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Personal Infosec

A lie is a false statement made by one, to another who is entitled to hear and know the truth and which false statement tends toward injury to the other.

~JJ.lune

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Whether to Lie or not, with only a few exceptions, is a moral issue. This means everyone has to make their own decision on when it is acceptable to lie. Of course with the few exceptions, when telling a lie is in fact illegal.

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This applies to protecting your personal information when in person and on the internet and in this day and age your personal infosec is also your physical security.

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Does the random person on the subway that started talking to you need to know where you were born, how old you are, where you live, or where you work?

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Is this person just a friendly commuter looking for conversation? are they a corporate spy looking for info on a project at your work? or maybe they are a criminal deciding if you are a worthy target or not. The point is you can’t always tell a persons intentions from a single meeting

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I am not saying lie to every one who strikes up conversation with you but take precautions and be more vague in your answers until you get to the know the person. Trust but verify.

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JJ Luna gives an example of his personal guide lines that he follows in his book How to be invisible.

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1. If no harm will be done, and no oath is sworn he gives false information.

2. If an oath is sworn or to be sworn he does not lie.

3. He MAY withhold or not volunteer info to government representatives unless specifically asked depending on the situation but he will not lie.

4.Under no condition whatsoever will he file a false tax return.

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This covers most in person interactions but your infosec also applies to more passive situations where you’re not being directly interacted with but simply leave info laying around.

Few people realize how much information about themselves they leave lying around.

This is the bumper stickers, Parking permits on your windshield, the Stickers on your laptop, food wrappers on your floorboards, trash in garbage cans, and info on your face book (not just your profile but in your captions and comments).

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From just a persons car you could glean where someone works or lives, where they like to eat, where their kids go to school, political affiliations just to name a few.

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These details can all be used to decide whether or not to target you or develop a plan to target you or your family if they have already made the decision to do so.

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Most people will say there is no reason to target me or some other form of it will never happen to me. Which statistically may be true, but if something happens and you end up on the wrong side of those stats and you haven’t taken precautions then it’s already too late.

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You witness a crime, you cut off the wrong person in traffic, someone begins stalking you or simply being a wealthier than average individual. All are situations that the average person can find them selves in and have led to people being targeted for one crime or another. So make sure to make it as hard as possible for people to get the information about you.

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How to set up a basic secure Browser

 

As we all should know most websites track or try to track just about everything you do. Some browsers make this easier, some make it harder and some just track you themselves. There are a couple good options to combat this threat. You have the easy ok option for the less tech savvy and the more hands on better option of setting up their own browser for those who are a little more tech savvy. (honestly you type words into a bar and click a button)

The out of the box easy option is called brave browser. It is a free and open-source web browser developed by Brave Software. Brave is based on the Chromium web browser and it blocks ads and trackers. This is good for anyone who doesn’t want to mess around in the settings for a little bit and just download and go. However it is not the best set up.

The better set up involves Firefox which a lot of people use already and all you have to do is go tweak a few settings and edit the config file. This involves going down a list and entering text into a search bar and then changing the proper setting that by either entering text or clicking a button. It is really not that difficult provided you have a moderate attention to detail. You will also need to install some additional add ons to make this setup complete but we will cover those in the near future.

Both of these options are not complete and total solutions if you are looking to regain your privacy but they are a good step in the right direction to dam the flood of information that pours out of our systems that everyone it seems is trying to track.

DISCLAIMER: Anything you do with the information in this post is at your own risk, I am not responsible for anything that happens to your computer or browser. As you increase your privacy you also increase the need for your own personal responsibility. I have personally done this multiple times with no issue so as long as you stick to the directions, make sure your changing the right settings and don’t mess with anything else you should be fine but again you do this at your own risk. Now that that is out of the way Lets get on with it,

Preparation:

(If you have not downloaded it yet download and install Firefox.)

You will start with the basic settings by going to the preferences section, and changing some or all of the following settings depending on your comfort level, and desire for privacy.

