Scan and Save Images of Your Passport and Prescriptions When Traveling

Apartment Therapy suggests you scan your passport pages, prescriptions, and even credit cards (although we might dispute that one) and store them in the cloud in case your bags or wallet are lost or stolen while you're traveling. Being able to bring up an image of your passport on your phone or someone else's computer can speed up the process of proving your identity and getting a replacement at your country's embassy or consulate. Similarly, if you need a prescription refilled abroad, having the dosage, proper name, and phone number for your doctor or pharmacy will make it easier for a pharmacist to help you out—or even call your doctor back home to authorize an emergency refill.

Credit cards are another matter—they note that if your wallet is stolen, having an image of your credit card numbers may get you at least checked in to your hotel if you tell them your wallet has been stolen. We're skeptical, especially if your wallet is gone and you can't prove your identity otherwise. With your passport or prescriptions, its more likely you'll get the benefit of the doubt. With a credit card, you're better off just reporting it stolen immediately and seeing what the credit card company can do for you while you're abroad.

Hit the link below for more travel safety tips, and make sure you keep those scanned images somewhere private. Store them locally on your phone if you don't trust the cloud, but cloud storage makes them easy to retrieve on any device—even if your phone is stolen too.