How do you protect your stuff when staying at hotels?

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mjais

mjais

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Hi,
I have two city trips coming up, one to Oslo, the other to London.
I will take some pictures of the cities but also do a lot of wildlife because both offer great opportunities for birds, e.g. at the Oslo harbour or gulls along the Themes in London or deer and birds in Richmond Park.
Oslo also has a forest as part of the city and parks with approachable birds.
A third trip, to Madrid is coming in November, and 2025 I want to do a National Park and seabird trip to Norway and maybe go to the US (Yellowstone or CA or both.)

I plan to travel light and only bring the 24-120 and the 600PF and maybe the 100-400 Z for the deer in London or for Landscapes near Oslo.

I wanted to ask how you protect your stuff at the hotel.
One thing is insurance, but what else?
I've never had problems with hotels in 25 years of traveling but that doesn't mean it ain't gonna happen next time.

Most hotels have a safe but not big enough even for a notebook or a tablet in most cases.
My suitcase has a lock but everyone with some criminal energy can break into it.

I will probably carry my gear most of the time but I may decide to leave one or two lenses at the hotel or everything when I go for dinner in the evening.
And a notebook or tablet would also stay at the hotel.

In the past, I always left some stuff at the hotel, sometimes I could look the wardrobe or, in one case, even got a bigger safe, but that is not the rule, more the exception.

Any advice is welcome.

Markus
 
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I have not lost equipment during a hotel stay. I have frequently traveled with computers as well as camera equipment.

I am careful to remove obvious temptation. I will leave valuables stashed away out of view in a suitcase and sometimes buried under dirty laundry. In an extreme case I might leave valuables in a hotel safe.

I use a money belt when traveling abroad. I carry money, travelers checks and key identification documents such as a passport this way. I wear the money belt under clothes where it can not be easily reached.

A backpack in a crowded environment is vulnerable. Pickpockets can get into the bags without your being aware. I watch my backpack closely often holding it in front of me where I can observe closely. When traveling with someone we watch out for each others’ bags.

Vehicles are especially vulnerable, I try to leave nothing valuable unattended in a vehicle and certainly nothing visible.
 
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wotan1 said:
I have not lost equipment during a hotel stay. I have frequently traveled with computers as well as camera equipment.

I am careful to remove obvious temptation. I will leave valuables stashed away out of view in a suitcase and sometimes buried under dirty laundry. In an extreme case I might leave valuables in a hotel safe.

I use a money belt when traveling abroad. I carry money, travelers checks and key identification documents such as a passport this way. I wear the money belt under clothes where it can not be easily reached.

A backpack in a crowded environment is vulnerable. Pickpockets can get into the bags without your being aware. I watch my backpack closely often holding it in front of me where I can observe closely. When traveling with someone we watch out for each others’ bags.

Vehicles are especially vulnerable, I try to leave nothing valuable unattended in a vehicle and certainly nothing visible.
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Thanks, that makes sense. Good to hear that you had no problem with hotels.

I will bring y Nya-Evo 36 Fjord backpack. It may look more like a backpackers backpack to some. Maybe someone will think it contains mostly stinking laundry :)
More important, it opens against my back. I think for a thief it would be hard to take out a lens or a camera without me noticing it.
It has two smaller compartments at the top that are easier to open, I will make sure not to put anything expensive in there.
Oslo should be very safe, London and Madrid are mostly, too. I've been to Madrid many times. But even locals warned me against pickpockets, so I will be extra careful.
 
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mjais said:
Hi,
I have two city trips coming up, one to Oslo, the other to London.
I will take some pictures of the cities but also do a lot of wildlife because both offer great opportunities for birds, e.g. at the Oslo harbour or gulls along the Themes in London or deer and birds in Richmond Park.
Oslo also has a forest as part of the city and parks with approachable birds.
A third trip, to Madrid is coming in November, and 2025 I want to do a National Park and seabird trip to Norway and maybe go to the US (Yellowstone or CA or both.)

I plan to travel light and only bring the 24-120 and the 600PF and maybe the 100-400 Z for the deer in London or for Landscapes near Oslo.

I wanted to ask how you protect your stuff at the hotel.
One thing is insurance, but what else?
I've never had problems with hotels in 25 years of traveling but that doesn't mean it ain't gonna happen next time.

