# Staying safe?



## alexxx (Feb 20, 2016)

Tips for saying safe, avoiding getting mugged, safe places to sleep. Stuff like that.


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## Will Dernis (Feb 20, 2016)

the only way to avoid getting mugged is to give them all your money before they ask for it. Otherwise they'll shoot you


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## Will Dernis (Feb 20, 2016)

And forget about sleeping, you're going to need to spend all your nights not getting mugged


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## alexxx (Feb 20, 2016)

What about staying safe in bigger cities?


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## Will Dernis (Feb 20, 2016)

not an option


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## alexxx (Feb 20, 2016)

Thank you for the realness. I feel like some people dont really tell exactly how it will be on the road sometimes.


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## Aurum (Feb 20, 2016)

@alexxx Take a tip from the champ.


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## Aurum (Feb 20, 2016)

But seriously, If you don't feel safe, then bounce. Don't trust anybody, even if you feel you can trust someone, don't. That's not saying you can't be civil, but learn to sleep with your eyes open.
If you don't give them a chance to do you wrong, you'll be o.k.
Overall tho, if you treat everyone with respect, you will receive that courtesy in return.


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## warlo (Feb 20, 2016)

alexxx said:


> Thank you for the realness. I feel like some people dont really tell exactly how it will be on the road sometimes.



Because its not easy to do so. some people have that look you know, the "im a target look" and some have that scary look that makes them stay safer than others. Some flash their fancy iphones in the wrong places and get robbed, some people dont even have fancy phones, so even if someone tries to rob them, they have nothing to loose. 

Its difficult to put it simple. In my case, I try to look like im not rich as to be a target but not as threatening that nobody would pick me up while hitchhiking (a balance that is difficult to explain). I usually travel without money, or with so little that if someone wants it by force (knife or gun) I will gladly give it away with no tears. Also, I dont carry expensive and fancy gear or anything of the sort except my photo equipment, which although looks nice and I have feelings for it, It can be all replaced for a couple bucks (its all analog and from the 70's).

In simple words, the less you have to loose the safer you will feel. I could bring with me my canon 5d Mark II and all its prime lenses and make some amazing digital photos that I can edit on my laptop while traveling, but then I'll have to stick with the unconfortable feeling that im a target everytime I flash it out. Or that I might not be able to make pictures in the, ironically, most interesting places to do pictures. Or even worst, that feeling will keep me out of interesting places because of the fear of loosing my stuff. So as a general rule, I dont carry expensive fancy stuff, and as a plus, I stay super light as well.

On the being safe in towns, that's a difficult one. It all depends on your ability to hide properly if you feel that the city is very threatening. I would suggest that once you are entering town, look for a safe spot to hide your backpack (the less humans around the better, specially if its totally out of town), have a small pack or bag to keep the essentials and go to town with nothing to loose. There you can crash in the sidewalk if you want, without having to sleep with an eye open for your backpack. There are other tricks, but I'll let that to your imagination. Just think how big a city is and how impossible is to think that there are no hideouts were you can crawl/climb/sneak/break and enter/etc to sleep for the night. It is one of the most interesting games to play while traveling in my opinion, towns are boring, so instead of making selfies at monuments and shit I love to go around looking for the place to crash when its sleepy time.

But all in all, now that I read what I wrote, I have to say that its all about your attitude. Coming from a place were people will slice you for your old shoes, I have learned that your attitude plays a big role in being mugged. If you keep a straight posture and learn to fix your sight while walking in sketchy places, you will increase your chances of being safe. People who rob people are affraid as well, so they look for easy targets, they wouldnt go for someone who looks confident were it shouldnt, because that sounds like trouble, so they wait for the next shaky person who cant fix his sight anywhere else but the floor.

Good luck in staying safe!


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## warlo (Feb 20, 2016)

Ohh, and by the way, except when your backpack is hidden away where only you know. Keep it always with you. Im being told all the time about my backpack-paranoia as I keep it always with me, even when hitchhiking, I prefer to have it with me than to put it in the trunk (you need to have very little stuff for that), but then I have never lost or had my backpack or any piece of gear stolen in many, many years of traveling. While people with a more relaxed attitude towards their packs forget how they lost it when calling me paranoid. 

