Carry Safe: Keeping your belongings secure
During most of our Self Defence and Personal Safety Workshops the topic of how to keep valuables safe whilst out and about is of key interest to those we teach, especially during spates of mobile phone theft, bag-grab and moped related theft crime.
Other than following safe practices of not using your mobile phone in the street, and making sure not to be wearing headphones whilst your travel, here's some key tips you can follow to increase the safety of your belongings:
Handbags
Don't carry everything in your handbag. Women's clothing tends to be low on the number of pockets available so women naturally therefore carry one bag with everything in it, including keys, wallet and phone.
If the bag is lost or gets taken, then you are left without the contents of your bag which can leave you stranded and unable to travel or call for assistance. The solution? Carry your house-keys, money or at least one bank card, your oyster card and your phone on your person and not in your handbag. If your clothing doesn't have enough pockets, use under clothing carriers like this one:
We use these body pockets and waist strap running belts which sit underneath our clothing. As well as keeping our valuables out of site, they also keep our hands-free. The one we use the most is pictured here, sits underneath the arm, and can fit discreetly beneath a fitted or tailored jacket, with has several pockets to be able to take phone, cards and keys.
Put everything else in your bag and carry the bag on the building side of the pavement to keep it away from the road: good practice to avoid passing cycle or moped drivers trying to bag-grab as they drive by.
If you want to purchase a Body Pocket for your own use you can order through us and get a 10% discount. Click here to order >
Laptop Bags
Treat your laptop bag in the same way. Carry your main valuables on your person with a body pocket or running belt, insure anything you carry in your laptop bag, back up your data and understand your safety is more important than the safety of the bags you are carrying so if you have to leave the bag behind at least you have your principle valuables on you and the rest is insured.
It's also a good idea to carry laptops in sports bags, shopping bags or another carrier which doesn't tell passers by that you are carrying something of value. Be careful using rucksacks strapped to your backs in unsafe areas and as always keep the phones out of sight and headphones out your ears whilst moving around. For more training on this contact us here >
Traveling Abroad
When we're traveling abroad we follow the same principles of splitting our valuables into different discreet body pockets and running belt carriers, keeping our principle valuables on our person and insuring everything we carry in our luggage.
We also travel with photocopies of our key documents on our person, not in our hand luggage, so look at how you can add these to your daily carry-wear as it's good to have a copy of your documents on you at all times.
For more learning in Travel Safety click here>
For more information on your personal safety at home or abroad, and to read our articles in the press visit www.personalsafetylondonuk.com
