The Ultimate Travel Survival Guide: How to Handle Travel Problems, Delays, Illness, Theft & Adventure Travel Risks

The Ultimate Travel Survival Guide

Smart strategies to prevent and handle the most common travel problems — from lost passports and canceled flights to hiking injuries and stolen phones.

Travel Problems Are Normal — Panic Doesn’t Have to Be

The travel gods love to test you, but resilient travelers adapt and even thrive.  The chances that everything on your trip will go according to plan is about nil, especially if you are an adventure traveler.

The secret is to mitigate potential disasters so you can successfully continue on your trip.  That means you have a plan.  I like the Rule of 3 Back Up system for the five critcal travel components.

    The Rule of 3 Backup System

    The 5 Things Every Traveler Needs 3 Backups For

    • Health
    • Navigation
    • Money
    • Documents
    • Communication

    I’ll break down ways to mitigate these problems, plus I’ll dive in to what to do if there is Civil Unrest or a natural disaster while you’re traveling.  I’ll also talk about some of the more human worries we all have before we take a trip.

    The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is controlled failure.

    Health Problems While Traveling

    How to Prevent Sickness or Injury While Traveling

    Preventing Illness

    • If you can’t drink the water, also don’t eat any unpeeled or uncooked fruits or vegetables. 
    • Visit your doctor or a Travel Clinic and get an antibiotic prescription plus any shots you might need 
    • Avoid street food unless a guide tells you it’s ok to eat.  
    • Avoid buffets when possible and try to eat the food when it is first set out rather than a couple of hours later in case the food is not kept hot enough.
    • Eat in restaurants busy with locals
    • Medications When traveling, never check your medications in case your luggage doesn’t make it.
    • Buy Travel Insurance.  If you have a serious problem, reach out to your insurance company.  They can be a terrific assistance in guiding you to proper care, even arranging evacuation if need be to a higher quality medical facility.  Easy Travel Insurance Comparison Tool

    Before departure:

    • Photograph prescriptions (email yourself a copy of your prescriptions, too)
    • Bring extra medication (at least +5 days)
    • Know hospital locations near your hotel or trail region
    • Save travel insurance emergency number and policy number in your phone, in an email to yourself and trusted person AND on paper.  
      • PRO TIP: Be sure to read your policy so that you understand your coverage during your two week grace period.  If you plan to ride tuk tuks or motor bikes, make sure you are covered.

      Adventure Travel Injury Prevention

      Before your trip, you should spend a few minutes thinking about what potential ways you are more likely to get injured while on this particular trip.  Are you going to a country where you can’t drink the water?  What types of accidents are most likely?  How available is decent medical care?  

      • Plan your Emergency Kit accordingly.  
        • Can’t drink the water? Consider packing a Lifestraw as a back up, and perhaps even a portable water purifier, like the Sawyer Squeeze I took on my Everest Base Camp trek.  So not only did I not need to buy bottled water (it’s cheap) but also I did not contribute to their trash disposal problem.  
        • Don’t get dehydrated!  If you will be doing a lot outdoors, pack your water bladder so you always have easy access to fluids.  Pack some electrolytes, too, to keep them in balance if you will be sweating a lot.
        • What types of injuries are common? 
          • Keep one of your compression socks in your daypack in case you sprain your ankle. 
          • Pack a small first aid kit, including a small tube of antibiotic. 
          • Tuck in a sanitary pad – they are lightweight and great for absorbing a large bloody cut
          • Pack extra batteries for your headlamp and put the batteries in backwards so they don’t accidentally turn on in your luggage.  Emergency Kit Checklist
          • Going to a remote area?  Consider packing a mini Garmin so you can always send an SOS.  Newer phones have satellite capabilities, but I still wouldn’t trust it in extremely remote areas myself.
        • Adventuring at Altitude?  See your doctor about getting Diamox to help you cope with the lesser O2.  Your fitness level does not tell you in advance if you can tolerate high altitude.  And even if you haven’t had a problem in the past, there is no guarantee that you won’t this time.  Learn the symptoms of HAPE and be prepared to head lower if you get any!
        • Training  Make sure that you have fully trained for your adventure to prevent avoidable pain issues like shoulder or back strain from your pack,   Training for Adventure Travel

        What to Pack in a Travel Emergency Kit

        Why Training Matters More Than Gear

        If you have properly trained your body you are less likely to get injured or be in pain.  Develop a multi-faceted training regimen that increases your cardio, strength, and balance.  

        Training for Adventure Travel          Training Tips          Training for Altitude

            Prepare for the Day to Day Stress on the Body  I like to overtrain a bit so that I can relax and enjoy my trip and not be so exhausted at the end of each day.  I’ll work up to carrying at least five pounds more in my pack than I’ll need.  And I’ll try to gear up to 5 – 10% higher daily elevation gain, for example, or 2-4 miles longer than my longest milage day.  Also super important:  you need to train your body to be working it all day, DAY AFTER DAY.  This is where many fall short.  You will need to add to your training several 2-3 day long training sessions to prepare your body.

            Need help Training?  Get a free initial phone consultation with my online personal training friend and affiliate, Becki from Trailblazer Wellness.  Mention ATA to save 10%. 

              Travel Insurance: What Most Travelers Get Wrong

              • Evacuation:  If you are going to a remote area or undeveloped country with poor quality medical care, make sure your travel insurance covers evacuation!  Travel Insurance Policy/Price Comparison Tool
              • Altitude:  If you will be at altitude, make sure your policy covers your elevation.  Rise & Shield for Altitude   
              • Documentation: Keep ALL of your receipts and travel stubs, including boarding passes until you get home.  If you have to file a claim, they will want to see them.
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