Post: #1

Greetings fellow travelers

I'll be leaving the states soon to become an expat. It's such a fascinating and exciting time right now for me not knowing what the future holds for me. All the fun, adventure, good and bad times that I'll experience. Don't really have any plans set in stone yet. Just spending the winter months in South America. After that, just take it day by day.

Probably plan my schedule around the weather. May- Sept. eastern Europe. Oct. - Feb. South America and the Caribbean. Mar. - Apr. Asia.

One problem I'm having trouble with is figuring out a home base to keep all my important documents. Birth certificate, last 5 years tax returns, etc..Also, cash I do not want the government to know about.

I'm currently making money off rental properties. This is the money I plan on living off of. Plus, a 20 year pension when I turn 65.

After watching a Jason Bourne movie and the movie The Saint. I noticed that they keep there important items in airport lockers. Thinking maybe have two. One in eastern Europe and one in asia. What do you guys think? Good idea or would you go with safety deposit boxes?

Post: #2

Ideally I'd select an airport in Europe that way you do not need to board a plane to retrieve your important items if your passport does get lost/stolen.

Kinda like a bugout bag and bug out stash.
It should be near enough that you can get to it if there's no motor vehicles available and you want to keep a low profile while avoid people trying to kill you/police/crazy ex-gf.

Post: #3

I don't know about you but, it ain't cheap to store stuff in airport lockers.

http://www.heathrow.com/airport-guide/te...ft-baggage

5 Pounds a day after 72 hours at london heathrow

it'd be cheaper and easier to find small storage near an airport for a lot less. You can probably find something for a few small bags for 40$/mo or less

Post: #4

If it isn't a lot of stuff, you could keep it at a friend's place, in exchange for drinks or meals. If you need to do something with the stuff while you're away, the friend could do it.

Another option is hotels. Google it, but I've read on-line that some travelers basically keep caches at hotels in different cities.

Post: #5

Safety deposit box in a bank! They have different sizes. Just like Jason Born in one of the movies! A gun, cash,different passports.

Post: #6

(10-12-2016 03:58 AM)Wayout Wrote:  Safety deposit box in a bank! They have different sizes. Just like Jason Born in one of the movies! A gun, cash,different passports.

Someones been watching too many movies. Safety deposit box, period.
Airport locker, LMMFAO.

Post: #7

It depends on the airport. For example Schiphol airport has a basement airport locker storage area with electronic keypad locks. Quite secure and has surveillance, it costs about 7 euro/day, so it adds up.

There are companies that also store with weekly/monthly fees that are self storage and has cctv (do some research), so no one will know what you will be depositing and you don't need to lodge any documents with the bank. Just order the locker online and go in with your pincode and store your shit.

Post: #8

Safety deposit box @ a bank for sure. If the items are valuable
you also might want to scan them to keep digital copies just in
case you need them from afar.

I would back up all important data to the cloud to keep accessible
wherever you go.

(10-11-2016 10:07 PM)Schlep Wrote:  Greetings fellow travelers

I'll be leaving the states soon to become an expat. It's such a fascinating and exciting time right now for me not knowing what the future holds for me. All the fun, adventure, good and bad times that I'll experience. Don't really have any plans set in stone yet. Just spending the winter months in South America. After that, just take it day by day.

Probably plan my schedule around the weather. May- Sept. eastern Europe. Oct. - Feb. South America and the Caribbean. Mar. - Apr. Asia.

One problem I'm having trouble with is figuring out a home base to keep all my important documents. Birth certificate, last 5 years tax returns, etc..Also, cash I do not want the government to know about.

I'm currently making money off rental properties. This is the money I plan on living off of. Plus, a 20 year pension when I turn 65.

After watching a Jason Bourne movie and the movie The Saint. I noticed that they keep there important items in airport lockers. Thinking maybe have two. One in eastern Europe and one in asia. What do you guys think? Good idea or would you go with safety deposit boxes?

Post: #9

you want something better than a luggage locker, like a safety deposit box.

In Europe and probably some of the wealthier Asian countries like Hong Kong and Singapore, there are stand alone safety deposit boxes that are not affiliated with banks. I think Via Mat is one, if they are still around. I think they were in the film The Davinci Code. I have never used one but would look into it.

the airport is going to be more expensive and less secure. bank is better, but then you are subject to bank holidays and government intervention into bank activities. the standalone companies are less regulated which is better from a privacy point of view, albeit potentially riskier from the point of view that they might fail or rip you off.

finally, think about what percent of luggage in those lockers gets lost or stolen? If you use it as long-term storage, that percentage is really going to shoot up.

Post: #10

I've left luggage, documents, and computers in airport and train station lockers in a few different countries, and I have never had any bad experiences, but I only do this for one or two days at a time. I think as long as you're discreet, the only real problem is that they are super expensive for long term storage. In contrast, you can get a safe deposit box for like $30 a year. Also, it would suck to leave items behind and return a year later, only to find that that wing of the airport was remodeled four months after you left.

Aside from that, you could probably pop everything into a Ziploc bag and mortar it into a brick retaining wall or hide it in a hole drilled lengthwise in a 2x4 that you nail to a stud within your bedroom wall. Not fireproof but if you truly trust nobody then obviously a bank vault won't do.

Post: #11

Thanks for all the replies guys. Looks like safety deposit boxes are the least expensive and best option to use. Also, I didn't realize you could get different sizes.