When I travel, I enjoy the fact that I do so being as prepared as reasonably possible for a variety of scenarios. When I am on extended travels especially, a lot can happen in two or three week’s time. World events can change our global atmosphere in days or even hours. Just think about how our perceptions were changed in a matter of hours on September 11th, 2001, then tell me that it’s a little over the top to be prepared when leaving home for several weeks.
Call it sad, call it neurotic, call it overboard, call it paranoid, call it whatever you want. I call it being prepared.
Food Supply
We can’t always carry a lot of food with us when we travel, especially when we are doing so by way of the airways. At least having enough snacks on hand for a day or two though can keep us comfortable should an unexpected situation arise.
Bad weather, a terrorist attack, or other unforeseen issue can create lengthy travel delays or other situations in which you might not be in a location where food is plentiful or even available. And especially when traveling with a child, young children, or someone with a medical condition such as diabetes, having some snacks on hand can play a significant role in curing those savage — and even life-threatening — cravings.
Back Up Forms of Payment
What would happen if a situation suddenly hit the country that left the economy in shambles while you were far from home? We’ve seen what can happen in a matter of minutes during a stock market “flash crash” back in May of 2010. With computers controlling so many aspects of our daily lives, things can change rapidly and in extreme ways these days.
What if a week after you left home, a situation occurred in which computer systems were down, financial institutions closed their doors and hyperinflation began to take off? You might find yourself in a situation in which you would need a lot of cash to get back home.
Having items like checkbooks, debit/credit card, and at least a phone number for your financial institution with you on your travels can help to cover your bases should a dire situation arise. While it can be a bit risky should you loose such items, for many of us, carrying these things with us on vacation may be no more risky than taking them to work with us each day in our purses or wallets.
Extra Cell Phone Battery
Being left in a bad travel situation is one thing; being left in a bad travel situation with no communication or with communication devices that don’t work, could be even worse. Getting ready to make new travel plans, call a family member, or make similar arrangements only to realize that your cell phone battery has died can be extremely frustrating and in some cases even dangerous.
Finding that there are no outlets available where you are, that there is no power or that everyone else is scrambling to utilize such items to charge their own phones and laptops can leave you out of luck and feeling helpless. By carrying an extra — charged — cell phone battery though, you may be able to avoid such disruptions in your schedule.
Roll of Silver
Call me crazy (I don’t mind, I’ve been called worse), but carrying a roll of silver coins or even just a few ounce-sized silver coins in my bag can give me a little protection against a situation in which cash might suddenly become useless. While I expect the odds of ever encountering such a situation small, I don’t feel that carrying a few such coins with me is much of a hardship to guard against it happening.
Backup Eyewear and Prescription Items
If you’ve ever been left with a torn contact lense or a lost pair of eye-glasses with no replacement, you might realize just how important it can be to carry backups. Similarly, with a lost prescription item, you can begin to get that sense of panic, especially if you don’t have a way of recovering that loss any time soon and your life or well-being depends upon it.
With my needing corrective eyewear and my wife being a type 1 diabetic and relying upon insulin, having backups when it comes to such supplies can be of critical importance if placed in a situation where we might be forced to sit and wait things out for an extended period of time.
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Disclaimer:
The author is not a licensed financial professional. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Any action taken by the reader due to the information provided in this article is solely at the reader’s discretion.