry) in a clear plastic bag that is obvious to everyone. "I 'hide it in plain sight,'" she says. "Then everyone knows what is in there, they have no incentive to open it to find out what is inside and I can see immediately when I get to the other side of the security machines if anything is missing."

You may not want to go the full Ziploc route, but a workable alternative is to reserve an obvious pocket of your carry-on bag to hold all the stuff you need in the airport and on the plane but can't take through a security machine. The benefit of having a single, dedicated location for valuables becomes obvious when you don't have to rifle your bags to figure out if your wallet is missing, or your boarding pass, or your driver's license, or your medication, etc. -- that 30 seconds before you finally find something in the bottom of a bag can take minutes off your life. If you know exactly where everything should be, you won't fail to miss it the moment it disappears.

Say It Loud
It is useful to state out loud what you are handing over to an airport security or gate person. When you say, "This has my wallet, my ID and my watch," and they hear you say it and see you put it down, they may be less likely to try to take something.

Two (or Three) Things to Have on Your Person on the Plane
There are really only two things you need to have on your person on the plane: your ID and a credit card (a third, which does not apply to everyone, is any essential prescription medications -- more on that below). If someone steals every single thing you brought with you, these are really the only things you cannot replace quickly and easily, and that you will absolutely need to get you out of pretty much any jam upon landing.

Almost everything else you can replace -- there are grocery and clothing stores everywhere -- but without both your ID and credit card, you can't rent a car, check into the airport hotel, buy food or, critically, get on a plane to take you back home.

Some folks would add their cell phone to this list, and they would have a point; if you are in a jam, having all your numbers and an easy way to call them (try to find a phone booth that works these days) could really make a difference.

Having the credit card easily available on the plane has an added benefit beyond the safety factor: it's usually the only way to buy a snack, a drink, headphones or an in-flight movie. Don't be the person dumping the contents of the overhead bin into the aisle just to buy a turkey sandwich; keep your card in your pocket.

Finally, the third thing to keep very close is any prescription medications; these can be difficult to replace quickly, and being without them could create potentially dire problems for folks with serious medical conditions.

Bury Your Wallet and Cash in Your Carry-On
Once you board the plane, you will have no need for your wallet and cash, as few airlines still accept cash payment for things like food, drinks or (unbelievably) pillows and blankets. It is recommended to bury these so deeply in your carry-on bag that the only way someone would ever find them would be to take your entire bag and overturn it on the floor back at their own home.

Bag Inside a Bag
Anyone who has traveled extensively since airlines began charging for the first checked bag knows that the gate area of a full flight today looks like the baggage claim area of a full flight several months ago. Everyone has at least one huge bag that would barely fit in a bathtub, let alone into the little metal cages indicating proper carry-on size.

When the overhead bins fill up almost inevitably about halfway through the boarding process, gate agents are forced to check the bags of anyone unlucky enough not to have boarded already, almost irrespective of the size and contents of the bags.

You never know if they're going to start taking your stuff from you at the end of the gangway, so the recommendation is to pack a small bag inside your larger bag in case you are forced to check your carry-on. This way you can take your most valuable (and most easily stolen) items, and put them in a small bag you can keep at your feet if necessary.

Anything You Really Care About, Wear It
You've heard the saying "You'll get it when you pry it from my dead hands" -- we all hope and pray it doesn't come to that, but for your most valuable things, this should be a phrase to, well, live by. If you don't want to lose it, wear it.

What to Let Go
Unless you are going to a truly remote location, you can pretty much buy socks, a toothbrush, a pair of reading glasses, a raincoat, a book or breakfast anywhere. If you can buy it at your destination relatively cheaply, don't go out of your way to protect it -- especially at the risk of distracting yourself from protecting the things you really need. If it's cheap and ubiquitous, don't sweat it during your travels.

Why Travel is Good for Your Health

People are forfeiting their vacation days, despite the stress, anxiety and other negative effects of not taking time off from work. Study show employees took about 16 vacation days in 2013, down from about 20 in 2000. Apart from depriving yourself the chance to enhance your productivity and work performance, avoiding taking a break can lead to stress overload and other potentially damaging effects on your health, experts say.

After all, vacations offers the chance to relax and restore overall well-being. But simply taking a hiatus from your demanding workday schedule isn't enough. Traveling somewhere new can enable you to immerse yourself in new surroundings, boost your brain power and fully recharge. With this in mind, here are five reasons why traveling is smart for the mind, body and soul and expert tips for making the most out of your vacation days to rejuvenate and ensure a stress-free getaway.

