Choose Adventure

Safely Navigating the Challenges of Third World Travel

How Thieves Operate

How Thieves Operate 875 603 Greg Ellifritz

This is a fairly in-depth article about the way that thieves operate in foreign countries.  It’s well worth the few minutes it takes to read it.  Almost all the thefts I’ve seen in my foreign travels has fit into one of the author’s categories.  Highly recommended.

Top 10 types of travel theft (and how to be safe)

 

Istanbul Airport Terrorist Attack

Istanbul Airport Terrorist Attack 300 238 Greg Ellifritz

On June 28, 2016, three ISIS terrorists conducted  simultaneous attacks on the unsecured areas of Istanbul’s international airport.  They entered the airport armed with AK rifles and suicide bomb vests.  They split up, went to separate areas of the airport and began shooting and blowing up their bombs.  A total of 42 people were killed and 238 more were injured.

 

Why should we care?  We should care because the same terrorists have stated that they will perform similar attacks in the United States.  We can study the tactics used in their overseas attacks and develop countermeasures before they bring them stateside.  Here is a discussion of the key elements of the attack and what we all need to do in order to avoid being killed if a similar event happens here.

 

-Guns and Bombs- All of the terrorist attacks with the largest number of fatalities involve both guns (usually long guns) and explosives.  To prepare for an active shooter requires that you also be prepared to deal with a terrorist bomber.  The two groups use both methodologies simultaneously.

DM GRAB - Ataturk Airport International Terminal terrorists images appeared on the departures floor. Images of the Russian national airline Aeroflot experienced moments of horror in front of the bank where the check-in office and this was reflected in the cameras. (Haberturk News Centre)

One of the terrorists who initiated the attack with rifle fire.

 

Most shooters don’t know enough about bombs.  You must understand how terrorist bombs are detonated, how they are used, and how far away you must get to be safe.  Take a bomb class.  Until then read this article.  Then understand about secondary devices.  This type of information can truly save your life.

 

– Three Pronged Attack.  A hallmark of Al Qaeda (and now ISIS) attacks is the three pronged attack.  They are continuing the trend here with three attackers at the airport.  They use multiple attackers to ensure that at least one makes it to the target if the others are interdicted by the police before arriving on site.  It’s basically a back-up plan.  In this case, the three attempted to enter the airport.  They were stopped by police at the entrance of the building (this airport has additional metal detectors at the airport entrance).  When they realized they couldn’t make it through security with their guns and bombs, one terrorist pulled out a gun and began shooting at police.  That provided enough of a distraction to allow the other two terrorists to slip inside unnoticed.

 

The key thing to remember is if you witness one terrorist attack, you should assume that more are coming.  There will always be a followup attack.  Don’t hang around.  Get yourself to safety.  The followups may not be in the same location like these were.  Police need to be aware of the three pronged strategy.  If one attack occurs, the police should be deploying additional resources to protect other pre-identified targets for attack.

 

– Heavy clothing and large bags remain the best indicators of a potential bomber.  Take a look at the photo below from this article.  All three terrorists are wearing heavy coats that were wholly inappropriate for the June Mediterranean weather.

 

Note the terrorists' heavy coats, hiding bomb vests

Note the terrorists’ heavy coats, hiding bomb vests

The heavy coats are what attracted the initial police attention.  The cops thought these guys were thieves or robbers based on their dress.  Pay attention to people wearing clothing inappropriate for the weather conditions and people who are carrying large bags.

 

– If you plan on shooting a suicide bomber, you must realize that it is likely a suicide mission.  One of the bombers is running through the airport with a rifle in hand.  He is shot from ambush by a courageous police officer.  The terrorist falls to the ground and his rifle goes skidding across the floor.  The cop approaches, noticed that the man is wearing a bomb vest and runs away.  The man detonates.  The cop was killed in the explosion.  Watch the video of the incident below:

 

It’s likely here that the cop didn’t know the terrorist was armed with a bomb until after he shot.  The correct course of action after seeing the bomber trying to detonate is to fire multiple head shots.  The problem is that even if you immediately incapacitate the terrorist with head shots, there’s no guarantee that you will be safe.  The bomb could be on a timer.  The bomb could be remotely controlled by a handler.  You just don’t know.  That’s what I mean.  Taking the shot may save the day.  It may also get you killed.

 

For a hand carried or worn bomb vest, one must be between 200 and 400 meters away from the blast to be safe from the shrapnel.  None of us are going to make a pistol shot through a crowded airport at 200 meters.  If you are close enough to take the shot, you are within range of being killed by the bomb.