Most hotels have a safe but not big enough even for a notebook or a tablet in most cases.
My suitcase has a lock but everyone with some criminal energy can break into it.

I will probably carry my gear most of the time but I may decide to leave one or two lenses at the hotel or everything when I go for dinner in the evening.
And a notebook or tablet would also stay at the hotel.

In the past, I always left some stuff at the hotel, sometimes I could look the wardrobe or, in one case, even got a bigger safe, but that is not the rule, more the exception.

Any advice is welcome.

Markus
Click to expand...
Over many years of domestic and international travel I’ve never had electronic gear of any kind (cameras, lenses, laptops, tablets, A/V equipment, etc) stolen from my hotel room. Any gear left in my hotel room while I’m away is locked in my suitcases and I try not to leave indication that there are valuables there.

I have had gear stolen from the trunk of a car and colleagues have had gear taken from them both openly and surreptitiously while out and about. This has happened in the United States and in Europe. In my experience that’s the bigger risk.

Regardless, all your gear should be fully insured so that it can be replaced if needed.
 
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Like others, I have never had anything stolen from a hotel room (40 years of travel). However, my camera gear is usually with me (unless I am going to the hotel restaurant for lunch or dinner). Two things I do that may help? One is to try to stay at hotels that have rooms only accessible from inside and not from the outside of the building (though I have not always done this). Other is I always leave the "do not disturb" sign hanging from the door, even if I am out for the day. That maybe makes people think I am in the room? At the very least it keeps housekeeping out because I don't need newly washed bedsheets and towels every day - I certainly don't wash them daily at home.
 
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Apart from insurance, you could buy a security cable lock for the 600 PF and secure it to an immovable object. Then place the other lenses in the safe. It won't eliminate the risk, though it will mitigate it. Anything with a zipper can be easily defeated with a pen, so locking your pack will be of minimal deterrence. There are some theft resistant, lockable duffle like bags, which can be locked to an immovable object though they too can be defeated by a motivated individual. Having traveled everywhere around the world, I try to keep things with me if possible or apply some measure of precaution. If you're that worried, you could see if the hotel has a central safe, though I think that calls more attention than stashing things in dirty underwear.
 
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rick_reno said:
When going out I’ve put what I’m not carrying in a backpack and left it with the desk clerk. Most hotels have a room where they store bags, I haven’t lost anything yet.
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I agree with this suggestion. Hotels maintain high security over guests’ checked luggage. Many times I check out of a hotel in the morning but have things to do during the day. It has always been safe to check my bags and pick them up later when I am ready to leave.

For most of my travel I also tended to travel light, with one wheeled carry on bag plus one backpack. This meant I avoided having to check bags at the airport. It also allowed me to bring my bags with me to meetings.

Finally I agree with the recommendation to use the do not disturb sign on the hotel room door. Hotel staff will not open doors with do not disturb signs in place.
 
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Well, it all depends indeed what kind of place you stay in. Holiday resorts in Spain will advice their guests to keep everything behind lock & key and with good reason. The will even tell you that the cleaning crew cannot be trusted. A colleague had in a span of half an hour lots of smallish amounts going from his CC and that was all happening when he went for breakfast and left his wallet in the room. Most web shops are equally obscure and differ just with 1 or 2 letters from the real thing hoping the scammed person doesn't notice it.

I have left my backpack with lots of expensive gear in my hotel room (Thailand, Türkiye, most countries in the Middle East, ...) but I will indeed at those moments hang the DND sign on my door.
 
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I use several strategies for gear left in the room.
  • I separate the gear and electronics in my room so it is not all in one place or obvious with a quick visit. It likely reduces the potential for loss. Even an item in a drawer is hidden by clothing.
  • Leave the camera bag for the item empty if it stays in the room. It implies the guest has taken the camera gear with them.
  • When outside on the street don't carry all your gear - only what you really will use. Traveling lighter makes you more mobile and more alert. If you are overloaded you are a target.
  • Be courteous or friendly to hotel staff. They have a tendency to look more closely after people they like. Plus - it's just being nice.
  • No logos for expensive gear. Cover camera brand names with gaffer tape and don't use Nikon straps.
 
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My son works as a manager at a well-known global hotel chain. He said it's common to hear of things being stolen from a guest's room. In these days of labor shortages for jobs such as hotel housekeeping, there is a growing problem with bad people slipping past the vetting and getting hired. They are let go when caught stealing, but that doesn't help the theft victim.

