Tip #1 Keep your valuables on you

Backpackers can be the lowest, dirtiest, and underhanded people, they can also be generous and fun, but it never hurts to keep your friends close, and your passport closer.

I first learned this by getting some young Koreans robbed.

I'd arrived in Berlin on my first solo backpacking trip, full to the brim with excitement, optimism, and ignorance. I waltzed into the hostel, and up to my room, followed by a short dark, middle eastern looking man, who followed me to my door smiling. I held the door for him. People never check people once they're in hostels.

The man sat on one of the beds and made conversation, repeatedly trying to oust me from the room. I went to sleep. He went to work. A few hours later I was woken by a young Korean girl, asking where my friend was. I didn't know who he was, why?

Well he'd taken, their phones, spare cash, a laptop, and some other things. They weren't too happy with me.

Now years later, dozens of countries, and hundreds of hostels in my belt, I no longer feel guilty about that. Because what kind of idiot, leaves their phone and laptop, out, in a hostel, in the centre of Berlin, when there are lockers in the room.

Well, I do, all the time, in fact every time I travel with my laptop I inevitably just leave it stashed under my bed. Not the point though!

Nothing ruins a trip faster than having to constantly be checking for you valuables, except turning around and realising those valuables are gone.

Which is why I live by a simple rule when I'm overseas, everything I need, I keep in my pockets. Which is why I can happily waltz up to a Marshrutka in Central Asia, dump my bag in the front seat, and wander off for some food, because if my bag gets ransacked, or taken, all I've lost are clothes, books, and food. Irritating, but not the end of my trip.

"You're crazy"

I've heard, but the idea of having to lug my pack with me everywhere will I can find a secure spot for it seems like hell to me. So in my pockets I keep, my wallet with 200USD in cash, my passport, my phone. For the life of me I don't get people who leave their passports in their bags.

If I lose my passport I want to be the first person to know about it.

In my bag I'll keep 100 - 200 USD or AUD spare cash stashed somewhere just in case. But other than that, my valuables are in my pockets, and I try never to carry a laptop.

Every time I see some fresh eyed kid clutching their 70L hiking pack, like it's their last possession in the world, eyeing everybody who comes near them, I feel tremendous relief that my 30L backpack is stashed in my primo front seat, that I reserved, with my backpack, and I no longer have to care about it.