Digital Nomad Life Pro Tip #1: Camouflage Your Tech To Avoid Theft

Digital nomad life pro tip #1: I recently posted this on a /r/digitalnomad Reddit thread, but I figured I should share it here, too! This is a major life hack that I’ve been using for years and it has saved my butt (or rather, my iPad) at least once!

If you’re working on the road, you know the importance of having high-quality gear, but also the risk of keeping it with you. Especially when you are in a foreign country or don’t speak the language and know the culture, you have to take extra precautions to protect yourself. Well, that’s where this digital nomad life pro tip comes in.

I like to camouflage my tech devices to look like… well, not tech devices.

Here are (affiliate) links to the covers that I’ve been using for the past few years:

One night, I was waiting in the JFK airport, which you may know is a massive airport. At one point while juggling a bunch of luggage, I set my iPad in the composition notebook case down on a chair, walked away, and didn’t realize it for probably 45 minutes or so.

I started frantically looking for it and retracing my steps. Finally, I went back to where I had been sitting almost an hour before, and my iPad was still there. I can’t say definitively if the case was the reason, my iPad wasn’t stolen, but it probably didn’t hurt! Many people would be happy to snatch up a free iPad, but an old composition notebook?

One of the things I like, about this particular brand (Fintie), which I’ve never purchased a number of times is the fact that it does get an aged, distressed look after a few years, but that’s ideal for a composition notebook! The actual notebooks do that, too, so it looks totally fitting. Plus it kind of looks vintage and that’s cool, too.

Digital nomad life pro tip – hide or obfuscate your valuables

The reality is that the world is not always the safest. You can do your best to protect yourself, use RFID technology, hide your valuables, and practice universal safety, but even with all of that, you may still be at risk. Many of the best things in life require a certain level of risk, and travel is no exception However, I believe in doing your best to stack the odds in your favor by being smart.

For those of us who are working remotely, we can’t avoid bringing expensive tech gear. How would we work? I know some people will bring “cheaper” computers when they travel, but frankly, I do not find they have advanced enough technology to get real work done. So I’d rather bring my “good” tech when I’m on the road (or in the air) and just do my best to hide or obfuscate the tech.

Other digital nomad life pro tips regarding “hiding” your tech

Cover the labels. Yeah, yeah, an Apple phone is cool… until it’s stolen. Hide the logos of your expensive tech.
Your expensive gear is no good if it makes you a target for thieves. Keep your expensive tech items stashed away in a safe or theft-proof bag.
Always back up your data in the event of a theft or lost item. The only thing worse than replacing a computer is losing all the work, too.
Keep your gear in unexpected places.
Don’t wear flashy stuff! I never understood when people would drop $1,000+ on designer bags. shoes or accessories. All that says to thieves is “steal my stuff, there’s probably more loot inside!” I much prefer function over aesthetics, and a good, safe bag that won’t scream “steal me” is better than flexing with designer labels.