 

Luckily, this cop’s shots to center mass didn’t detonate the explosive vest.  That wasn’t the case in Paris, where one of the cops hit a bomb vest and blew up the bomber.  The unstable homemade explosives in the bomb vest may detonate when hit by a bullet.  That means head shots should be the rule.  How far away can you reliably make a head shot under stress?  Most of you won’t be able to do it beyond 50 feet.  Some of you may have to be much closer.

 

The bad news is that in all suicide bombing attacks studied, victims within five meters of the bomb suffered 100% fatalities.  At the 15 meter range (around 50 feet), the victims were slightly more likely to live than die after the blast.  Anyone inside of 50 feet is more likely to die than live.  How far away can you guarantee a head shot again?  If you are close enough to make the shot, you will have at best a 50% chance of survival if the bomb blows.

 

These are sobering statistics, but they are critical to understand.  If you choose to play the hero and engage the bomber like this heroic cop, you will likely suffer his same fate.

 

– The terrorists may be hiding their weapons during the attack.  This article describes how one of the bombers was concealing his handgun after firing several shots.

“He turned around and started coming towards us. He was holding his gun inside his jacket. He looked around anxiously to see if anyone was going to stop him and then went down the escalator. We heard some more gunfire and then another explosion, and then it was over.'”

 

Note this picture from The Daily Mail of another killer with a long gun.  See how he is attempting to conceal the weapon?

 

Terrorist hiding long gun

Terrorist hiding long gun

 

Adaptation on the part of the killers and the defenders is constantly occurring.  Both groups are learning from the mistakes made in past attacks.  In past active killer events, the killers brazenly walked their killing fields with guns exposed, targeting anyone they could find.  Now we are seeing killers exercising more caution.  As cops and armed citizens are training to hunt and kill the attackers, the attackers know that if they are obvious about carrying a gun, they will likely be killed before getting the body count they desire.

 

When you are either fleeing the scene of an active killing or hunting the killer, watch people’s hands.  The killer might not be running around with a shouldered long gun as he does his killing.

 

– Unsecured areas of airports are very vulnerable.  There have been numerous attacks to the unsecured areas of airports all around the world.  Get inside and through security as quickly as possible.  Although airport security is a joke, you are still far more likely to get killed in the unsecured area than past the body screening machines.

 

Don’t dawdle in the unsecured area.  Avoid checking baggage if possible.  Print your boarding passes at home.  Fly first or business class whenever possible so that lines at the ticket desk are shorter.  Get TSA Pre-check or Global Entry to speed your way through security lines.  Anything you do to speed up the time you spend in the unsecured area of the airport will improve your chances of survival.  One study showed that for every 15 minute time period that you avoided the security line, your chance of surviving a terrorist bombing was improved by 50%.  Again, anything you do to make it through security faster will improve your odds of survival.

 

– You must be an active participant in your own rescue.  That’s a saying from my friend Dave Spaulding and it fits this situation perfectly.  Look at this video.  Watch the response of the victims here immediately following the blast.  They are sitting down on the floor, immobile and cowering in fear with no idea what to do.  They are sitting ducks if the attack had additional components or in the event another bomber/shooter returned to the area.

 

Get out!  Don’t wait for an inept police force to save you.  Find the closest door and use it.

Daily Mail summary of the incident

Airport Kidnapping

Airport Kidnapping 634 357 Greg Ellifritz

Take a look at this article/video of a foreign tourist being kidnapped in a Bangkok airport.  The kidnappers used a five-man team and had ten more airport and immigration officials on the payroll to make sure things went smoothly.

Snatched at the airport

This is certainly a unique and rare crime.  It might still be worth the mental effort to figure out how to avoid/escape such a well-coordinated attack.

 

If you saw this, would you recognize a kidnapping was taking place?

Travel Log- Twelve Years Ago Today

Travel Log- Twelve Years Ago Today 620 269 Greg Ellifritz

Twelve years ago today I made a trek to the summit of the highest mountain in Africa. While getting to the top of Kilimanjaro didn’t require any technical climbing skills, it did require more fortitude than any endeavor I’ve ever completed either before or since.

 

For those who don’t know, Kili is more than a mile higher than those big 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado. It’s no joke. The summit was about 15 degrees (F) with 40 mile an hour winds.  It was a five day hike to the top and back down.

 

I had horrible altitude sickness and high altitude cerebral edema on summit day. I actually passed out at the summit shortly after the photo above was taken. I’ve never puked so much in my entire life. For about the last six hours, I would throw up about every five steps I took. All this was happening at 3:00 am so that we could be on the top for sunrise.

