How To Feel And Stay Safe If You're Traveling Alone

Find products aimed at travel safety, plus some words of advice from travel professionals.
Travel with a greater peace of mind with this discrete anti-theft belt, a pack of drug-detection tests and an alarm keychain with blinking lights.
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Travel with a greater peace of mind with this discrete anti-theft belt, a pack of drug-detection tests and an alarm keychain with blinking lights.

It can be normal to feel uncertain at times in an unfamiliar environment. I speak for myself as someone who often travels alone when I say there’s nothing like the hair-raising feeling of being followed by a stranger or having the unmistakable gut sense that you’re in a potentially dangerous situation.

Heather Heverling, president of travel group Adventure Woman, said there are practical measures you can take to protect yourself if you feel you may be at risk for theft or kidnapping while on your trip. “Make a copy of your ID and passport and pack these separately from your originals. Scan these and email yourself (and someone at home) a copy of these documents.” she said. “This easy one-time tip makes a potential issue easier to navigate.”

Women’s Travel Group founder Phyllis Stoller said that vigilance and awareness of your surroundings is also imperative. “Know exactly where you are going each day and learn the general map of where you are. Use the GPS on your phone, even in a taxi, to track where you are being taken,” she said.

Stoller also suggested keeping a decoy wallet with a small amount of cash and an expired credit card on your person to use in case of a theft situation.

Both of these travel advocates insisted that no gadgets or material items are truly necessary to maintain your safety while you travel. That said, if you feel better about the prospect of having self-defense tools on your person or extra layers of material precaution, in addition to vigilance, keep reading to the following list of products geared toward travel safety.

Please note that before traveling with several of the listed items below, you should confirm the laws and regulations of the country you are traveling to.

HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change.

1
An under-clothing money belt with anti-theft lining
Keep your money, passport and important essentials concealed and close to your person with this multi-compartment money belt. It features two generous-sized zippered compartments and two smaller mesh compartments for coins or lip balm. It also has three layers of RFID blocking within the lining that can protect your credit cards from being inadvertently scanned and your information stolen.
2
A smart pepper spray that connects to an auto-alert app
One push of this maximum strength pepper spray triggers a built-in siren and automatically sends a GPS notification of your location to each person in your designated list of contacts. You also have the option of adding on a feature that alerts first responders that's $4.99 a month, while the app itself is completely free to use. The pepper spray, which doesn't require any charging to operate, can spray attackers up to 10 feet away and has an LED strobe light for better aim in the dark. The pepper spray is infused with a red UV marking dye to make identification easier for law enforcement.
3
A safety alarm keychain with strobe light
Birdie was designed by a sister duo that felt compelled to make a safety tool in response the grim sexual assault statistics impacting women in the U.S. This easy-to-use keychain emits an alarm as loud as a jet engine alongside flashing strobe lights in order to create diversion, get attention from other people in the area, and, hopefully, deter an attacker.
4
An easy-to-install portable door lock
You can add an extra layer of security to the door of your hotel room, Airbnb or single-room hostel with this portable door lock that works on all inward-swinging doors with a bolt between the door and the jamb. It uses a fortified metal plate to prevent unwanted entry and doesn't require the use of screws, tools or drills to install.
5
A car escape keychain with a seat-belt cutter
If you're in a potentially dangerous situation inside of a car, this emergency safety tool has a razor-sharp stainless-steel blade that can quickly slice through a jammed seatbelt. It also features a spring-loaded steel spike that can break through tempered glass.
6
A four-pack of Apple AirTags to track lost personal items
If you're an iPhone user, these precision tracking tags can help you keep track of important items such as purses, luggage, wallets or keys in the event that they are stolen, even during international travel. Each discrete tag uses ultra wideband to connect with your phone and provide accurate location monitoring or to automatically notify you when your AirTag becomes detected in the Find My Network on the iPhone.
7
A set of four window locks that prevent entry from the outside
If you're staying at an Airbnb or an unfamiliar location with bottom-floor windows, these small yet mighty locks can prevent an intruder from forcing open a window from the outside. Each damage-free lock is outfitted with a built-in key and anti-slip protection pads and easily installs onto a sliding window track.
8
A portable charging bank for your phone
Your phone can be a pretty important travel essential especially if you're relying on apps for navigation, access to funds or public transportation. Having a back-up charging device, like this highly rated external battery pack, can be an extra layer of assurance. Universally compatible with virtually any smart phone or tablet, the charging bank has two USB ports and can charge most phones up to six times per charge. It also has an auto shut-off safety feature to prevent damage to your devices if short circuiting occurs.
9
Two non-lethal self-defense tool your keychain
These blunt-tipped metal tools are intended for non-lethal self-defense and could possibly deter an attacker if used correctly. The grooved surface also allows for a better grip and greater control.
10
Two extra-loud survival whistles
This extra-loud survival whistle can help you get noticed or found whether you're camping, hiking or wandering through an unfamiliar city. The aluminum alloy is weather-resistant and can emit a whistle up to 120 decibels, loud enough to be heard from long distances.
11
A clever credit card grabber for ATMs or parking meters
The deep slots on parking meters and ATMs can make it difficult to pull out your card, especially if you have longer fingernails. This rubber-tipped tweezer tool comes attached to a silicone beaded wristband and easily grabs and pulls cards from slots so you don't have to nervously struggle or make yourself a potential target for theft.
12
A 20-pack of drug detection tests
Although you should always watch your drink being made and, most importantly, never leave it unattended, you can't always be 100% certain that a beverage hasn't been tampered with. These strips claim to detect the presence of some of the most common drink-spiking drugs, such as GHB and ketamine, using just one drop from your beverage.
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