  1. In the general tab scroll down to the browsing section and make sure to UNCHECK “Recommend extensions as you browse” and “recommend features as you browse”
  2. In the home options change you home page and new windows and new tabs to “blank page” in the drop down menus.
  3. Now in the search options change your default search engine to either duckduckgo or startpage and then remove the others from the options. Then UNCHECK “provide search suggestions”
  4. Next under the privacy and security options select the “strict” under content blocking.
    1. CHECK “delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed”
    2. UNCHECK “ask to save logins and passwords for websites”
    3. Change history settings to “Firefox will use custom settings for history”
      1. UNCHECK “Remember browsing and download history”
      2. CHECK “Clear history when Firefox closes”
      3. DO NOT CHECK the box “always use private browsing mode” (This will break Firefox containers which we will cover in an article on add ons)
    4. In the Address bar section UNCHECK “Browsing History”
    5. In the permissions section you will need to click “Settings” next to Location, Camera, Microphone, and Notifications. Inside each you will need to CHECK “block new requests”
    6. Make sure all boxes under “Firefox Data Collection and Use” are UNCHECKED.
    7. Under “Deceptive Content and Dangerous Software Protection” UNCHECK all options.
      1. DISCLAIMER: This will leave you more exposed to “undesired software attacks” but this stops Firefox from sending your browsing history to third party organizations. This is where another instance where personal responsibility plays a roll. You have to decide what you are comfortable with.

Once that is done you can either stop there of continue on for further privacy and security enhancements.

 

If you wish to continue

  1. Enter “about:config” in the Firefox address bar and press enter. (remove the quotes)
  2. Press the button “Accept the risk and continue”
  3. Follow the instructions below… (keep in mind some may be on the correct setting already but it is good to check each one)

It is not required that you change all of these settings if your particular situation requires any of these settings but the more you change the more secure your browser will be.

Getting started:

  1. privacy.firstparty.isolate = true
    1. isolates all browser identifier sources (e.g. cookies) to the first party domain, with the goal of preventing tracking across different domains. (Don’t do this if you are using the Firefox Addon “Cookie AutoDelete”
  2. privacy.resistFingerprinting = true
    1. This preference makes Firefox more resistant to browser fingerprinting.
  3. privacy.trackingprotection.enabled = true
    1. This is Mozilla’s new built in tracking protection.
  4. browser.cache.offline.enable = false
    1. Disables offline cache.
  5. browser.safebrowsing.malware.enabled = false
    1. Disable Google Safe Browsing malware checks. Security risk, but privacy improvement.
  6. browser.safebrowsing.phishing.enabled = false
    1. Disable Google Safe Browsing and phishing protection. Security risk, but privacy improvement.
  7. browser.send_pings = false
    1. The attribute would be useful for letting websites track visitors’ clicks.
  8. browser.sessionstore.max_tabs_undo = 0
    1. Even with Firefox set to not remember history, your closed tabs are stored temporarily at Menu -> History -> Recently Closed Tabs. The number is how many tabs it temporarily stores Set this at your own discretion.
  9. browser.urlbar.speculativeConnect.enabled = false
    1. Disable preloading of autocomplete URLs. Firefox preloads URLs that autocomplete when a user types into the address bar, which is a concern if URLs are suggested that the user does not want to connect too.
  10. dom.battery.enabled = false
    1. Website owners can track the battery status of your device.
  11. dom.event.clipboardevents.enabled = false
    1. Disable that websites can get notifications if you copy, paste, or cut something from a web page, and it lets them know which part of the page had been selected.
  12. geo.enabled = false
    1. Disables geolocation (in browser only)
  13. media.navigator.enabled = false
    1. Websites can track the microphone and camera status of your device.
  14. network.cookie.cookieBehavior = 1
    1. Disable cookies

0 = Accept all cookies by default

1 = Only accept from the originating site (block third party cookies)

2 = Block all cookies by default

  1. network.cookie.lifetimePolicy = 2
    1. cookies are deleted at the end of the session

0 = Accept cookies normally

1 = Prompt for each cookie

2 = Accept for current session only

3 = Accept for N days

  1. network.http.referer.trimmingPolicy = 2
    1. Send only the scheme, host, and port in the Referrer header

0 = Send the full URL in the Referrer header

1 = Send the URL without its query string in the Referrer header

2 = Send only the scheme, host, and port in the Referrer header

  1. network.http.referer.XOriginPolicy = 2
    1. Only send Referrer header when the full hostnames match. (Note: if you notice significant breakage, you might try 1 combined with an XOriginTrimmingPolicy tweak below.)

0 = Send Referrer in all cases

1 = Send Referrer to same eTLD sites

2 = Send Referrer only when the full hostnames match

  1. webgl.disabled = true
    1. WebGL is a potential security risk.
  2. browser.sessionstore.privacy_level = 2
    1. This preference controls when to store extra information about a session: contents of forms, scrollbar positions, cookies, and POST data. more information

0 = Store extra session data for any site. (Default starting with Firefox 4.)