 

It was rough, but I made it to the top and then made it back down to base camp without assistance. And now, whenever I have to work through a difficult situation, I tell myself:

“This isn’t shit. You climbed Kilimanjaro while you were mostly dead. Suck it up and do work.”

 

It’s good to have motivating successes that can help you through the tough challenges of life.

 

Go do epic shit.

 

And for those of you who like seeing cool things, check out the photos below from my trip.  You may also like the story about how I was almost killed by a corrupt Tanzanian cop before I even started my hike.

 

The bustling town of Marengu, Tanzania

 

Marengu grocery store and bar

Butcher shop without electricity or refrigeration. Note the name. It wasn’t a very friendly town for Americans.

 

Hiking through the clouds on day two

 

Campsite Day Two

 

When the clouds cleared the next morning, I saw the summit (in background) for the first time.

 

Above the treeline on day three with a good view of the mountain.

 

The initial summit, right before I passed out.

 

African sunrise from above the clouds

 

Happy to be done at the end of the trail back down near sea level

 

Suffering from high altitude cerebral edema at the summit.

Crime Rates in Mexico

Crime Rates in Mexico 777 437 Greg Ellifritz

I’ve vacationed in Mexico almost two dozen  times. I’m going back down there in a few weeks as it is one of the few places that is open unimpeded to American travelers.  Whenever I go, everyone asks me “is it safe?”

 

The answer always depends on where you are staying and what activities you are participating in.

 

Here is a nice interactive crime map that shows which Mexican states have higher than average crime rates and how those rates have changed over time

Useful Site to Research Crime Statistics for Mexico

 

The post is from the Two Expats Mexico website.  I find the site exceptionally useful for information about traveling or living in Mexico from a couple of Americans who moved there.  They also put out additional content on Patreon.

 

I am one of their Patreon supporters and I’d encourage you to check them out.

Assessing Neighborhood Safety When Traveling

Assessing Neighborhood Safety When Traveling 660 880 Greg Ellifritz

I occasionally am asked how I assess the relative safety of the areas I inhabit when I travel to third world countries.  Different customs and language change societal norms, but these factors remain relatively constant no matter where you are in the world.  Take a look at this article and learn how to assess the baseline.

The Collective Mood and You

 

It will help you make a good decision.  The techniques are mentioned by the authors of Left of Bang, an excellent book to check out if you want to learn more about baseline behavior profiling.

 

In addition to the article’s advice, I would also suggest that you might take a look at a couple additional factors.  These guidelines may be pretty basic, but using them will give you a quick assessment of your relative safety in any neighborhood in the world:

  1. Are there lots of armed guards?
  2. Do the properties seem to be run down or not cared for?
  3.  Are people in the area walking in pairs or small groups rather than walking alone?
  4.  Is there a lot of graffiti present on the walls?
  5.  Are there obvious security measures (like broken glass embedded atop walls, electric fences, barbed wire, etc.) present?
  6.  Are there lots of people are aimlessly “hanging out” in the street?

If you answer “yes” to most of these questions, you may not be in the world’s safest place.  It’s time to move on.

 

For a more detailed explanation of these concepts, read my book Choose Adventure- Safe Travel in Dangerous Places.

 

How would you assess the safety of this neighborhood?
The world famous “Black Market” in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay

Pandemic Flight Precautions

Pandemic Flight Precautions 283 178 Greg Ellifritz

I just flew out to Phoenix, Arizona to take a training class.  It was my first flight since early February.  Flying in a mask was strange.  Both legs of my flight were completely full.  The planes and airports seemed exceptionally clean.  I guess it remains to be seen if all of these precautions worked, but I am not ill yet.

 

The rules are constantly changing.  We really don’t know what works best.  Most of us are guessing and trying to establish best practices for keeping healthy.

 

I’ve found the articles below to be helpful.  Read them and get some ideas as to what tactics other travelers are employing.  Take Bruce Lee’s advice.  “Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is specifically your own.”

 

Flying Isn’t Just a Big Coronavirus Risk

 

If You Have To Fly in a Pandemic, Here’s Where to Sit on the Plane

 

How Rules Have Changed at TSA Checkpoints

 

CORONAVIRUS AND TRAVEL: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW (PLUS RESOURCES)

 

I flew on the 4 biggest US airlines during the pandemic to see which is handling it best

 

“Street Meat”

“Street Meat” 750 499 Greg Ellifritz

Most guidebooks will instruct you to “never eat street food.”

