If you're anything like me, you enjoy traveling alone more than traveling with others. With this comes the fear of being alone in a city you have never been to before. As a young woman, my family tends to be worried about me as well and has given me a couple of gadgets that I bring with me whenever I travel alone or not. Here are a couple of my favorite things I have on me to stay safe in new countries and cities.
Personal Keychain Alarm
I personally have a Siren Song that was gifted to me when I went to college and I carry it with me on my backpack whenever I travel. Here is one from amazon that is $30 and comes with a built in LED light and, similar to the Siren Song I have, has rip cord activation. This means if you ever have the need to use it, you grab it and pull. The cord will disconnect from the device and an ear piercing alarm will start until you either place the alarm back on the cord or it runs out of battery life.
Door Wedge
Something so simple, but often overlooked is the handy dandy door wedge. This is an extra safety measure if you happen to be in a hotel where there is no chain door lock on top of the regular lock, or if you just want extra protection on top of what is already available. The best part about this item is that it not only keeps you safe when traveling alone, it is also inexpensive and easy to toss in your bag because it is lightweight and doesn't take up too much space either. A pack of three from Amazon is around $15 and has a ton of great reviews!
Noonlight
Noonlight is an app that I use all the time if I am every walking alone, and feel unsafe. The app is completely free and can be used anywhere in the US. How the app works, is when you feel unsafe, you can open the app and press and hold the button until you feel safe again. When you feel safe, you enter the password you chose when you downloaded the app and then you get a text message from Noonlight saying they are glad you are safe! If you are in danger, just release the button and don't enter your PIN, Noonlight will send your exact location to the authorities. There is also a feature called the timeline where you can write down any notes about what you are doing and when (date with someone new?) or anything suspicious you may see and this information, if needed, will be given to the authorities in case of an emergency. Needless to say, I love this app and anyone traveling in the US should have this downloaded on their phone!
WayGuard
WayGuard is an app, similar to Noonlight, but for Germany. When I was studying in Dortmund and I would be walking back to my dorm late at night, this is the app I would use. This app allows you to send invitations to friends or family members and they can see your exact location when you invite them to 'walk' with you. I always talked on the phone with the person who was 'walking' with me, so they could see where I was on the map, and talk to me while I walked. This app is cool because they can also make an emergency call for you if you can't. When you arrive at your destination, you click a button and the person who was 'walking' with you is notified that you reached your destination. I felt so much safer walking alone at night in Germany with this app on my phone.
Pepper Spray
This isn't legal in all countries, so make sure to look at the country's you are traveling to laws about carrying pepper spray. This has been a tried and true method of self defense when traveling, or living where you may need to have a little extra protection. Here is one from Amazon that is small enough to be on a keychain, but still effective. If you buy yourself pepper spray, make sure you know how to use it safely and effectively so on the chance you need to use it, you won't be fumbling around with it.
Self Defense Keychain
If you are one to put your keys in between your fingers when you are walking and feel unsafe, this one is for you. My personal favorite is this keychain that looks like a cat, it is good for self defense and it is also pretty cute. It costs $9 and adds a little spunk to your keys. All you have to do is put your fingers in the holes and hold it with the ears pointing out.
Fake Wedding Ring
If you are not married, or if you are married, but don't want to wear your expensive wedding ring while on-the-go, and are traveling solo, a great item to have is a fake wedding ring. Wearing a fake ring on your ring finger can deter unwanted attention from... others while you are exploring. There are many places you can find a cheap, fake wedding ring, but this one from Amazon has over 2,000 five-star ratings and looks like the real thing, all for under $20.
Taser
Last, but not least, the taser. I know this is something that isn't legal in all places, so again, check the laws of the places you are traveling to. I bought myself a taser when I went to college and walked home at night quite a bit. The one I purchased for myself doubles as a flashlight. It is pretty heavy duty and I like it because if someone is coming at you, you can try to blind them with the flashlight in an attempt to deter them so you don't have to tase them. I have never had to use it, but it gives me a sense of protection if I am walking alone at night.
I know there are a lot more products or apps you can use to stay safe when traveling, but these are a couple of my favorite that I use when I'm traveling.
Please make sure you are adhering to the local laws when bringing self-defense items into a new country and most of all, stay safe!
*please note that this post contains affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on my site at no additional cost to you.
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