A friend of mine is headed out on a mission trip so I gave him some advice about how to carry important documents and money.
Cash is king everywhere. So you should have some to travel. When I was working overseas I carried enough to get me out of the country if need be. It’s a worst-case scenario, but it gave me some peace knowing that I could always get out on my own if I needed to. That much money needs to be hidden some where out of site and preferably on your body. I kept the money, my passport, and ID in a neck wallet. At work I was required to show it, but once I left work I kept it under my shirt. Spending money should be kept in multiple pockets so you never pull out a big amount of cash.
When traveling overseas you should also have copies of all your IDs, Passport, Social Security Card, Birth Certificate and important numbers like credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and important phone numbers (make sure the info is safe). This is probably over kill, but if you keep copies of all this stuff it’s easier to prove you are you if somehow you lose the originals. The US State Department will help you if you lose your passport and ID, but it will take them time to prove you are you. During that time you are stuck at whatever location you are at. If you have copies of your IDs it will help speed up the process. I kept copies in my bag at my hotel/living quarters and copies on a thumb drive. I also gave copies to my wife and kept them on an online server (DropBox, it’s free). I never had to use any of those, but it was nice to have just in case.
When I was going through the airports I kept my money and IDs in my neck wallet and didn’t take it off. I kept my ticket and passport in my front shirt pocket, a little spending money in my front left pocket, and the rest of my spending money in my other front pocket. For me it’s more comfortable to sit with things in my front pocket, but it’s also harder for someone to pick your pocket if things are in the front.
Let people know where you are going, whom you are going with, and when you are going to be back. If you can, have an evacuation plan in place before you leave. In the evacuation plan add a way to communicate with family that you are having an emergency. Have your family watch out for scams. A popular scam in the last couple years is contacting family members and telling them you are in trouble, but they can help. All your family has to do is send money to make sure you are safe.
Stay Safe,
Ben