Business/recreation traveler security

[Estela216]

Anyone have any good ideas to share about travel security? I frequent many hotels on business/pleasure and often carry door wedges to add extra security to the doors. Of course a Surefire is nearby along with a whistle on a lanyard in case of emergency. Colored zip-ties are used to secure my luggage when I can't attend to it in the hotel room as a tell-tale sign of tampering. Money is carried on my person as well as emergency money in indescriminate locations. I usually only carry the unassuming SAK (Handyman model) in addition to my EDC items. These are only a few of my ideas. Anyone else have any to share?

Kev

 

[WT]

A door wedge and a small flashlight are a must.

If circumstances permit, avoid rooms on the first floor.

Be very careful when entering the room, especially when others are in the hallway.

 

[sturmruger]

I try to stay in rooms that have the built in room safe. Those are handy for locking valuable and whatever pistol I decide to bring along.

 

[NMshooter]

If you travel by air you can always purchase an inexpensive knife at your destination and leave it behind when you go.

 

[hso]

Your best measure for hotel security is to use hotels that do not have individual outside access to the rooms. Stay in a place that locks it's doors and requires a key to enter everywhere except past the front desk. Stay between the 7th and 1st floors (2-6). Ladder trucks may not reach any higher than 7.

Try to park near the front dest/lobby of the hotel and always under a light.

Put a juggle alarm on the door along with the do not disturb sign. I'd rather not have housekeeping come in if I'm only going to be there 2 or 3 days. If longer I just take the sign off and put the jiggle alarm in my bag in the closet.

Put an expandable baton in your check luggage in it's original packaging. If anyone asks at the airport it's for your LE cousin. Take it out and keep it shook out while in the room. Repack for your trip home.

Knives require more training to use well than a stick (see above), but I carry knives with me and simply put them in my check luggage and carry when I get to town. If you're uncomfortable about possible questions in the airport (I travel for my company and the only question I've gotten from TSA poking around in my bags is, "How do you like that?") use the gift ruse again.

Flashlight and wedge have already been mentioned. Keep your cell phone charged. Write the hotel name and street and your room number in big letters on a pad and keep them handy so that you don't have to fumble with glasses to read it off to someone on the other end of the line.

Pack a gun if you're allowed to carry at your destination. I do and I've never had a problem with a gun in a locked hard case in my luggage.

 

[oneshooter]

Traveling

I will be traveling to Mississippi to work. Will be staying in a motel/hotel for 6-8 months. Travel will be by vehicle. Plan to take my CCW prefered along, as well as a Cold steel Pro-Lite folder, battery powered screech alarm for the door, and a spare wedge. Anything else?

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas

Also 2 full mags

 

[Texian Pistolero]

Two points:

1) Go to Home Depot/Lowes. Buy a sledge/maul handle. (this is better than ax handle, because straight and heavy, not light and shaped.) Go home, cut to longest length that will fit in your checked baggage. If challenged at airport, explain that you travel a lot and you need this to beat the crap out of any scrote that invades your hotel room. Regardless, this is not an airline issue, because it is in checked baggage.

Work out some basic strokes/tactics with this tool.

In any civilized states, you have the same rights in your hotel room as you would have in your home. If not, don't go there, quite job with wuss employer, whatever. (If you die, your 401k is a very stupid "investment".)

2) I recall that Sharper Image once had a one-shot disposable anti-smoke "gas mask" for travelers for about $30.

I would follow up on this. Your greatest threat is from fire, your most likely cause of death is smoke inhalation. I'm WAY outta date, but if I was a steady traveler, I'd research this, and pay whatever it takes to get me out the door, down the hall, down the stairs, with my lungs still working.

Beyond that, have a gun if you can do so legally.

 

[Phil Ca]

I always carry a small 2 AA battery powered radio with AM/FM bands so that if there is a power outtage you will be able to tune in the local stations for news updates.