1 = Store extra session data for unencrypted (non-HTTPS) sites only. (Default before Firefox 4.)

2 = Never store extra session data.

  1. network.IDN_show_punycode = true
    1. Not rendering IDNs as their punycode equivalent leaves you open to phishing attacks that can be very difficult to notice.
  2. Network.trr.mode = 2
    1. This will be used with encrypted DNS
  3. network.security.esni.enabled = True
    1. also for encrypted DNS
  4. extensions.pocket.enabled = False
    1. This disables the proprietary pocket service.

These all have to do with limiting the risk of leaking your IP address

  1. Media.peerconnection.enabled = False
  2. Media.peerconnection.turn.disable = True
  3. Media.peerconnection.use_document_iceservers = False
  4. Media.peerconnection.video.enabled = False

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Notebooks as a Tool

The pocket notebook has become quite popular these last few years and even more so the travelers notebook. (basically a larger version some times used as a wallet)

Some find the Cult of the moleskin or midori distasteful But the pocket notebook has a long, important history used by men such as Thomas Jefferson and Da Vinci, so don’t let the pocket notebook’s current status keep you from using one yourself. Even some note cards clipped together or some paper folded over will get you started.

No man be he a scout, explorer or soldier should go into the woods without a notebook and hard lead pencil.

~Daniel Carter Beard

The most basic and essential function of the pocket notebook is to provide a place to capture the ideas and important information that come up throughout the day. You may get a business idea, hear a quote you wish to record, maybe you need to jot down the license plates of a suspicious vehicle that seems to be following you and your principle or you want to take notes from a book you’re reading. Most people would use their notes app and while there are some benefits to that the main weakness is without electricity they will eventually go dark, plus the simple act of writing on paper will improve your memory retention greatly compared to typing on a keyboard.

Even though you feel sure in the moment that you’ll be able to remember these thoughts when you get back, every one of us has experienced the agony of realizing that no amount of mental gymnastics can bring it back after that info is lost.

They can also be used for brainstorming sessions, a place to write down and review personal goals, To do lists, cheat sheets, frequency plans, or maybe just

a place to doodle when you’re stuck on a long layover.

Travel notebooks being larger also offer a place to carry maps, cash, cards, calendar, tickets, passports if you must not have it on your person. business cards and other odds and ends.

They are a great place to write down the destination research you conducted before departure such as important local phone numbers and addresses you looked up before traveling such as to local police departments, hospitals, the local embassy or consulate as well as to keep track of your adventures as you go.

PS Not only is a note book an off line tool and cannot be hacked remotely, the slight hipster factor may work in your favor as far as appearances go and not standing out.

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How to use a passport for privacy

The passport if an often overlooked basic privacy tool because of the lengthy form and process it takes to get one. This is a mistake. To start off the government already has the info required for you to get one on file somewhere so there is no new info being thrown out. As well, If you are instituting a comprehensive privacy plan then at least some if not most of this info is likely to change in the near future anyway. There is a little bit of a wait and I am not sure what that wait is like due to all the shit in the last year but the wait is normally not that bad and is worth the Benefits the passport provides.

There is a hand full of benefits of obtaining a passport. The most obvious of which is international travel. At least for now this is all you need to travel to most places(at least from your own gov. Visas and other requirements maybe needed for certain countries) However that is likely to change in the near future but we shall see how that plays out.

Now forgetting privacy for a moment just as an emergency/spontinitity preparation its good to have your passport in hand. It could be your buddy drops by and want to take spontaneous trip to Mexico, (though I would try to talk them out of that one) or maybe you have relatives out of country, one of them passes away ad you need to get to the funeral. If you don’t have your passport you may be out of luck if you don’t have adequate heads up.

Now when you fill out the application you should also have the option to get a passport card which fits in your wallet. I personally have not had one but others have made the case for them. As a day to day ID this is likely to be more convenient. It will however not work for international travel in most if not all cases However a passport and passport card are Government issued ID, and must be accepted under any circumstances that requires you prove you’r identity with a gov. Issue ID. The main exception for most people to this will be driving but there may be some others where a specific license is required.

Now the most notable benefit for privacy is that your home address is not present on your passport, in fact no address is, or even a city, unlike most drivers license. Some states do allow Po Boxes on your drivers license and some put your mailing address but they are the exceptions to the rule. However why use an ID that shows any address when you can use one that shows none?

As you will learn more in future articles your home address is the single most important piece of personal information you need to protect. This is the precise location you and your family lay your head down at night and are most vulnerable. Sadly this is probably the hardest piece of information to protect. Using a passport is one step towards this goal and keeps anyone that you have to show your ID to or anyone who may come to posses your ID from being able to learn where you live to later target you.