You'll Recharge Emotionally and Increase EmpathyVacationing – especially near the water – can help us reset our emotions and actually increase compassion. Often associated with feelings of awe and wonder, water can boost our empathy and compassion, our connection to ourselves and those we are with, and for many — from musicians like Pharrell Williams to neurologists like Oliver Sacks – it's a steady source of creativity and insight.

You'll Get Back in Shape
While some may not describe vacations as an opportunity to escalate their fitness routines, travelers may be more active than sitting in an office chair all day. Tourists may walk as much as ten miles a day while sightseeing in Europe or visiting Disney World. Travelers may also be more inclined to try new activities while in a new place, like paddleboarding or hiking. There are also fitness-centric resorts that encourage guests to get fit and try new workouts to boost physical and mental health away from home.

You'll Engage in New Surroundings and Eliminate StressTraveling has many advantages, with stress relief topping the list. There are lots of psychological benefits from change of venue from home and work to 'third places' devoted to just experiencing the environment. With a short list of activities each day, freed up from the complexities of ongoing projects and relationships, the mind can reset, as does the body, with stress relief the main outcome. Humans thrive on novelty, and travel offers the complete package with new faces, sounds and sights.

You'll Wind Down and Rest UpLittle sleep mixed with high stress can lead to irritability and negative consequences on your cognitive performance and efficiency. Vacation is a great opportunity to catch up on sleep. To feel more energized, it is recommended to get at least seven hours of sleep per night for adults. Reserve that time. Make it an important thing you need.

You'll Boost Your Mood
Many studies suggest that travel can improve our emotional state. A 2014 survey conducted by Diamond Resorts International found over three-quarters of respondents reported feeling happier when they planned a trip at least once a year. It's hard to sit on a beautiful beach somewhere and ruminate about paperwork or deadlines. That is why people reported feeling happier when they regularly vacationed. Periodic and regular vacations while taking time for yourself and your family lowers your stress level and decreases the release of all those stress hormones that contribute to degrading our mental and physical health. Plus, studies show reminiscing about pleasant vacation memories may trigger happiness long after your trip.

Traveling Makes us Happier than Material Wealth Ever Will

Why do we head for the shops with such determination as soon as we have money in our wallets? With every new purchase we feel a little happier, but a few days later that satisfaction is often gone without a trace. It is not uncommon for people to get to grips with this problem once and for all, and to make sense of how we can all find true happiness.

It turns out that the main impediment to happiness is adaptation. As soon as something we’ve bought becomes ordinary and unexciting, the level of life satisfaction we feel falls, and we’re forced to search around for the next purchase. This process is repeated again and again.

However, there is now a way to break this damaging cycle. It has been scientifically proven that we experience the same increase in happiness when we buy something we want and when we go traveling. But, the amount of happiness we derive from our purchase falls over time, whereas the memories of our traveling experience continue to supply us with happiness hormones for much longer.

Going to various kinds of unusual events, going on trips, learning new skills, even extreme sport — all of these are an ideal source of happiness for each and every one of us. A new device or even a new car will eventually become just another ordinary object we own, or will otherwise become old and outdated. Every new memory, on the other hand, becomes a real source of joy that stays with us for our whole lives.

Thanksgiving Travels

How to Sleep on a Plane

 

Getting shut-eye at 35,000 feet can be tricky. Here are a few tips on how to get good sleep on your next flight:

What’s the Best Seat in Coach for Catching Some Z’s?

The window seat of an exit row—as long as there isn’t an emergency. You won’t be disturbed when your seatmates get up, you can rest your head on the window, and with the extra legroom you can use your carry-on as a footrest. The worst place for sleeping is near the bathrooms or flight attendant stations, since people tend to hang out there. If you know in advance that you’ll want to sleep, go online the day of the flight to see if you can change your seat to an empty row. You have a better shot if you’re flying at an unpopular time—say, on a Tuesday or Wednesday night.

Should People Hit Up the Airport Shop for Sleep Props, or Do They Not Really Work?

If you’re in for a middle or aisle seat, a travel pillow definitely helps. Be sure to try out a couple of options at a store before you buy one. It’s always a good idea to wear an eye mask and use earplugs. You should also travel with noise-canceling headphones. If there’s a crying baby nearby, wear the earplugs and put on your headphones on top and play spa music or a lecture. That combo drowns out everything and will put you right to sleep. One more thing: Bring your own blanket or a sweatshirt. Just thinking about what’s living on the airplane blanket might give you nightmares. 

