SITUATION; you work for a civvi coy which sends you to the following areas of the earth : Colombia, Brazil, India, Mexico, Kenya, NZ and Spain. You travel on your own, enter via airport and find hotels by yourself. You have to meet people for your work you don’t know. During the day you travel in the countryside outside tourist areas in 4x4s which are likely to be old and may break down. You will be in and out the country in less than a week.

You are a woman.

What would you take which makes your trip as safe and comfortable as the situation allowes? Think along the lines of money belt, wistle, small FAK.

What wouldn’t you take? Think needles in the FAK, military FFL and other gear that could make you look suspicious.

The basic setup I have though of so far:

Money belt and money case that can be slung around your neck underneath your clothes. In this will disappear credit cards, passport, cell, at least 200$ cash and a piece of paper will emergency contact details inc embassy #, your coy #, emergency #, hotel #, partner #, passport #, flight ticket # and health #

A wallet with fake/old cards, some coins for a phone box and a copy of the piece of paper with the # in case either gets lost.

Old cell in your pocket

FAK: gloves, small wound dressings, tape, wipes, plasters, no meds

Pepper spray in your hand warmer pocket (when passing borders hidden in toilet bag)

Torch (strong enough to blind, which do you recommend on a budget?),

wistle

Smalle bottle water

Map (any good websites out there to look at the area in detail or where you can order world maps?)

Scarf to cover head and neck

Door wedges (for hotel)

Leatherman juice, you being a woman it’s the only type you will want to carry, it looks cute.

A ring around my ring finger

boots

What I wouldn’t carry:
jewelry

low cut tops or skirts

bikini

I would also carry a day pack with extra food, more water, PSK good folder, signal mirror, metal mug, hexi, water filter, compass, hypo blanket etc for when in the countrside but now you have the mindset of a woman who is not into emergency preparedness… you will simply not carry it because you cannot see a need and when you will need it you will expect it to be there. End.

Footnote: I realize gear is only part of the setup. Knowledge, the right mindset, alertness, studying the culture, rules+laws and country stats beforehand are all important.

Thanks in advance,
Ryan