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To Tell a Lie

A lie is a false statement made by one, to another who is entitled to hear and know the truth and which false statement tends toward injury to the other.

~JJ.lune

Whether to Lie or not, with only a few exceptions, is a moral issue. This means everyone has to make their own decision on when it is acceptable to lie. Of course with the few exceptions, when telling a lie is in fact illegal.

This mainly applies to your personal information security which in this day and age can also be your physical security. Does the random person on the subway that started talking to you need to know where you were born, how old you are, where you live, where you work, how many kids you have and that you were just promoted to a new project at work?

Is this person just a friendly commuter looking for conversation? or are they a corporate spy looking for info on this new project that they can exploit or maybe they saw your suit and nice watch and want to know where to you live to steal your stuff.

The point is you can’t always tell a persons intentions from a single meeting and I get it most people naturally want to open up and after generations of cultural pressure feel un comfortable lying or even not telling the full story. This can be used to your advantage if you are the one gathering the information but be careful if you are on the revealing end.

I am not saying lie to every one who strikes up conversation with you but maybe be more vague in your answers until you get to the know the person. Trust but verify.

If you are having moral hesitations ask yourself these questions and it light put you at more ease. is there a benefit or a risk to revealing this information and does telling them make you safer or less so?

JJ Luna gives an example of his personal guide lines that he follows in his book How to be invisible.

1. If no harm will be done, and no oath is sworn he gives false information.

2. If an oath is sworn or to be sworn he does not lie.

3. He MAY withhold or not volunteer info to government representatives unless specifically asked depending on the situation but he will not lie.

4.Under no condition whatsoever will he file a false tax return.

These are easily applied in person and can be used for your digital life as well. I have however modified these rules as these days its not so much about giving false info as it is about giving varied info, having sets of information for different purposes and making sure these sets don’t cross over with one another( thats the hardest part) I will cover this in more detail in a future post.

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End to end encrypted messengers

If you want to make sure your communication is private(which shouldn’t even been an if) you need to use encrypted platforms that are zero knowledge. With that ideally this platform would also be open source and decentralized but there are none worth mentioning to my knowledge at this point.

End to end encryption means the out side world cant eavesdrop on your communications zero knowledge end to end encryption means the company or organization running them cant see what you’re saying either. Most companies and organizations encryption are protecting your communications from out side eavesdropping but they leave them selves access so they can still eavesdrop for moderation or marketing research. This also leave the door open for the rouge employee to eavesdrop on conversations for personal gain. In some extreme cases for espionage when the platform is funded by a foreign intelligence service or a rival company.

I recommend wire messenger primarily, I personally have had the best experience with them and a lot of professionals that I trust and have researched the code, and company it self a lot harder than I am able to have checked them out and recommend them as well.

The down sides to wire can easily be overcome. For instance the fact that you need to use an email or phone number to sign up. While this could be a sticking point for some but for most it’s not a big deal and for those seeking more privacy there are ways around it using a more full coverage privacy plan.

An alternative that I recommend and also keep on my devices as a back up is signal messenger. (this is also required to use the haven security app) Signal does requires a phone number.

Below you will find a link to a comparison table of the different “Secure” messengers on the market and how they rate on different important topics. As you will see there is no perfect platform yet and you will have to look at the best options and choose based on where you are willing to make your concessions.

Weaknesses

Full Disclosure: No App or platform is full proof, I have seen a few articles today about flaws in signals programing that allow outsiders to intercept messages as well some shadiness of its initial start up funding and developers. While I cannot personally confirm or refute this information about funding we have to take this information into consideration as well as the possibilities of it being misinformation/corporate espionage (to drive away users) as well.

Now as far as the Flaw goes, there is a New York firearms trafficking case where they appear to show signal messages from the suspects. The articles about this flaw are written in a click baity tone that implies the messages are being intercepted (wirelessly). From my understanding this is false.

Not only does the FBI appear to be in possession of the Phones in which case all bets are off any way, this appears to be a flaw in phones security that allows them to crack the phones encryption and unlock it and therefore they can access signal through the phone owners account.

This is not just the FBI there are many private individuals and obviously companies with the know how and tech to do this as well if they physically posses your phone. Keep this in mind if you are a targeted individual such as an investigator, operator, company executive, head of security, celebrity or just a wealthier than most individual.

