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Securely Travel is delighted to welcome the contribution from a guest contributor, Rimsha Ather who shares with us her thoughts on backpacking safety. Readers will recall the December 2018 murder of two Scandanavian backpackers in Morocco, so safety while backpacking is not a hypothetical exercise.
Travelling on foot has a thrill of its own. That is why many people step out of their metropolitan lives, don their best treading gear and begin their backpacking excursions through unexplored outlying regions. However, such an unmediated exposure gives birth to some of the most important safety concerns as well. It is one thing having a limo drive you around a new place, and a whole other thing walking the dark alleyways alone with a backpack weighing you down. The latter situation makes you vulnerable to theft, assault, animal attack and scam, etc. That is why protecting yourself on such hazardous journeys becomes paramount.
Mastering the Lingo
Last year, a friend of mine went to Mexico on a whim and came back empty handed with trauma etched across her face. She fell victim to street theft and escaped rape by the inches. Worse, the language barrier further added to her helplessness in a foreign land. That is why I often recommend my backpacking circle to learn the lingo of the area they are headed towards. Apps like Duolingo come especially handy because they equip you with the most basic phrases in a language that you can use to communicate with the locals and signal the policemen in dire times.
Wildlife Tackling
Certain parts of America and Asia will bring you face to face with the vilest wildlife creatures. Whether it is a bear or a horde of red ants, it is crucial you know exactly what you are facing and how to escape safely from a distance. This guide on animal encounters will help you prepare for a secure journey through the wooden trails. Moreover, having a great sense of direction will also aid you while you are backpacking through an isolated or risky terrain. Maps and compass come handy here as indispensable sources of navigation. You can rely on smartphone apps like Google Maps or proper GPS devices as much as you can, but carrying physical maps will also prove to be a good safety measure.
Self-Defense on Foreign Streets
Pickpockets are the least of your worries when you are travelling through a place where the crime rate soars higher than the tallest skyscraper. Your own person may be at a risk of assault. With no one around to stand in your defense, it falls on you to protect your valuables and your own self while backpacking. Learning basic moves like heel palm strike, chokehold reversal, eye-poke and groin kick will save you a few seconds in which you can make your escape. Besides that, keeping your belongings light and inconspicuous, securing your passport pouch with a TSA-approved master lock, steering clear of public ATMs, getting travel insurance and trusting your instincts about other travelers will help you in ways unimaginable.
The bottom line is that you should recognize the perils associated with backpacking and stay on your guard at all times to enjoy a stress-free vacay.
About our Guest Contributor
Rimsha Ather is a professional writer with two years’ worth of practical experience in content creation, curation, and marketing. Her blogging interests range from technology to travel, with the latter gaining special attention from the readers. On the side, she is a metal-enthusiast, an occasional painter and a culinary freak with flavorsome stories up her sleeve. She can be found on Twitter: @wildflowerdust and on LinkedIn: Rimsha Ather.
