Vacation is a time of rest, relaxation and family bonding, but when you’re far from home, and happy to be exploring and experience new things, safety isn’t always on the top of your mind. Yet, when you’re out of your routine, you’re more vulnerable to potentially unsafe situations.
To ensure safety on your next big family trip, bring these small safety accessories with you, whether you’re traveling cross-country or just a few hours from home. If you feel secure, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy all that your family trip has to offer, no matter what happens.
Keep Your Family Safe During Travel With These 6 Accessories
1. Flashlight
When exploring a new place, long days can turn into dark nights quickly. If you’re walking home from dinner later than you expected, having a flashlight in an unfamiliar area will be more comforting than you can imagine. Flashlights are also great to have on hand for long car trips. If you have unexpected car trouble late at night, an extra light will definitely come in handy.
Find a mini flashlight to keep on your keychain and toss another full-sized one in your bag. Keep it nearby so if the power goes out in your rental or hotel room, you have quick and easy access.
2. Pepper Spray
Traveling is a great way to learn new things and meet new people, but not everyone around you is friendly—and when you’re in an unfamiliar area, this can catch you off guard. Having pepper spray on you at all times is highly recommended because it’s non-lethal, but extremely effective:
“It [pepper spray] works by causing an attacker’s eye veins and mucus membranes to swell, causing intense discomfort and immobility,” according to The Home Security Store experts. Not to mention, this self defense tool allows for plenty of getaway time because the effects last up to an hour.
If you’re flying to your destination, check a bottle of pepper spray that’s no more than 4 ounces.
3. Flare Gun
If your travel plans include quite a bit of car time or time spent in a remote area, pack a flare gun. If you end up stranded along the road or get left on the beach, you can send up a distress signal for someone to help you and your family to safety. If you’re flying, you can pack an unloaded flare gun in a checked bag.
4. Belt Wallet
Pickpockets and thieves can easily tell tourists apart from locals, and they’ll take advantage of your vulnerabilities. As such, it’s critical that you keep your cash and personal documents in a safe place, and always on your person.
Look for a belt wallet or pouch that you can wear close to your body and under your clothes. Pickpockets can be sneaky, but if you keep everything under your clothes, you’re more likely to avoid this problem.
5. Travel Locks
Keeping track of one piece of luggage is hard enough as it is. When you have to worry about your family members and their daypacks too, you increase the chances of having to deal with stolen bags. Avoid this by traveling with a lock that secures your luggage to a chair or table while you’re at a café or restaurant. This prevents sneaky thieves from grabbing your backpack while you’re not looking and gives you peace of mind, so you can relax when out to eat.
6. Kid GPS Tracker
Traveling with kids is easily one of the most stressful parts about taking a family trip. With GPS, if they wander off or get lost in a crowd, you can track them down quickly and easily. Some trackers even have panic buttons that allow kids to immediately alert their parents if they feel they’re in danger.
This article was written by Jess Thiefels.