It's awesome that many have not had an issue over many decades, but times are changing and past good luck may not remain good in the future. Perhaps the situation is better in Europe than in the USA, but I believe your caution is warranted.

Eric's advice above is excellent, as is the suggestion to leave things with the front desk (especially if you have been courteous at check-in), and using the "do not disturb" sign (dishonest employees have been known to disregard it, but it usually helps). I also am not shy about bringing a small camera bag to a restaurant - one can pop it under the table discretely, and keep an eye on it. There's no ideal solution, but a key part of the solution is being aware and careful!
 
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I'd echo what someone else said about rental cars, especially if you are traveling to the Bay area of California. Smash and grab robberies are commonplace. My sister parked in front of a medical center after arriving from the airport and had her suitcase stolen within 1/2 hour.

There have been a few incidents of thieves waiting for birders to return from prime Bay area birding spots to their cars in the parking lot. After the people put their cameras, binoculars and spotting scopes into the car, the thieves pulled in behind them and smashed their back windows and grabbed their gear.

Tourist areas of SF are particularly hard hit.

I think thefts from parked rental vehicles are more common here than thefts in hotels. Certainly don't bring gear and leave in the vehicle that you are afraid to leave in the hotel, it's probably safer back in your room or stashed with hotel security, as others have mentioned.
 
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Last few times I have traveled they did not clean my room and no one was within the room other than me. Used to be they cleaned daily. I leave my laptop in the room, take the gear with me. Never had a problem.
I'm going to the rally in Sturgis SD Friday (8-2) for a week, I should rethink this. Maybe been lucky that I have had nothing stolen.
 
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So far, never had stuff stolen from a hotel in the many countries I have been to. I put the valuables in the safe when it is large enough, which in most cases it is. Where I am concerned about security or the safe isn't big enough, I take my gear with me every time I go out, even to a restaurant or cafe. Lately, I have taken this with me as an added option for security, Pacsafe mesh protection - I have a 55lt and 85lt version. I encapsulate my camera backpack with the mesh and then padlock it to an immoveable object in the room.
int.pacsafe.com

85L anti-theft backpack & bag protector

Featuring our patented eXomesh locking system, this adjustable high-tensile stainless steel locking device is designed to protect a variety of bags. Winner of the Backpacker Magazine's Editors' Choice Award!.
int.pacsafe.com int.pacsafe.com

The mesh protector can be used in your car as well, just loop it through the seat anchor or whatever and they won't be able to steal your gear unless they steal the car, or bring bolt cutters or grinder.

Pacsafe also have other security bags etc so, you can use a bag with embedded wire mesh and locking and then strap that to an immoveable object in the room.
 
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I don’t bring large bulky lenses for travel and prefer a more compact kit that can go with me everywhere in a small sling bag. That never leaves my body and can be worn in the front easily for more suspect areas. If I do leave electronics in a hotel it’s always out of sight in a bag or behind cloths in a drawer or something not super obvious, I’ve never had anything stolen. Another good strategy is to leave the do not disturb up and if you want the room cleaned take your gear with you that day. I would worry much more about leaving items in a car than a hotel room.

If you do have to leave something in a car, if it fits use the spare tire compartment, or other compartments in the rear as most have those now, or at minimum under the seats and out of view from all angles. Most are looking for a backpack in a seat or cargo area for a quick smash and grab.

My latest trip was to Peru and I used my Zf with small lenses all over including in Lima. No issues, but I would NOT be running around with bright white L lenses if it is a sketchy area. At least the Zf looks like an old film camera and nobody’s after that.
 
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Maybe I’ve been lucky but I haven’t had any problem internationally or locally in hotels, parks, or other. I always use situational awareness and am careful about where I go and what I do. It’s been my observation, and what I’ve read, that you’re more at risk when you’re distracted or lost in the moment or present an easy mark/opportunity. Even so, the odds are always overwhelmingly in your favor unless you’re being careless.
 
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I don't travel a lot but the last few times I've use an Air B n B or VRBO. They may be safer places to leave gear than a hotel room. In addition, I will take my camera memory cards with me even if I leave the cameras behind. The pictures and memories on them are often far more valuable to me than the gear used to record them.
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