Protecting your stuff when staying in hostels

Posted on Friday, May 13th, 2011 at 3:47 pm

If you are a student and you are planning on studying or traveling abroad on a budget, you will most likely stay in a hostel.  Even for those who have the funds to spend on a nice hotel, a hostel can be a nice and fun experience that everyone should experience at least once.

Because you will have to share space with multiple strangers, many of you may be concern about your safety and the safety of your personal belongings when staying in a hostel. While I can attest from personal experience that most people staying in a hostel are nice and friendly, it never hurts to take some precautions. While in most cases the overall experience is perfectly safe, here are some tips to keep your stuff save in a hostel:

– Pick the right hostel – Most of the popular hostel booking websites have ratings from past guests. Pick a hostel with a good safety record and look for any problems others have had in the past. Check if the hostel has security lockers available.

– Bring Locks – Even if the hostel has lockers available, the size may only be big enough for a few small valuables. Some hostels may have locks available but may charge you a fee for the rental. If you bring your own lock, you may just end up saving a few bucks! Along with pad locks for your bag, I also like to bring a laptop lock. Aside from the obvious use of locking up your laptop, the long cable with the loop can come in handy to anchor other valuables to large immoveable objects.

– Keep your valuables separate – Keep a small amount of cash and whatever you need for the day separate from your hidden stash of cash and other documents (passport, credit card, etc.). Keep your wallet in your front pocket instead of your back pocket, you’re less likely to lose it or have it pick pocketed.

– Don’t flaunt your possession – If you are going to be traveling around with a nice camera, laptop or just a big chunk of cash, have it out only when you need it. After all, no one can be tempted to take your stuff if they don’t know you have it.

Posted by ahoontrakul

Originally from Thailand, Apinant grew up in the United States and has extensive international experience traveling throughout Asia, Australia, North America and Europe. He has lived, studied and worked abroad in China, England, Taiwan and Thailand. Apinant is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Masters in International Business and a Bachelors of Science in Business Management.