This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Master Lock. All opinions are 100% mine.
When you’re off on a family vacation, dealing with theft or loss of your valuables is the last thing you want to deal with. Opening up your suitcase or coming back to your hotel to find that just about everything you need for your trip is gone can turn your adventure into a nightmare in seconds. Let’s talk about 7 things you don’t want to lose while traveling, plus how Master Lock can help you protect them.
Let me start with a quick cautionary tale. You may think “I’ll protect my valuables by leaving them locked in my hotel room. End of story!” Well, it’s not always that simple. While I think that the majority of hotel staff are really honest (I like to assume that most people are good), even the most honest person can inadvertently help a thief. A few years ago, I went on a cruise with my aunt. One day, my aunt left her sunglasses in my room. She simply told a porter that she needed to get into my room to grab them and he opened the door for her. No questions asked. Obviously, my aunt didn’t rob me, but it shows how easily one can access a room when a well-meaning porter tries to help an innocent looking woman.
So which valuables should you really focus on protecting the most on your family vacation, and how can you keep them safe? Read on to find out!
5 Things to Lock Up on Your Family Vacation
One of my favorite safety products to use while traveling is the Set Your Own Combination Master Lock SafeSpace Portable Personal Safe. It’s small enough to fit into my suitcase, yet has a large enough chamber to hold all my essentials. The handy cable easily wraps around a secure object, making it great for hiding in your hotel room around a bed post or other heavy, stable beam-like object.
Use the Master Lock Portable Personal Safe to keep these 5 things that no one wants to lose safe:
Your Passport or ID
If you’re traveling internationally, that passport is the number one thing you want to keep safe. It lets you get back home, after all. It also acts as your identification all over the place. Experts recommend making a copy of it and locking it up in your hotel safe. I recommend locking a copy of it up in your Master Lock Portable Personal Safe as well. I also keep a copy folded up in my luggage, well hidden, until I reach my destination. That way, if anything happens and I lose my purse, I have another backup. Even if you’re traveling within your country, keep a copy of your driver’s license or ID locked up, just in case.
Emergency Cash
As much as you don’t want to lose your credit card, at least you can call and have that frozen. If you lose all your cash AND your credit cards, though, you’re stuck. Keep an emergency stash of cash locked up in your Personal Safe so you can at least feed your family and, if need be, afford cab fair to your consulate office.
Your Phone
Once upon a time, it wasn’t really a huge deal to lose your phone. Sure, it was a pain, but those little flip phones didn’t keep nearly as much personal info on them as today’s modern smartphone. Now, our phones hold more than just our grandmother’s phone number: they have apps for our personal bank, detailed contact info (right down to birthdays, addresses, and anniversaries) for everyone we know and access to our our social media networks. My former boss just had her phone stolen while on a business trip. She thought the thief would just sell it and be done with it. The next day, everyone in her social media circle started getting very nasty pictures and texts sent to them from her phone. The kind of pictures and texts you wouldn’t open with your child nearby. When you’re not carrying it close to your body, lock it up.
Jewelry
First, I recommend not traveling with your great-great-grandmother’s heirloom diamond. Leave your super sentimental and extremely valuable valuables at home, even if you are planning to dine with the Queen of England. For the rest of your jewelry, you guessed it, lock it up when you’re not wearing it. While jewelry is more replaceable than, say, your passport, much of it does have sentimental value. Feeling heartbroken because you lost the first necklace your husband ever gave you can ruin your trip just as fast as losing your passport.
A list of important phone numbers
This isn’t necessarily a valuable now, but it becomes one of the most valuable thing you have if you somehow lose your passport or phone while you’re out and about. Before you head off on your adventures, go through your phone and make a list of important numbers. You’ll want the obvious: your consulate number (if traveling abroad), the number for your hotel, the local police number (not all countries use 911, so learn the emergency number for your destination). You also want numbers for your credit cards and bank (in case your wallet is stolen), several people back home who might be able to wire you money if you’re stuck, and even the number for your boss if you’ll be away longer than expected. Sit down and think of anyone you would call in an emergency. Write down those numbers. Keep a copy in your personal safe and one tucked away in your luggage. Then take the most important numbers- the consulate, emergency numbers, etc- and make a smaller copy to keep on your person during your travels.