What Do You Wear on a Red-Eye?

It is tradition that if you take a first class flight to Korea, the flight attendants pass out pajamas. The best idea is to bring pajama bottoms and change into them after takeoff. If you’re not up for that, try sweatpants. Also, bring a pair of cozy socks to slip on before bedtime.

How Do You Keep Your Sleep From Being Interrupted? 

The key is to buckle your seat belt over your blanket or sweater, not under it. That way, the flight attendant can see that you’re buckled up and won’t bug you if there’s turbulence. And before you close your eyes, take care of the basics: Have a snack and some water (bring your own if you don’t want to wait for meal service), and visit the restroom.

Is There Any Way to Make Yourself Drowsy Without Medication or Alcohol?

A few days before a red-eye flight, start going to bed and waking up earlier than usual. Try to get into bed at 9 p.m., but even a half hour prior to your usual bedtime is good. And if working out helps you sleep, make an effort to exercise while you’re on vacation. It may help you enjoy a restful trip home.

Travel on a Budget

What Your Suitcase Says About You

There are few other pre-vacation rituals as equally loved and hated as packing. It is both a chore and a sign of good times ahead. We all have our own preferred packing method, but what does your suitcase really say about you?

The Roller

You’ve seen this packing personality type many a time. In fact, you’re probably a “roller” too because one day, long, long ago, you read somewhere that rolling your clothes before putting them in your suitcase mitigates wrinkles and saves space. Who wouldn’t want a little extra wiggle room? With its cult-like following and tried-and-true reputation, rolling is nothing new. Its practitioners stand by their packing strategy with unmatched ferocity, religiously rolling shirt after shirt and pair of jeans after pair of jeans until all those clothing coils are tucked in tight next to one another. It’s safe to say if you roll you’re not necessarily a travel trend-setter, but you’ve been around the block (or maybe around the world) and you will keep on rolling right through every trip because, “If it’s not broken, why fix it?”

The Back-Packer

The Back-Packer stands out like a sore thumb. After all, only a few die-hards still prefer to sling a rucksack over their shoulder and cart it off into the sunset – er, toward the terminal – while others look on in amazement trying to figure out how long it takes to get to the items at the bottom. Back-Packers go against the grain: Often adventurous nature-seekers who laugh in the face of traditional rolling bags, they always appear to be fresh off the Appalachian Trail and ready to set up shop for the night just about anywhere. Outdoor enthusiasts, students heading on a semester abroad and those who’ve quit their jobs to travel the world are all likely Back-Packer candidates, probably with a few stories tucked away, too.

The Over-Packer

An Over-Packer’s mind is chock full of “what ifs:” “What if I go horseback riding?” “What if we go out to fancy dinners eight nights in a row?” “What if I go running and walking? Surely, I’ll need two sets of sneakers.” These hypothetical scenarios can lead to an entire closet’s worth of items taking up residence in a suitcase, not to mention some potential overweight baggage fees and an exhausting trek to and from the airport with a heavy bag in tow. Have you ever unzipped your suitcase at the check-in desk to remove a few items and lighten your load? (You know who you are.) Over-Packers prefer to have options on vacation; they want all the comforts of home at their disposal. Cutting back isn’t their strong suit, and even when they think they’ve weeded out every possible unnecessary item, their bags still require the weight of a human sitting on it to zip all the way. They’re also no strangers to carting home a suitcase at least half full of unworn clothes. But, hey, at least there were plenty of options.

The Carry-On Connoisseur

Checked bags (and their fees) are for the birds — at least, that’s The Carry-On Connoisseur’s mantra. This efficient traveler has perfected the art of traveling light and sashaying through airports with the greatest of ease. No suitcase nook or cranny has been left unturned and no trip is long enough to require a big bag. Organized, practical and minimalistic, Carry-On Connoisseurs know how to make the most of a small amount of versatile clothing. They own travel-sized everything, have no problem trimming the proverbial fat from their packing list and they are pros at maximizing suitcase space. They might even have a vacuum pack or two up their sleeves. Carry-On Connoisseurs are also planners: When they get up to the front of the security line, you can bet your bottom dollar they have their electronics in an easily accessible pocket and their plastic bag of gels and liquids at the ready.

