From the perfect pair of skis听to a do-it-all travel wardrobe, the right gear makes adventuring听safe, easy, and fun. But there鈥檚 a downside to traveling with all that nice stuff: it鈥檚 far more likely to attract unwanted attention and perhaps get stolen. Or lost.听听
Thankfully, there are solutions specifically designed to keep your gear secure听and organized听when you鈥檙e away from it. Here are my favorites.
Pelican Air Case (From $168)
With a watertight O-ring, tough double-throw latches, and a valve that balances interior air pressure in the event of an听elevation change, these lightweight听polymer 听may seem like overkill, but there鈥檚 no better option for keeping equipment safe. I use them to cart听around听video and photo gear while traveling to shoots, but they come in a range of sizes听for securing everything from small valuables to camping equipment. Throw on a padlock and strap them听your roof听or simply toss them in your car and lock the doors.
LugLoc Luggage Locator ($80, plus $20 Annual Service Fee)
If the airline loses your bag or it disappears from your car or hotel room, you鈥檒l be glad you bought a . It uses cell towers to track your bag and lets you monitor location with the . It also uses Bluetooth to help you locate your bag鈥檚 precise location once it鈥檚 near.
Aluminum Foil ($10)
Many bank cards use radio-frequency identification鈥攖he technology that allows you to pay for things simply by tapping your card against the reader at checkout. While there鈥檚 some concern that thieves could wirelessly capture your information using an RFID skimmer, . But if you鈥檙e听still worried, don鈥檛 waste听money on听a dedicated wallet or sleeve. Wrapping听your card in aluminum foil听is just as effective, and it costs a whole lot less. Works on passports, too, which use RFID chips to digitally store your personal information.
Ottolock Cinch Locks ($60鈥$85)
听are meant for bikes, but their small size,听light weight, and versatility makes them perfect for travel. They come in three sizes, they beat听the heck out of carrying around a bulky U-lock, and听they鈥檙e pretty damn tough to break. The flexible strap allows you to get creative with how you use it. Safeguard a rental bike in an unfamiliar city, secure a cooler in your truck bed, or听prevent luggage from wandering off from the hostel.
PacSafe Travelsafe 12L GII Portable Safe (From $70)
听is perfect for securing jewelry or electronics while you鈥檙e out exploring. Sizes range听from 3 to 25 liters, and the tough polyester outer fabric with integrated high-tensile听stainless-steel mesh prevents cutting and pilfering. Just use the locking cable to secure it to a permanent fixture in your car or hotel room, and you鈥檙e good to go.
Signal App (Free)
If you鈥檙e concerned about 听from hackers while abroad, download . Signal helps secure your data and keep private conversations private by using high-level听end-to-end encryption. You can send photos, disappearing text messages, and听audio, video,听and data files, and听video-chat or make voice calls. Plus,听it鈥檚 free and open-source, so there鈥檚 no excuse for not using it.
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