Keeping your luggage safe while traveling
While you’ll have most of your valuables on your person during the actual traveling, you still want to keep your luggage secure during the journey to your destination. Luggage locks help keep your suitcase zipped up and prevent accidental spills. The Master Lock Set Your Own Combination TSA-accepted luggage lock with Flexible Shackle makes it easy to lock your suitcase with any combination you’ll remember. The bright, vivid colors help you identify your luggage on the baggage carousel. Seriously, is that not the prettiest luggage lock? I LOVE it! I want to go on a vacation now just so I can lock up my luggage with it!
It’s really easy to put on, too. The cable is super flexible. I was able to twist and turn it without an issue. I have carpal tunnel, so while that may seem like a small convenience, trust me, it’s pretty awesome. The lock comes in many popular luggage colors if you prefer to match it to yours, but I like to contrast it with my luggage. That way, it really stands out and I can say “that’s mine!” While TSA agents can still get into the lock if they have to do so, having a luggage lock can help deter thieves. It’s easier to move on to a bag without a lock than it is to spend time breaking into a secured bag.
Your family vacation should be the fun experience of a lifetime, not a nightmare because of lost valuables. You do everything you can to protect your family every day. Master Lock does what they can to protect your valuables. For Everything Worth Protecting While Traveling, you’ve got Master Lock! Travel Safe with Master Lock!
I always buy a ton of locks when we travel overseas. and I make sure I lock every bag just to be safe even the carry-on ones too.
I love that luggage lock. That is such a great idea. I know things are always getting stolen when people are traveling. This is a great way to keep things more safe.
I need to get a luggage lock. I will be doing a ton of traveling this year and i am always worried about things getting stolen.
I never considered ANY of this stuff. Though, making sure we lock up our stuff seems so simple and also VERY important! Will give it a try!
I have always been a fan of Master Locks. My daughter used one on her locker for a long time. I would love to get one for my luggage.
Yes, yes, YES! In the past year I started travelling more for business and have learned the importance and value of keeping a number of things protected. Fantastic post with great reminders for everyone; especially those that rarely travel.
This is such a great reminder! I lost a diamond necklace a few years ago when we were traveling and I’m still upset about it! I know now to secure everything!
I love that portable mini safe. The last thing I want to lose are my credit cards, phone, or anything that can be used to steal from me.
It’s a good idea to keep your valuables locked up. No one wants to lose them while they are away.
I always have a lock on my suitcases when I travel at the airport. I love knowing my belongings are extra secure!
These are all great ideas. I’m always stressed about losing my passport while on vacation!
We make sure not to forget the lock in any of our luggage whenever we travel. It’s definitely a must-have!
i love these! i am myself get stress thinking i wmight lost my inportant things
I have never locked up my luggage before, but now I may just start doing so! I carry many personal and at least valuable to me items with me so if they were stolen because I didn’t take the right steps to protecting my things, I would be devastated!
I love that my luggage is always safe. I love this tips Its very useful when we travel
We keep extra medications locked up. In case I lose my asthma inhaler, I know I have one in safe keeping.
These are great ideas, I love that my luggage is safe I hope we are travelling this coming summer
Great reminders – that I should have used for my last trip. I needed a bag lock and didn’t bring one with me. Next time!
Such great tips! We get so used to everything being convenient and easy at home we forget that it can be hard to do basic things when we travel. Always be prepared!
It’s important to have different kinds of locks for your luggage and your other belongings, I make sure I keep everything organized when traveling too. So I know where to find what in case I need them. These are pretty awesome tips!
These are great ideas. I’m hoping to do much more traveling soon. Keeping my luggage safe is definitely a priority.
I carry a lock in my purse. TSA luggage lock looks sturdy I always think with combination locks I will forget the codes. Thanks for these great tips.
This post is super helpful. We don’t go on a lot of trips but have something coming up in June where a lock like this will come in really handy!
That luggage lock looks awesome. I am always paranoid about people going through my suitcase.