The Master of Many Mini Bags

Warning: The Master of Many Mini Bags may be under the impression he is actually a Carry-On Connoisseur, but he would be wrong. The packing process starts out innocently enough with The Master aiming to fit everything into one super-small bag. Diligently making like a (Holy) Roller, he fits an impressive amount of threads into one mini bag and gives himself a pat on the back for being the best packer in the history of travelers. But, wait, that was only The Master’s clothing. There are still things like shoes, bathroom products and that suit bag hanging in the closet. Looks like a second mini bag will be in order. And so they multiply. A bit scatterbrained and impractical yet carefree and adaptable, The Master of Many Mini Bags is always up for a challenge or new adventure — even if it doesn’t work out as planned.

The Parental Packer

Does this airport luggage cart look familiar? Then, chances are you’re a Parental Packer. From the kids’ bags to baby items to your own onslaught of gear and gadgets, you typically have more baggage to cart around an airport than you did on moving day. Often punctuated by cute suitcases for the kids, the Parental Packer’s parade of bags is impressive and can only be pieced together by the most patient of packers; after all, this traveler has undoubtedly single handedly packed all the bags sitting aboard that luggage cart. Family vacations don’t scare this multitasking traveler. Sure, they may require some extra coordination (and bravery), but you can juggle several suitcases like a pro and the end result — a fun getaway with the family — is worth it.

The Artist on the Go

A creative and out-of-the-box thinker, the Artist on the Go tries a new packing method before each trip: Inventive (and sometimes impractical) suitcase designs ensue. From color coding to shapes and rolling to folding, every piece of luggage is a blank canvas for this vacation visionary. Travels with the Artist are never boring: He sees everything with a fresh eye, genuinely enjoys each vacation detail and loves to just soak it all in. You can also count on these Artists for surprises, excitement and – more likely than not – some pretty spectacular vacation photos.

The Hack-er Packer

Rolling your clothes? So passé! Hack-er Packers seek out and employ every packing trick in the book: saran wrap over bottles so they don’t spill, socks and underwear stuffed inside shoes, necklaces strung through straws to avoid tangles — you name it, they do it. When it comes to packed suitcases, their finished products may as well have been concocted by an engineer. The resourceful Hack-er Packers probably have a dryer sheet in their suitcase to keep things smelling fresh, a binder clip covering their razor blades and an empty tote bag just in case some extra space for souvenirs is in order. These travelers love being in the know; in fact, they’ve probably researched their destination up and down too.

The No-Nonsense Nomad

Why not pack in a way that just makes sense? No-Nonsense Nomads have it all figured out. They pack according to the order of their trip, lining up specific outfits and other necessities for each day they’ll be away. Then, during their trip, they progress through their lineup in order, wearing what they’ve selected for each day, while Over-Packers everywhere let out a collective, “Why can’t I be more like that?” The Nomads never overpack because they’ve mapped out a specific journey through clothes that doesn’t leave room for any extraneous items. Sensible and pragmatic when it comes to suitcases, these travelers have done enough prep-work to be able to leave all their cares behind on vacation.

The Well Equipped Explorer

Well Equipped Explorers are the kings and queens of oversized (and sometimes strange) baggage. Skis, snowboards, guitars, golf clubs, pets — you name it, they’ve taken it with them. These active (and probably pretty talented) travelers have read the rule book and they know the score — some of these items can’t be carried on and will incur extra checked baggage fees — but they’ve gotta have their gear, so they push forward without fear. You won’t see an Explorer headed for lazy days on a warm beach (unless, of course, he has a surfboard in tow); instead, they’re mainly bound for mountains, sporting competitions and concert halls.

The Eleventh-Hour Power Packer

No organized piles or itemized lists here. The Eleventh-Hour Power Packer is a whirlwind in the packing department, running around at, well, the eleventh hour throwing almost anything and everything into a suitcase. The end result could be wonderful (“Amazing, I brought THIS shirt with me!”) or utterly disastrous (“Guess it’s off to the store to buy all those bathroom products I forgot…”), but the Power Packer is just daring enough to find out. These travelers prefer to live on the edge, be spontaneous and tend to procrastinate. They put just enough time into life’s administrative minutiae — after all, there is a busy social calendar out there to attend to. You’ll spot Power Packers at the security line reaching for a free plastic bag from a dispenser and digging around for all their liquids, gels and valuables. Life’s too short to worry about being completely organized.