Safety concerns of global trips

[billiebob]

An observation: Most of the people who have not traveled overseas are concerned about safety outside of the US. Most of the people who are traveling outside of the US do not report such concerns.

The number of places where US citizens are not welcomed is tiny compared to the number of places where we are welcomed every day.

On the country you come from, Canada, Japan, USA or wherever, remember you are a guest when you leave your country. Travel with an open mind, a willingness to grow..... why else travel if not to experience, indulge, immerse in another culture.... and be truly respectful.

Those who are, build the reason you are welcome. Those spewing the worst vile of their home country are the reason you might not be welcome. Learn about the country you are going to long before you arrive. International travel is NOT about the vistas, it IS about the PEOPLE !!!!!

A fellow traveller from Canada recently completed a circumnavigation of Africa. His scary time was thru Ethiopia..... where he felt truly unwelome, maybe even threatened. He kept his head down and got out as quick as possible. All part of the experience. All part of growing as an international traveller.

International travel is not Club Med. Heck even Club Med has its bad days. Head down, mouth shut, move on if threatened. You might have a big gun but you will often be in countries where the NRA is a joke.

 

[jkam]

The main thing you need when out there is common sense.
Use that to the best of your ability and more often than not, you will be just fine.

 

[EuroJoe]

The question I always ask those Americans wanting international exploration is this:

Have you visited and explored all 50 states in the USA?

With VERY few exceptions that answer is always NO!!!

Why not explore ALL of your own country first where your money is good, you can for the most part understand the language and do so in safety compared to many spots in the rest of the world?

You like complete solitude in a forest? Go to Maine!

Big hole in the ground? Arizona!

Beautiful glaciers in the lower 48? Go to Montana!

Best weather in the world? San Diego!

I know this does not address your question of safety travelling internationally however the above is something to consider if your personal safety is a real concern.

Avoid Maine, the traffic going north on a friday and south on a sunday is terrible!

 

[Scott Brady]

My biggest concern for hitting the great outdoors internationally is safety, especially in places with cartels, political instability, terrorism (ISIS etc).

There are certainly risks with international travel, but statistically, travel is extremely safe. There are numerous cities in the US with extremely high crime rates and murder rates. I would be far more concerned driving across areas of Chicago, then the developing world.

I have experienced some petty theft in my travels, but after a few circumnavigations and crossing all seven continents, I have actually only had one life-threatening encounter, and it was in a place most would never see as dangerous. I crossed Central Asia and most of the 'stans without incident.

1. The rig advertises the owner is wealthy, so thats a risk for kidnap/ransom.
   *yes and no. Big expedition vehicles often look like military or NGO units. Wealth is also not seen in the way you see it. Someone driving a Hilux is considered wealthy in most of the developing world. These big vehicles actually put most bad guys on their heels. We drove a full-size EarthRoamer all the way to Panama. For K&R, buy insurance. There are consultants that can help you develop safety and actions plans for lower risk travel. During Expeditions 7, I needed to fill out detailed K&R plans for each continent. There is a lot that can be done to lower the risk, and the risk is extremely low to begin with.
2. These rigs seem like they would be perfect command units for a terrorist group, cartel, etc. Why wouldn't they just kill me and take it?
   *The cartel will just buy it from you... stealing a high-profile vehicle from an American is attention they have no interest in attracting. I remember being in the middle of Copper Canyon and this nice guy with his family walked up and asked to buy my Tacoma- cash. I politely declined and he wished me a great day. Install a tracking device on the vehicle... worth their weight in good sleep.

Also, since international travel is probably not covered under comprehensive, is it table stakes to plan on eating the full cost of the rig in the case of a theft or total loss?
It is easy to get insurance for any vehicle. I have fully insured most of the vehicle we have taken around the world. It mostly just takes away the anxiety that will probably never materialize. I used these guys a few times, but there are several others out there: https://thuminsurance.com/

 

[shade]

Avoid Maine, the traffic going north on a friday and south on a sunday is terrible!

The same goes for Utah.
Horrible place.
Avoid at all cost.

 

[EuroJoe]

The same goes for Utah.
Horrible place.
Avoid at all cost.

I'll re organize my road trip this month then, skip all of CO, UT, AZ and NV.... probably the worst mountain biking!

 

[Vanaddict]

*The cartel will just buy it from you... stealing a high-profile vehicle from an American is attention they have no interest in attracting. I remember being in the middle of Copper Canyon and this nice guy with his family walked up and asked to buy my Tacoma- cash. I politely declined and he wished me a great day. Install a tracking device on the vehicle... worth their weight in good sleep.

Interesting, I've received slightly differing advice/accounts of cartel. My friend Jose was trailering horses from El Paso to Durango. A cartel pulled him over in 2 armed pickup trucks. They asked him who he worked for. He said nobody. They asked him how much the horses were worth. He said he didn't know. They asked him for $2,000 in cash. Which he didn't have that much on him. So they took his truck, the trailer, and the horses, but they didn't kill him. This was in the 90s, so might have been before GPS tracking.

But I understand, you have to take some risk, otherwise you would never do anything.

 

[Jeff Busch]

My recommendation is to have live conversations with some if the 100's of people who are currently traveling the globe. Conditions change rapidly, but for the most part travel tends to be safe - especially if you are observant and follow basic common sense. There are several FB and WhatsApp groups where you can get this interaction, if not on this forum.

Also, keep in mind that the opinions you receive are based on either 1) a person's personal experience or 2) on what a person heard from someone else, tainted by their prejudices. We heard a lot of opinions before we started traveling, but most were uneducated. It was the 3 families we personally knew who had traveled around the world, which provided a wealth of wisdom. Their main point was 'just do it, the world is friendly.'

I am writing this from a beach in Perú after having traveled 20k+ km from Buenos Aires, around South America. While we have personal friends who have had stuff stolen (i
.e. a backpack from the car 3 days ago in Perú), we have not had any issues ourselves. Overall we have been welcomed with open arms and curiosity.

-Jeff

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[Porkchopexpress]

I have a lot of international travel experience including Central America. Regardless of anecdotal stories on Internet forums, the risk is higher traveling south of the US border, (Costa Rica is probably an exception). Exotic expedition vehicles are more likely to attract attention from thieves and I disagree that they will be mistaken as military, (which is probably a good thing). In my opinion, you are better off driving something that would blend in like a Toyota 4Runner and staying at hotels. They are usually affordable and sometimes have parking lot security. Some of the coolest hotels I have stayed in have been in remote Mexican towns. I would also leave anything you treasure at home so even if you experience a theft, you won’t be too disappointed.
Also, most of the murder is drug related and killing a tourist would attract unwanted attention.