The best counter to this threat is to ensure physical security of your device, if they allow an app pin or pass word turn it on, and make sure the self deleting messages is turned on in which ever app you use. It would have saved tiger woods and it can save you too. All jokes a side self deleting messages will limit the amount of messages and information that can be gathered by anyone who posses your phone and manages to get it unlock.

We are currently developing our free email course and hope to have it live soon. Email content will simultaneously posted into a messenger group(along with some group only content that we are starting as well. We are currently testing multiple platforms to see which will work best but as we recommend people use it, we are planning for it to be on wire. So stay tuned for the launch notification post that will explain it in detail.

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Operating in the Dark

The draw back of the dark is pretty obvious…. it is dark and you cannot see as well. There are however some things that you are able to do to compensate at least partially. And while there is downsides to the dark, there are some benefits too if you know what you’re doing.

For starters when you’re standing in the light you cannot see into the dark, but when you’re standing in the dark you can see into the light. This can give you obvious advantages in escape and evasion in both urban and rural environments.

Now the obvious way to over come the dark is Night Vision Tech, and while some of the cheaper stuff is getting better, for the most part, quality night vision is outside the budget for most people.

During the gulf wars many long range recon units learned that they stand out with night vision and when they stopped using it their natural night vision actually improved to a decent level where is was not as hindering as they thought it would be.

There is a list of supplements that one source or another says can improve your night vision. They can be found with a startpage search with little effort but as I am not a doctor or have any experience with it personally I am not going to include them here. We are going to focus on tactics and behaviors that you can use instead.

First off prepare your eyes by allowing it to relax and slowly transition to the dark. This can either be done naturally and just being outside as the sun goes down (don’t use any artificial light) or sit a quite darker place than the one that you are currently in. Another option is to cover your eyes with something for a few minutes before heading into the dark. While doing the above you can also gently massage you’re closed eyes to help them relax.

Now once you have got your eyes relaxed and you’ve headed into the dark don’t just stare at one object or location. Look off to one side of what you want to look at specifically and continue to look around so let your eyes adjust the best they can.

Try to avoid looking at a direct source of light such as the sun, flashlights, headlights etc. When you look at sources of light directly, the pupil of your eyes constrict and undoes the work you have done so far. If you have to go into the light, or a light source is unavoidable try closing one eye to preserve as much of your night vision as possible. Fun fact this is why pirates wore eye patches (or so I hear) so that when they went below deck on a raid they could take it off and have better vision below.

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PACE and Back up Comms

The PACE plan is the new hot topic these days and rightfully so. It applies to equipment or system that is strategically important to your operation or your survival.

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Comms being high up on both those lists. Cells phones die, or loose service and lets face it electronics for the most part are pretty delicate. One back up in my personal Comms plan is a @beartoothradio. It does have short comings as it still requires a cell phone to work and any one you want to talk to has to have one but if you work out a plan with your party beforehand its a great secure short range form of voice and text communication. It also allows you to save maps for offline use in the event you need some navigation aide as well.

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When you’re planning you should always be thinking about redundancy. Communications is no different. You want to have multiple options incase one is not working.

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Option one for most people is their cell phone. In most urban areas this is going to be fine. In more rural areas or over seas this may not be enough. Other options include Ham radio, Satellite phone, cheaper burners, app/tools like gotenna or @beartoothradio, smoke signal…..I probably wouldn’t recommend that last one but what ever works for you.

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One of your options should be off grid capable. This means no infrastructure required outside of what you or your groups controls. @beartoothradio @gotenna can fit into this category. Meshtastic might possibly be a better option but i have to look into it more and will be doing that here soon.

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Personally I carry a cell phone, and then for people in my group when I’m traveling we have beartooth as backup. I was visiting a colleague in Alaska a couple years ago and beartooth came in handy quite often when we were out side of the city.

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another option that I have used in the past is just carrying a spare cheap burner from a service provider that is different from my main cell phone. I carried it unactivated and with a minutes card so that it didn’t expire and if needed can activate it load the minutes and off we go.

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Why you Should Always Have a Map!

Everyone should know how to navigate with a map, whether in the city or in the bush. Maps don’t rely on electricity or a connection to wifi or cell towers and short of loosing them or being destroyed, they cannot fail you (only your skill with them can).

That being said if you don’t want to stand out as a tourist don’t go walking down the street staring at the unfolded map. This it not only a dead give away that you are not from the area it also takes away from your situational awareness which makes targeting you all the easier. It is better to use them before you depart a location for your next one and if you have to use them along the way find a quite out of the way place that offers some security where you can stop and take a quick look at it.