This happened in 1975 when I was a tad younger.
When I used to travel for my office I carried a Maglite that uses 3 C cells as a persuader as well as a light. One time in Philadelphia I stopped overnight to visit a field office and needed a hotel to crash in for a few hours. I put my luggage in a locker at the bus station and decided to go on foot to find a hotel. I walked around the corner and saw two inner-city 14 year old harrasing an elderly Jewish couple with their 10 speed bikes. They had forced the couple into a entryway of a deserted store by running the bikes toward them. I had just passed the doorway when this occured and I yelled at the kids to leave the people alone.

The first kid turned his bike and headed for me yelling, "Come on! Lets get him!" and he pedaled his bike furiously. I turned at an angle and as he came by I feinted to the left. The first kid threw his fist out and as I ducked he tapped my shoulder with a glancing blow. I swing my right fist around behind me and struck him a solid blow to the kidney area. He was knocked a bit askew and he wobbled a bit and yelled to his fellow thug, "Watch out he is crazy!"

The second kid was coming my way and he cocked his right fist up. As he sped by I gave him a solid solar plexus punch and a quick backhand punch to the kidney area. He wavered and nearly drove into the plate glass window but recovered and they both shouted to each other,"Get out of here!" the couple was recovering from their shock and were thanking me for coming to their rescue.After this welcome to the City of brotherly Love I wondered what would happen next.

I walked up the street and found a decent looking hotel with these words on the markee ouside. "BAPTIST CONVENTION HERE NOW" I figured if the Baptists were happy with that hotel I would be OK there. I registered and went down the street to get my goods. As I came near the bus terminal I saw two more kids like before. This time one kid was crying and blood was dripping steadily from his right palm. The other kid did not know what to do and was looking very frightened. I went over to them and asked what had happened. The second kid mumbled something about a broken bottle and I surmised that the other kid had broken the bottle to fight with.

I followed the kids into the terminal and as I passed the lone clerk and told him to call the police and send them to the restroom. I followed the boys into the men's room and took the injured kid to a sink where I grabbed several clean paper towels and placed them over the wound that was spurting blood. I forced his hand over the paper towels and told him to hold it tightly and not let go. I grabbed the friends right arm and showed him where the brachial artery was and told him to clutch his friends arm and hold above he head "or he's gonna die!"

I grabbed my bags and headed toward the hotel and hoped that I would not be involved in any more saga's unfolding before me. I made it to my room w/o incident and started preparing my stuff for the next day. I took a shower and shaved and as I was finishing up I started watching the 11 PM news. I had on a terry cloth pair of shorts. I heard a loud noise of voices in the hallway just down the hall. I placed my room key in the pocket of my shorts. I grabbed my maglite with the left hand and my snub-nosed revolver in the waist band of my shorts. The voices were very angry and insistant. One man was shouting something to the effect of, " OPEN THIS DOOR BIT&#!"

I quietly opened the door and glanced both direction to make sure that I was not being set up. I placed my left leg in the hallway and kept the right hand on the revolver grip. I used my "command" and asked, "IS THERE A PROBLEM HERE?" They both looked at me and their eyes got big to see a half naked ofay with a flashlight in one hand and a revolver gripped in the other. They both muttered,"No we were just leaving." I said see that you do and don't come back! They headed for the elevator right now!

The next day I walked over to my field office and spent several hours there. Afterwards I decided to go for a subway ride. I used to live in Philly about 15 years earlier and rode the subway. I had been in Boston on the subway and in NYC on the subway a few days earlier and encountered no problems. As I came to the subway station concourse I noticed two rookie cops standing back to back, with their opposite sides to the tile wall. next then was a police dog. They were armed with revolvers, light sticks, mace, and handcuffs. Looking at their terrified faces was enough for me. I gave up on my subway ride for that trip.

I could not believe that I had had three encounters with a total of 6 people all bent on doing some evil to someone else. I am thankful that I was able to deal with the problems and come out unscathed. I am sure that Devine Providence had a hand in what happened that evening.

When you travel keep your mental alertness high and be prepared for anything. If you expect that something might happen you will not be taken aback when it happens.

Do some intel on the area you will stay at overnight. Look at the surrounding area and at the people and cars and condition of all the above. If derelicts are hanging around and you see someone leaving a junker at the curb or in their yard you might want to pass it by.

