heading out at night

[familyguysolo]

k, ive read that u should keep your valuables with at all times, ie your camera, passport, mobile and cash say in your day bag.

my issue, what about at night when u head out drinking and dancing , im a female and love to dance and dont really want to take, all of those things mentioned out on the town, if im having a wild night.

if i saw just took my passport and cash out in a money belt or a small little bag with me, what can i do with my camera and mobile etc??

[bluepea]

Some hostels have safes where you can store stuff. Some have storage compartments under the bunks that you can lock (bring a padlock!). Otherwise, they usually have a place behind the front desk.

[Sabrosa]

Good Question! I was curious myself.

I'm a huge dancer....What kind of clothes are you going to pack for going out dancing?

[familyguysolo]

=KindraDC,Apr 12 2006, 03:23 PM]
Good Question!* I was curious myself.*

I'm a huge dancer....What kind of clothes are you going to pack for going out dancing?


Well, i love comfort when i dance, so will take my little shoes that are thin, flat, light and covered which are dark and go with anything. I'll take a little black dress, pretty simple one, ie can be dressed up or down.

I usually wear a simple skirt and singlet. Im all about comfort when i head out, add a touch of makeup so my face always looks good. LOL
I will take one pair of heels, but not my high ones, a medium size, as i know ill be walking a lot.

i would say take whatever u usually wear out dancing. i love house music atm and breaks!

[omisan]

As suggested before, I always keep my über-valuables in the hostel locker or safe.

I carry my wallet (lightly loaded, i.e. with just enough cash & one card) with me when I go out, and it's generally not a big deal. However, I did get pickpocketed my final night in Prague on Monday, which really really really sucked, but at least I had my passport, tickets, etc. in my locker at the hostel, meaning I eventually made it home.

In retreospect, I should've done my usual travel thing and simply kept my ID, a card, and a wad of cash in a clip that I'd stick in my front pocket. I just got a bit careless this time. Oops.

[bluepea]

That sucks Omi. Sorry to hear.

[Jen05]

yeah, I always left my valuables carefully put away. Another thing you could consider is bringing a little purse with a wrist strap or whatever...but come to think about it drunkeness/busy club + passport and valuables might not be the best plan! One time, in Oxford I left for a pub crawl, and accidentally left cash, credit card, and passport ON MY BUNK!! Didn't realize it until I got back and saw that absolutely everything was still there. Seriously, it's a miracle I made it out of Europe alive and well...

[Canadian Dude]

As said alot of hostles have safes or some type of locker behind closed doors. They will ( should) give you a tag or something to get you stuff when you need it. Just becarful, cause nothing is going to be 100%. I have seen places that let anyone go in and get their own stuff from the lock room, which kinnd of defeatedthe purpose of trying to keep your stuff safe. The less valubles you bring, the better. Just be sure to always have ypour passport with you, that if everthing else is lost, is your life line!

HAve fun danciing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LiveFreeorDie]

If all else fails, store your valuables in your pack but bring some travel combination locks to lock your zippers and a steel cable to lock your pack to a fixture in the room. If someone really wants to get in, they can cut open your pack anyway, but locking the zippers at least foils common pilferers which represent the most likely incidences of theft.

[LostFarmboy]

I would strongly suggest not taking your passport with you when you go out, the story of the stolen passport while at the pub is all too common when you're travelling. All i ever took out with me was cash, no id, no camera, no passport, not even a wallet, nothing, just enough money to buy drinks. I got pickpocketed several times at pubs (i was usually an easy target because of my level of drunkness) but all i ever lost was a bit of money, no big deal. I never used lockers, i just left everything in my bag and locked my bag using combination locks. Those that want to steal your goods are more likely to be locals and not people in the hostel, so the less you carry on you when you're drinking the better IMO.


....and that's my 2 cents.

[benna2]

Yeah I am with everyone here...You don't need to bring your passport out for a night of drinking and dancing. In fact, you rarely need your original passport at all while traveling. Have a photocopy handy just in case though. People aren't as responsible with their belongings when they are out drinking at a club (as you may have gotten from LostFarmboys post....)

I hate dragging my purse with me to the bars, especially when dancing. Only bring the essentials, which is usually just money and maybe your id if you are going to get carded.

Try to leave your stuff in a safe if you can, but remember that nothing is 100% safe, like Canadian Dude pointed out. When I was a hostel receptionist, I looked after peoples things on a number of occassions...

[ajb3000]

Only thing with leaving the passport is that some countries require you to carry photo-id on you at all times, so check the local laws.

[RootBrewskies]

i wouldnt carry your passport with you out to the bar. its good to have some id with you. and when your traveling anywhere abroad its good to always have a photocopy of your passport with you. its better to be safe than sorry and a photocopy at the minimum will buy you some time if something happens and whoever has questioned you will probably allow you to call your countries embassy, not to mention you'll be able to give the embassy your passport #, etc.

i also wouldnt carry much money with you. this will prevent you from being too upset if you are a victim of a pickpocket and it will also prevent you from buying drinks for the entire bar.