Maps are also a great practical souvenir. When you are traveling especially in a place you have never been before. Use it to learn the area, mark it up with the important places to know, hospitals, embassies, police stations.

You can also take notes on where you go, an so one to turn the map into a way to keep track of your adventure as well as a useful tool while you’re there.

It may not be advised to mark down where you plan to go as this is an OPSEC violation especially if you are an individual that is more likely to be targeted. If your map is stolen or lost someone targeting you will have a basic idea of where they are likely to find you and set up an ambush or kidnapping.

Both as a tool and souvenir a folded up map will take up very little space. When you are traveling with a single bag your packing space will be limited and this will be important.

Depending on the situation it might be a good idea to plan out escape routes from the area you are in. Whether you’re traveling to a politically unstable region or maybe its just hurricane season. (Good idea to put you map in a ziplock whether its hurricane season or not)

You can mark these on your map as well as different meet up locations should your group get separated. It is a good idea to designate meet up spots in different areas of the city so that no matter where you get separated there should be a location some what close by.

For both Meet up locations and escape route remember P.A.C.E. Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency. IT works for comms and it works for this too.

You have to decide how much of these routes and spots you mark up on your map and I would recommend leaving at the minimum the contingency and emergency spot off and commit them to memory. Another method is to use UV pens to mark them on your map although not 100% secure it will stop the average joe Criminal from immediately knowing your locations. I still recommend keeping at least one route and spot off the map.

Pro tip. If you are a targeted individual or super paranoid you can also mark up visible routes that are not accurate and uv ones that are for your knowledge to attempt to throw off anyone who gets their hands on the map.

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Don’t be this guy! travel with one bag

I always recommend people travel with a single bag. Traveling with more than one mag starts to weigh you down and decreases your mobility. That’s traveling with a backpack or sling bag of some kind is so beneficial.

Back packs are easier to carry and move with than roller bags in an emergency or if transportation is slim and you have to walk. Also in some countries the transportation options are not like the USA or Europe and do not have the cargo space for large roller bags so keep this in mind when your packing.

If you pack correctly one bag is all you need. I am talking ranger rolls and packing cubes. This will drastically improve the efficiency of use in the bags you are packing. A major component of that is also to only take what you need to. Most people drastically over pack when they travel somewhere and usually don’t end up using half of what they bring. Especially when you are staying with friends or family. Anything you don’t bring, forget to bring, didn’t think that you would need, they likely will have one or something that will make do. Even if you are not staying with someone you know most hotels and BnBs will have hair dryers, and other small appliances for you to use you sometimes just have to ask the front desk.

When it comes to clothes, go by the rule of threes. That is three tops, three bottoms, three underwear three pairs of socks. Wearing one set and packing the other two. Try to choose colors and Items that you can interchange with each other if need be. Depending on the situation for the trip that may change a little bit. If you need to bring a jacket or coat try and wear it not pack it to save space. and if you are going to a cooler or colder destination plan your clothing around layering instead of huge coats and this will also save you space.

Now once you get to where your staying you can just pull your packing cube(s) of clothes out and throw them in a drawer and the rest of the stuff in your bag comes with you in case you need it or to protect your self from theft.

If you are not staying in one place for long you should still be light enough to just carry everything with you.

Every where I’ve been has a hotel laundry room or a local laundry mat you can use to wash your clothes if you trip is longer than 3-4 days, or you can wash your clothes in a sink (some clothes are even made for that purpose now)

All that being said some times needing a second bag is unavoidable for a certain situation. Maybe its a business trip or a special occasion and you need to take special equipment, or supplies that wont fit in your single bag.

When that happens I down size my back pack/sling bag to a smaller one (one that can still hold any of my emergency and other essential supplies or anything that you cannot live with out if you ditch your second bag). This makes the sling bag my “personal item” that can go under the seat.

Then your second bag should be sized to meet the airlines carry on standards if at possible. Providing what you have to bring is carry on legal and will fit. This way you can still bypass the ticket counter on departure and the baggage claim on arrival. This “carry on” that holds everything else including the additional “stuff” that forced you into this situation in the first place.

I recommend avoiding checking bags when all possible because whether its life threatening or not loosing you bags can put a damper on your trip whether you think it really matter or not.

Packing lite keeps you light and mobile should an emergency arise. This way you don’t have to ditch some of your gear or possessions or get stuck in a situation because you don’t want to leave your stuff behind… Trust me it happens humans are weird when it comes to fight or flight and their possessions.

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