If the desk clerk looks shady, well just may be that he is! If you see a police car pareolling the parking lot that means one of wo things. A proactive police force doing their sworn duty, or OTOH maybe they expect trouble and are scoping out the area in case trouble breaks out.

If you hear people walking stealthily in the hallway after hours do not be afraid to scope it out. Just do not over extend yourself.

 

[Sean85746]

Since I have retired (federal LE disabled in the line of duty), I have become a summer traveler. I go to Michigan a lot to escape the Arizona heat, and see friends and family.

I checked on packing.org, and travel by a route that, except for New Mexico where I carry openly, allows me to carry concealed the entire way there.

I usually only have to stop one night to sleep, and my Glock and Sure Fire are always handy, as well as door wedges and my baton.

I have a year-old GMC pickup, and have only been pulled over one time, in Texas, and when I informed the officer I was carrying, all he said was..."Slow it down Pal, and have a nice trip."

Maybe the crew-cut and the FOP sticker in the back window had a little to do with it. I know I don't fit any profile!

 

[TallPine]

Does anybody else besides me just try to stay home as much as possible anymore?
(maybe it's because I finally got my dream place in the country and HERE is where I want to be)


Anyway, does anyone know if a large Maglite is allowed in airline carry-on ???

 

[taliv]

i carry a surefire S2 in my pocket everywhere, and i fly a couple times a month. TSA screeners never even give it a 2nd look. i suspect they might not like the metal version, but it's probably ok too. the plastic one is less threatening

i dont' use door wedges either.

I would carry but it seems like only a liability, as most of the places I visit (my customer's chemical factories) have strict rules forbidding any weapons, so I would have to leave my gun in a rental car (no good) or the hotel room (worse). Checking luggage would also slow me down a good bit, as i often pack light enough to fit it all in carry-on.

 

[TallPine]

taliv, I was referring to something like a 2-D Maglite

 

[Swamprabbit]

I do quite a bit of business travel and, thankfully, most of it in places I can CCW. Like someone stated above, my biggest fear in hotels is fire.

I ALWAYS carry a small flashlight - usually a 2AA maglite (I hope to get a surefire soon) and keep my cell phone charged. Also, when I go to bed at night, I keep everything (keys, wallet, etc.) in my pants pockets and keep my clothes, shoes and socks somewhere close to the bed. The flashlight and handgun, if there, is on the nightstand. I also keep a small radio in my small bag that is also ready to be grabbed if I have to leave in a hurry.

Ditto in NOT staying on first floor rooms if at all possible and also to try to stay at places with interior doors. I have found that money is well spent staying at better places - such as most Hampton Inn "types" - as opposed to the cheapies. Most of these moderately priced chains tend to do a good job on basic security (locks, lighting, etc.).

Other small things I do, which may border on paranoia, is that if someone knocks on my door, before I look through the peep hole, I stand to the side and run my hand across the peep hole. Yeah, a little paranoid but no-one sees me quickly checking to see if some crazy will shoot through the door.

Also make sure you are familiar with the stairway exits before going to bed.

 

[pete f]

I carry if i am going where i know it will be condoned.

I have fed exed my weapon to my destination if I am going to have to transit thru Cali NYS or Mass.

I carry in my checked luggage:

4 cell maglite they will not allow it as carry on, they have allowed my mini mag light before and still allow for a TL2 streamlight
door wedges with a piece of para cord long enough to slip over the door knob so I do not have to get on my hands and knees to pull it out.
a fixed blade knife...usually a USMC KaBar. a good stout knife that costs 40 bucks I i loose it i sniffle not bawl like a baby if it was one of the Randalls'
smoke detector.
a folder for edc at location.

in carryon or on person.

streamlight TL2
smoke hood
disc man w/ am fm capability.
couple of rolls of quarters and a pair of spare socks. hehe

 

[45crittergitter]

I believe Ayoob's book The Truth About Self Protection has a chapter on travel in it.

 

[oneshooter]

On my travels into the world outside of Texas I will take my Charter 2"38 w/1 speed loader all rounds will be Rem Nyclads. My fighting stick,4' of fire hardend hickory 1 1/2" thick, and a 4" Pro Lite Knife. The fighting stick is a vicious close combat weapon.

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas