10 Tricks to Prevent THEFT from Checked Luggage 🧳

Click "show more" to see links I mentioned & ad disclosure 👇

This video will show you how to prevent theft from checked luggage using various different strategies. Here are some things I mentioned in the video:

Credit cards with luggage coverage:

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🔴 H E L P F U L V I D E O S 😎 :

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🟠 C O O L S T U F F :

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🟢 T O P R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S :

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🔴 C H A P T E R S:

0:00 How to prevent theft from checked luggage
0:23 Do NOT use TSA locks
2:25 Ways to protect checked luggage
3:02 The “Pen Trick” (and how to prevent it)
5:18 How to get reimbursed for checked luggage issues
7:25 Obvious solution to checked luggage theft
10:30 The “Silent Ninja Tracking” Trick
11:45 Bonus travel tips
12:01 Anti-theft luggage tips
13:31 Checking luggage for theft or damage
14:08 Hiding valuables

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🟣 A L I T T L E A B O U T U S

Heyo! Mitch and Day here 👋🏼

We’re just your typical American-Colombian couple determined to live every second of our precious time here on earth to the fullest. After a 10-month solo backpacking trip through South America, I (Mitch) stopped in Cali, Colombia to take salsa dancing classes 💃🏻. I only planned to stay for a couple weeks, but God had other plans for me. I met a cute Colombian girl (Day) in class, those couple weeks turned into a couple years, and before we knew it...we were married 👰🏻🤵🏼

Now we’re traveling the world full time as digital nomads, supporting ourselves by working online 👨‍💻👩‍💻

Our goal with these videos is to inspire you to step outside your comfort zone, give you an inside peek at our crazy imperfect lives, and show you that you don’t have to be rich to live an extraordinary life...all you need to do is make the choice!

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Advertiser Disclosure:
This video may contain links through which we are compensated when you click on or are approved for offers. The information in this video was not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Offers are current only as the time of the video publishing date and may have changed by the time you watch it.
Disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor. Project Untethered does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.

[dazy]

In school we had an ex gang member tell us about his experiences with smuggling drugs amd he said one of the tactics they use is to slip a little bit of something in the bag of the person in front of them so security focusses on that person and he the actual smuggler can easily get through.
DEFINITELY WATCH YOUR BACK

[stuartdunbar]

Traveling around Latin America or from Latin America, I always pay at the airport to wrap my check-in. I read how one person in Mexico faced a nightmare after his luggage was compromised with drugs. When they wrap it, they fix a sticker to it that you can take a picture of it before checking it in. Serves as proof that you had it wrapped at the airport.

[cindyn]

A photo of my luggage taken with my phone at check-in has gotten my lost bag back more than once!

[DeanDecoursey]

In addition, I bring a hand held luggage weigher. I weigh the luggage before heading to the airport, mainly to make sure that the luggage is below 50 pounds. I also weigh the luggage at the baggage pick up area. That’s to make sure that the luggage is the same weight before I give it to the airline and after I get it back.

[carolhunt]

My mother and I had a suitcase lost and returned 3 months later. It was tagged as having gone all over the world. On the trip I bought a hand-carved wooden mirror stand. The mirror stand was returned to us, but the mirror was gone with shreds of mirror in the bottom of the suitcase. We since have learned that thieves steal suitcases to ship drugs and other items. We think that’s what happened to our bag because it was well taken care of, despite it being lost.

[campagnollo]

My train of thought is that security will never stop a thief from gaining access from said item. However security, like locks, will require more time to access an item, and time is a factor for a thief. Unless your luggage is screaming that it is valuable, all luggage will appear to be of the same value so it comes down to it being locked or not.

[darrylk]

Good tip on turning packs around in overhead bins. I also put my bag across the aisle so I can see my bag when the overhead bin door is opened. No rule says your bag has to go into the bin over your seat... right?😂

[grannygoes]

I always use bright colored zip ties. No question if it’s been opened. So far so good.

[capecodfloridagirl]

My son went to the mission field in Africa. He bought ugly mismatched luggage and this was many years ago. I can’t remember if he distressed them or not. He took a new computer. Tools and other expensive things plus items other missionaries had on their wish lists. He packed his clothes on top. Think he took 4 big suitcases. They all arrived with everything in them. Sometimes looking poor helps! 😂

[carlbln]

another reason in Germany, why not to leave the home address visible on your language is that thieves on trains can fond out from the address which homes are probably empty

[jlawrence]

In the Philippines, customs personnel was slipping single bullets into the luggage of unsuspecting tourists and then, extorting them for bribes. Finally, when Western governments started including warnings about that activity in their travel alerts, the Philippine government cracked down on that activity. Many American tourists heading to Manila were seran wrapping their luggage shut.

[sleeplesstruth]

We always triple wrap our luggage content in thickest blk ‘ construction’ plastic trash bags, from Home Depot, and tape closed, individually, turning next bag layer taped edge to another end. At least we KNOW if customs or others hv gotten in our things, and we hope its a deterrent if a quick pen-thief encounters the bag barriers. Used to take our ‘shared custody’ kids from usa west, to Scandinavia every summer, 20yrs, so we were always concerned about dangers. Didn’t hv great platforms for shared info most if those yrs! Bravo to u all for time and effort to help others!!! God Bless, namaste

[mariamatus]

Some travelers can't get reimbursed for damaged luggage, because they don't have photos of their luggage before the flight. Some airlines want photos of before to compare with after.

[geebee]

Wrapping your luggage coming from Columbia, Mexico, etc. is VERY SMART!! People putting illegal items (ie. drugs) in your luggage is NOT A MYTH!! DO IT to be safe.
On your luggage tags: write your job address, or church or synagogue address. Maybe even a big, strong relative that you know will be at home. NEVER put your home address on your luggage tag.
That's an invitation for a burglary.

[TKCTSTN]

I was given a good soft sider suitcase that was black. I put a bright pink shoelace, the curly no-tie kind, on the handle. The man next to me reached out to grab it off the carousel. I politely asked if he had a pink tie on the handle. He turned at least 5 shades of red but said nothing. And yes, I saw his was identical to mine.

[SeanSullivan]

I have a checked bag that has huge mural of Darth Vader on it (both sides). Definitely stands out. :)

[Ryan-dhrr]

One word of caution with saran wrap... if you're using luggage that is pretty generic in colour and design (black, grey, navy blue), do more than just tie a bright ribbon around the handles to distinguish it from all the other generic coloured luggage. The Saran wrap covers the handles making it harder to distinguish one generic luggage from another.

On my last international trip, another traveler took my luggage instead of theirs due to this. I was the last person standing at the carousel watching this other saran wrapped luggage go round and round that looked similar to mine but wasn't mine. I just knew some idiot didn't check when they took my luggage. And having to talk to the airport staff when I didn't know the language was painful (despite having roaming and a translator app installed).

It was lucky that my now father in law worked for customs and knew the airport's process for dealing with these things and I was able to get my luggage back within 24hrs.

I guess the moral of the story... don't buy generic looking luggage, or ensure that there are enough stickers/large name tags showing through the saran wrap that makes it obvious to someone that the luggage is not theirs.

[macforme]

"In 2009, a band called “Sons of Maxwell” released a song called “United Breaks Guitars.” The hit was made after a bandmember's guitar was damaged and United Airlines refused to pay for the damages." - WKRN Dave Carroll ( the victim) made a song and it went viral.

[WiseWomanLola]

I have a bright pink suitcase. Once I caught a man trying to take my luggage from the corral. I grabbed it from him and said it was mine. The nerve!

[jorgeosorio]

your wife is right about wrapping the laugage leaving Colombia. It is better to be safe than sorry. Thanks for the Video well done!