BACK TO TIPS FROM THOM
Most of us know if you plan for the worst, then it will not happen.
In this technical day and age, having safe copies of your most important documents has never been easier. Or more necessary.
Before starting this, take a moment, and try to put yourself in this scenario. You just had your purse/wallet/suitcase go missing. What do you need? Take your wallet, phone, and any travel documents and put them in a drawer while you read this. A little scary?
The Important Document List
Wallet/Purse
Make a copy of every card in your wallet/purse, including Front and back.
- Drivers license
- Insurance Cards
- Bank Cards
- Credit Cards
- I.C.E. – (In Case of Emergency) card
- ALL other cards you carry, Club membership, check cashing, Gas cards, ALL CARDS
- Any other written items you would need to replace if your wallet went missing.
You should update these once a year, regardless if you travel. And only carry what you need. No one needs a wallet an inch (or more) thick everywhere you go. The more you take, the more things you may have to cancel or go through the angst of replacing.
Seriously, what’s in YOUR wallet? You must know.
Passport Information
A copy of the page with your photo and information only. This page is a critical part. You do not need any of the other pages.
Visa/Vaccinations.
Is there any visa or additional information/forms necessary for travel? This list includes proof of vaccinations required to enter certain countries.
Important Prescriptions
What prescriptions are you taking? How often? What is the dosage? Do you swallow an aspirin to thin your blood?
You should carry a card in your wallet/purse with this information already.
You are out cold in a foreign country. Do you want the medical team to know the correct medicines to give you? Can your travel partner spell or pronounce “Rosuvastatin” in French, Italian, or German? How about in English? Do you want to take that chance?
ALLERGIES – Same card, same question. Don’t let a lousy scene go to worse.
Eyeglasses/contacts
Do you know your prescription? Can you get through a day without them? Really?
Important Contacts
If I take your phone from you right now, do you know your best friend’s phone number? The number for the emergency contact back home? Your travel partner?
Travel Contacts – Names, phone numbers (addresses for hotels, tour offices) during your travel.
Card Contacts – If I take your visa or A.T.M. card from you, who do you call to report it?
ALSO – make sure you have the phone number to call from outside of the U.S.A. 800 numbers only work IN the U.S. A and maybe Canada. It should be on the credit card copy. Just make sure.
Important Travel Contracts
These are important documents. Copies of plane tickets or at least confirmation numbers. Same for trains/ships/car rental/hotels/transfers/restaurants etc.
NOW What?
DO-
Scan every single item. Please make sure the copies are clear so anyone can read them.
In a perfect world, store them in the cloud with password protection. This route would give you the quickest access.
Store the essential documents in a password-protected file on your computer. Only give out the password to the emergency contact if there is an emergency. It will take longer as you need to reach your contact, and this person needs to access and send the documents. If there is a time difference, this will also add time.
DON’TS
Do NOT print the critical documents out. The information is not what you want to leave unsecured.
Whatever you do, please do NOT bring it with you. If your suitcase goes missing, now someone has access to all your information.
Prepare for the worst with backup information. It probably will not happen. If you do not prepare, it will get worse.