Solo Female Travel Safety Kit: 15 Things I Never Leave Without

I'm going to be honest about something most travel blogs won't say: solo female travel can be scary sometimes. Not always. Not even often. But there are moments, usually late at night in an unfamiliar city, where you feel very aware of the fact that you're alone.

Those moments are manageable. But only if you're prepared for them.

I've been backpacking solo for about 8 months now across Southeast Asia, South America, and Europe. I've had incredible experiences and maybe three genuinely sketchy ones. The difference between those going badly and going fine came down to preparation.

Here are the 15 things I never travel without. Starting with the most important one.

1. Reliable Phone Data (Non-Negotiable)

This is number one for a reason. Your phone with working data is your map, your translator, your ride-hailing app, your emergency contact tool, and your lifeline.

I use GOAN's eSIM because it works across 105+ countries and gives me a real phone number. That phone number part matters more than you think. In Chiang Mai, a girl in my dorm had a severe allergic reaction at 2am. I needed to call a hospital. A data-only eSIM would have been useless. I needed to actually dial a number.

Set up your eSIM before you leave home. If you've never done it before, GOAN has a step-by-step install guide that takes about 60 seconds.

2. Live Location Sharing (Always On)

My mum and my best friend Jess can see my location 24/7 through WhatsApp's live location feature. This runs in the background and doesn't use much data.

I update it every time I move to a new city. If anything ever happened to me, someone back home knows exactly where I was last seen. This isn't paranoia. It's just smart.

This only works if your phone has data, which is why #1 and #2 are connected.

3. A Doorstop Alarm

This was a tip from a girl I met in a hostel in Guatemala City. It's a small rubber doorstop with a built-in alarm that goes off if someone opens the door. Costs about $10, weighs nothing, and gives you peace of mind in any private room with a dodgy lock.

I've used it in budget guesthouses across three continents. Never had it go off. But knowing it's there lets me sleep.

4. Portable Phone Charger (20,000mAh Minimum)

A dead phone is an unsafe phone. I carry a 20,000mAh power bank that charges my iPhone about 4 times over. It lives in my day bag and I charge it every night.

The worst feeling is being lost in an unfamiliar area with 5% battery. Don't let it happen.

5. Offline Google Maps

Before I arrive in any new city, I download the Google Maps offline map for the entire area. This means even if my data drops out (rare with GOAN, but I've been in a few dead zones in rural areas), I can still navigate.

Download them over Wi-Fi the night before you travel. It takes about 2 minutes per city.

6. A Whistle

This sounds old-fashioned. It is old-fashioned. It also works. A loud whistle on your keychain or bag strap is one of the most effective deterrents against someone approaching you with bad intentions. The sound attracts attention, which is the last thing they want.

I've never had to use mine. I hope I never do. But it weighs literally nothing and costs $2.

7. Copies of Everything (Digital and Physical)

I have photos of my passport, visa pages, travel insurance policy, and emergency contacts saved in:

• My phone's camera roll
• A Google Drive folder
• A printed copy in my backpack (separate from the originals)

If my passport gets stolen, I can walk into an embassy with everything they need to help me.

8. A VPN

Not strictly a safety item, but public Wi-Fi in hostels and cafes is not secure. I use a VPN whenever I'm on shared Wi-Fi, especially for banking or anything involving passwords.

Having your own phone data via an eSIM reduces the need for public Wi-Fi, which is inherently safer. But when you do connect to shared networks, use a VPN.

9. Quick-Dry Towel That Doubles as a Cover-Up

Sounds like a packing item, not a safety item. But a sarong or quick-dry towel can be used to cover your shoulders at temples, wrap around yourself if you feel uncomfortable, or even as a makeshift curtain in a dorm bed.

Versatility is safety when you're living out of a backpack.

10. Cash in Multiple Places

I keep emergency cash in three locations: my wallet, a hidden pocket in my backpack, and a money belt I wear under my clothes in higher-risk areas. Usually USD or Euros, which are accepted almost everywhere in an emergency.

This saved me in Bolivia when my card got declined at an ATM and the next bank was two hours away.

11. A Reliable Translation App

Google Translate with offline language packs downloaded. When you need to communicate something urgent (medical issue, directions, "please leave me alone") and there's a language barrier, this is everything.

The conversation mode (where you speak and it translates in real-time) requires data. Another reason your phone connection matters.

12. Travel Insurance (With Emergency Evacuation)

I use World Nomads. It's not cheap, but it covers medical evacuation, which is the one thing you absolutely cannot afford to pay out of pocket. A medical evacuation from a remote area can cost $50,000+.

Keep your policy number in your phone and your digital copies folder.

13. A Headlamp

Practical safety. Hostels often have power cuts. Streets in some cities are poorly lit. Having a small headlamp (I use a $15 Petzl) means you can always see where you're going. Hands-free, lightweight, runs on a rechargeable battery.

14. Pad Locks (Bring Two)

Most hostels provide lockers. Very few provide locks. Bring two combination padlocks (not key locks, because you will lose the key). Use one for your locker and keep a spare for your backpack zippers when it's in storage.

15. A "Fake" Check-In Routine

This isn't a thing, it's a habit. When I arrive somewhere new, I message my mum with: the hostel name, my room number, and a photo of the building. Takes 30 seconds. Creates a record.

If I'm getting into a taxi or ride-share, I screenshot the driver's details and send them to Jess. Every time. It's become as automatic as putting on a seatbelt.

The Common Thread

If you look at this list, about half of it depends on your phone working. Maps, location sharing, translation, ride-hailing, emergency calls, digital document access. Without data, at least 7 of these 15 items become useless.

That's why I put connectivity at number one. Everything else builds on top of it.

Before my first solo trip, I had a full-blown anxiety attack at the airport. I was terrified. But I'd prepared. I had my eSIM set up, my maps downloaded, my location shared, my copies saved, and my doorstop alarm packed. The preparation didn't eliminate the fear. But it made it manageable.

Eight months later, I can't imagine living any other way.

Gear Summary

Total weight of safety gear: under 650g. Total cost: under $120 one-time plus $29/month for data. Worth every gram and every cent.

Get your GOAN eSIM before your trip

Mia Chen

22, backpacking the world one hostel at a time. Currently somewhere in Southern Europe.