Its very easy to get used to safe places, were you can leave your pack in the park and go pee somewhere because there are no thieves there, but then you take a trip to my home country and you do that, guaranteed you get your stuff taken away in a matter of seconds (almost with every right in my opinion ) so, better to keep always the same attitude no matter where you are.


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## landpirate (Feb 20, 2016)

this doesn't belong in intros I'm moving it to general banter until I can find a better place.


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## Deleted member 15262 (Feb 20, 2016)

Hey Alex! First off...no matter how much you read, it all comes from personal experience. But.. to make you feel more comfortable, I'm a girl who traveled solo for a long time and slept in some crazy places, but never had any issues. There's been times when stray dogs have run up to me at night, and once a security guard kept hassleing me because I was sleeping too close to the food bank. Otherwise it's been pretty safe, like Warlo said scouting out a place to sleep can be an adventure itself. Just stick to wooded areas or find small businesses that close early/open late to sleep behind, those are always safe imo. you're at greater risk of someone shady actually sees you walking to your hide out, so find it early, move on, and go back at night. But respect others in the same area...in Savannah the forest was really thick and we were all cramped in a very small area. 
As a first timer, stay out of the city, take the back roads..it's funner and safer. Anyway this is a very big topic and you can find some scattered info on the forums. Also, check out my YouTube channel (Hippie Gangster) I'm trying to pump out more hitchhiking advice and stuff for people like you with many questions. Feel free to message me any time


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## angerisagift (Feb 20, 2016)

hmmmmmmmm arent u going to have a german shephard with u??????


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## alexxx (Feb 20, 2016)

warlo said:


> Ohh, and by the way, except when your backpack is hidden away where only you know. Keep it always with you. Im being told all the time about my backpack-paranoia as I keep it always with me, even when hitchhiking, I prefer to have it with me than to put it in the trunk (you need to have very little stuff for that), but then I have never lost or had my backpack or any piece of gear stolen in many, many years of traveling. While people with a more relaxed attitude towards their packs forget how they lost it when calling me paranoid.
> 
> Its very easy to get used to safe places, were you can leave your pack in the park and go pee somewhere because there are no thieves there, but then you take a trip to my home country and you do that, guaranteed you get your stuff taken away in a matter of seconds (almost with every right in my opinion ) so, better to keep always the same attitude no matter where you are.


 What places have you found safe/easy to hide your pack while you go somewhere?


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## warlo (Feb 20, 2016)

alexxx said:


> What places have you found safe/easy to hide your pack while you go somewhere?



Well, there isn't any standard place in the world that shows up everywhere I go that I would use as a place to hidemy pack. It would be like this neck-hanging-pouches that are sold in airport shops that supposedly hide your valuables under your shirt, I wouldnt use one of those either, as that's the first thing thieves would look for on tourist looking people. Same shit if I would tell you where its most likely a good option to hide your pack.

Just be smart and you'll find your own secret backpack hiding spots. C'mon, you will be missing the fun out of it.


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## Deleted member 15262 (Feb 20, 2016)

When it comes to anything and everything.....over-analyzing is your worst enemy. You can't make plans on the road. It just doesn't work like that. Just don't do anything stupid and you'll be fine really, take it slow. If anything use your hometown as a guide, since you probably know those streets well, look at places that you would maybe think is safe to sleep/stash shit to give you a general idea. Unless your bag is huge its easy to throw it in the bush and leave it for a while without anyone noticing it. But that's alreayd been talked about i think. ya, just trust in yourself, keep your eyes open, and protect that dog more than your shit


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## Mankini (Feb 22, 2016)

no, no, no. NO! disregard all of the above comments, alex. those individuals have no idea of what they are talking about.

here. getcha one of these at the thrift store usually for less than the price of a cup of coffee:
carries everything ya need, other than camping gear. safer than a wallet, too. the agency and sfod call them 'fast action gun' bags.


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## Wawa (Feb 22, 2016)

Be willing to walk real far to find a good sleeping spot. Try to get beyond the usual bum range. If you are just passing put for a night and moving on, forested parks, rivers ect through nice neigborhoods can work, not much drama there, since cops get called if anyone sees ya  

On weekends, construction sites are pretty useful. Sometimes they work saturdays, but almost never sunday.

If all else fails, look for railroad tracks and follow. Sometimes this'll be the junkie superhighway because there is no where else to go, othertimes deserted because usually only train riders actually -want- to sleep by the tracks. Either way you'll probably find somewhere to tuck in.

Oh and if you are going to hide your pack, dont wrap it in a tarp. A tarp is shiny and stands out even if its green or brown and screams "there is something valueble under here". A shitty dark colored sheet or blanket is less visible and less tempting to get your hands on. Looks like trash.


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## warlo (Feb 22, 2016)

Wawa said:


> Be willing to walk real far to find a good sleeping spot. Try to get beyond the usual bum range. If you are just passing put for a night and moving on, forested parks, rivers ect through nice neigborhoods can work, not much drama there, since cops get called if anyone sees ya
> 
> On weekends, construction sites are pretty useful. Sometimes they work saturdays, but almost never sunday.
> 
> ...




The tarp comment was awesome, I remember once putting my shit under one and when I got back to get it I realized couple meters before that it had become windy and I could hear the shit flapping.

your "looks like trash" gave me a fucking awesome idea. Just take a trash bag and make it look officially like trash


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## warlo (Feb 22, 2016)

voodoochile76 said:


> no, no, no. NO! disregard all of the above comments, alex. those individuals have no idea of what they are talking about.
> 
> here. getcha one of these at the thrift store usually for less than the price of a cup of coffee:
> carries everything ya need, other than camping gear. safer than a wallet, too. the agency and sfod call them 'fast action gun' bags.
> ...



I couldn't help but noticing that the product you are advertising has the same colours as your clothes in the profile pic, are you into some kind of green business?


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## Will Dernis (Feb 27, 2016)

I've always had a camo bivy cover, which is excellent for wrapping around gear. I've had my gear stashed in the open around boulders and my digital desert camo bivy made all my gear completely disappear.


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## Vulture (Mar 21, 2016)

I keep a debt card, where I keep the lot of my money. However, I think it best to carry "mugging" money. This is so that you have something to give the poor bastard so he doesn't or is less likely to demand your bag or things within. Definitely hide your phone. When not trying to get a ride, look as decheveled as possible. Make the appearance of being rock bottom. It happens, but bums are less apealing targets. 

Besides that, I have a trick that I haven't tried on a human yet. I carry a pretty bright flashlight. This dog was chasing me, or rather stalking me, down a ghetto road around midnight. I turned 
quickly and shined my light. Bright! It was frozen. I walked away. I imagine it will have the same effect, but I'll have to run in the case of a human. I don't advise this if you are weighed down by gear.


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## codycodnyk (Apr 21, 2016)

Your gut is your first line of defense. Ive went against my gut because I thought I was being judgmental or didnt want to look awkward. One bad situation that could have went worse was the lesson I needed to trust my vibes from people. Id rather be an awkward dick to someone than get robbed/stabbed. 
I know a lot of people recommend carrying knives, but theres a few issues, like the big differences in knife laws in different cities. And if you think youre gonna scare someone off, they can call your bluff and get it from you. Or pull out a gun which they might not have done. Id recommend pepper spray (Im not sure about laws in all areas but I know its legal in at least more places than knives and less of a red flag to cops than knives). Its not totally effective againts everyone but it should give you a good headstart to safety. I saw a big dude try to fight a littler guy outside my house and his friend pepper sprayed him and the big guy was curled up on the ground with his eyes closed.


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## roguetrader (Apr 22, 2016)

RE : pepper spray - we had a bit of trouble couple of years back with some Irish Travellers trying to move on to our site (land squat) - when they left the first time they threatened to come back mob handed with the family, so everyone started getting tooled up / prepared and these two girls decide to make some Mega Mace - they got two old style refillable fire extinguisers and filled 'em full of hot water mixed with as much chilli powder / chilli sauce / chilli anything as they could find and left them by the entrance ready for use - well the confrontation was an anti climax - the gate was locked and they gave up quite quickly but i always wondered what would of happened when that mixture started getting sprayed about......


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## Itvo (May 4, 2016)

A couple things I can think of that would be good to use that I picked up outside of traveling. 

1. Always check the back seat before getting into a car with anyone. 
2. Reflections in glass can give you 360 area view without much trouble. A town stores with windowed fronts is easy to stay situationally aware yes?
3. Avoid walking past alleys while close to walls. It generates blindspots and doesn't give much room to know if someone is standing behind the corner. 
4. According to police, criminals will almost always give away their next intentions with their eyes. Such as briefly glancing at the nearest exist or squinting in preparation to attack. I've heard this a bunch from cops. 
5. Cops are more likely to harass people with dozens of "Little Trees" hanging from their mirror for some reason. 
6. Yell "Fire" when in a really bad situation. I don't know how ubiquitous this is but more people are more inclined to come look at a burning building than when someone is yelling help. 
7. Learn to jump/clear fences fast. The ultimate chase ender for zombies, fat cops and angry drunks. 

Most importantly: 8. Soil yourself frequently to appear less attractive to assailants. This tactic works in many more places than you might thing.


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## kerouac (May 5, 2016)

1: get a can of bear spray. even the most agro & vile of skid's will not step to bear spray pointed at them.

2: when stuck in a city, if you don't want to hike to the outskirts, look for an accessible rooftop. there's always one to be found. sleep up there at night and stash your bag there in the daytime

3: BE that sketchy bum that people are afraid of and steer clear of. when passing through sus areas & situations get yourself in a state of mind where you are almost LOOKING for a fight. people can sense this kind of energy and stay clear of it. 

4. keep a good edge on your knife, just in case...


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## Wawa (May 5, 2016)

Wait, wait... Backup there. 

Soil yourself as in "Be really dirty", or "Shit your pants for safety. Just keep shitting them. Ideally, you should be turd nursing like a daddy penguin with an egg"


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## kokomojoe (May 6, 2016)

I mentioned it on another post but a good alternative for pepper spray is wasp spray. It sprays pretty far distance and if you aim for the face it'll definitely fuck with your assailant. It can also be found most places.


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## Itvo (May 6, 2016)

Wawa said:


> Wait, wait... Backup there.
> 
> Soil yourself as in "Be really dirty", or "Shit your pants for safety. Just keep shitting them. Ideally, you should be turd nursing like a daddy penguin with an egg"



As in be ready always for everything with Explosive Machinegun Diarrhea + Side of Corncobs.

Likely won't get you many rides.


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## c4s3 (May 7, 2016)

Stick around other like minded individuals, sleep in areas that are close to 24/7 stores, etc. Don't trust a lot of the people in larger cities, they will not think twice to rob ya blind. Hold your ground, don't just go around starting shit, sleep with one eye open. Always keep your eyes and ears open, don't trust, remember trust is the killer.


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## petergreen (May 9, 2016)

Criminals look for soft targets. If you walk around staring at the ground, shoulders slumped or are clearly not paying attention to your surroundings you're at a higher chance of getting jacked. Likewise, if you are female you are more likely to get jacked. If you are not paying attention to your surroundings or appear to be wandering around aimlessly... you're probably going to get jacked.

Walk with purpose, keep your eyes up and scanning around. Project confidence that you belong wherever you are. Eye contact should be brief, just enough to let the other person know that you are aware of them. Prolonged eye contact, especially between males, can be construed as a challenge. Lastly if someone does approach you tell them calmly but firmly to keep their distance. You might come off as a dick but it's better to be a dick than get stabbed or robbed.

Lastly be aware of the neighborhood you are in. If it's known for being a high crime area pass through as fast as possible. If you do get into a confrontation run for it. Ditch your bag if you need to. Stuff can be replaced, your life can't.

Also appearing drunk or high will make you a juicy target for predators since they know your mental faculties are impaired. Get drunk or high with friends but don't go wandering around in an altered state. But that's probably pretty obvious.


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