 

That’s bullshit.  Street food is often the safest option for travelers.  It’s prepared fresh and is still hot.  It hasn’t sat overnight on a rat and cockroach infested counter in a restaurant kitchen waiting to be rewarmed in a microwave.  Besides that.  It’s delicious.  Just look at all of these amazing street foods at the link below:

 

Best Street Food Around the World: 50 Favorite Street Food Dishes

 

I’ve eaten most of the foods listed for the countries I’ve visited and have not yet gotten sick from any “street meat.”.

 

Look for a vendor who is cooking the food in front of you and a long line of locals.  If you do that, you’ll likely be fine.

 

If you want some more information on street dining, pick up a copy of my book or check out the links below.

 

How to Eat Street Food Anywhere in the World Without Getting Sick

THE ULTIMATE STREET FOOD SAFETY CHECKLIST: HOW TO EAT LIKE A CAUTIOUS LOCAL

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the above links (from Amazon.com) are affiliate links.   As an Amazon associate I earn a small percentage of the sale price from qualifying purchases.

If you would like to further support my work, head over to my Patreon page.

 

Travel Log- Honduras

Travel Log- Honduras 620 465 Greg Ellifritz

*My Travel Log series describes various past travel adventures and provides perspective about living and traveling in different countries.  This particular segment covers a trip to Honduras in 2012.

 

I traveled down to Honduras to both celebrate my 40th birthday and learn to scuba dive.

 

I spent the majority of my time on a small island (Utila) off the coast.  The island is fairly difficult to get to by North American standards, but was well worth the effort.  With only about 2000 residents, it was a very mellow place with warm water, fresh seafood, and great ocean scenery.

 

Utila Island Honduras from the Ferry

 

I also spent a little time in the towns of La Ceiba and San Pedro Sula (the 2011 murder capital of the world).  San Pedro Sula is the home of the Mara Salvatrucha street gang and had 159 murders per 100,000 residents last year.  In comparison, Chicago (which has one of the highest murder rates in the USA) had 34 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2010.

 

There is a lot of crime and a lot of potential danger in Honduras.  Despite its reputation as one of the most dangerous places in the world, I had no problems at all.  I traveled alone and took only public transportation …local buses, taxis, ATVs, a ferry nicknamed the “vomit express”, and a 6-seater plane that looked like it had its best days in the 1950s.  I had a couple hotel rooms in some fairly dodgy parts of towns where I stayed.

 

The view from my “deluxe” $17 a night hotel room in La Ceiba. My balcony overlooked the back of the city soccer stadium.

 

Don’t believe everything you see on television.  Very few residents of foreign countries hate Americans or are looking to victimize travelers.  Having spent significant time traveling on five continents, I can tell you that people from almost every other nation are invariably more friendly and helpful than most of the people I meet here at home.

 

I talk to the locals as much as I can in all my travels.  I always try to get some information about the local crime trends and tactics the residents use to stay safe.  The advice I received from all the Hondurans with whom I spoke last week holds true for most of the world as well.  The Hondurans told me that if someone stays away from drugs and gangs, the chance that they will be killed is extremely low.  Most of the murders in Honduras are tied in with drug trafficking.   It’s pretty much the same for any big city in America!

 

Third world hot water….I love these shower heads that plug into an electrical socket! What a great idea!

 

I also had some interesting conversations about guns and fighting.  There are lots of guns in Honduras.  In the larger cities, every single retail outlet had an armed security guard standing in front of the door.  Most of these armed guards carried beat-up .38 special revolvers (I saw S&W, Taurus, and Rossi all represented) and no spare ammunition.  If a particular guard was carrying spare ammo, he generally had six extra rounds of lead round nose .38 special ammunition carried in an old-school loop cartridge carrier on his belt.

 

More lucrative targets (like banks and hotels that cater to wealthy clients) had a greater armed presence.  There would generally be at least one guard with a long gun standing outside.  I generally saw Mossberg pump shotguns and Ruger Mini-14 rifles in the bank guards’ hands.  The guards outside the wealthier mainland hotels had FAL or Galil rifles.  Even the bellhops wore concealed revolvers in one the nicer hotels where I stayed!

 

Clear evidence of the “gun culture” at the bait shop on my little island

 

The cops all carried Beretta 92 9mm pistols and occasionally FAL rifles.  The Berettas were carried in every imaginable holster from a cheap homemade nylon leg rig to a Safariland SLS.  On the sleepy little island where I stayed, the cops didn’t carry spare ammo.  In the bigger cities, cops usually had two spare magazines in open top kydex belt carriers.

 

While I was traveling, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting took place.  It was all over the news down there.  On the island, I didn’t have any American TV stations, only local stuff.  The Honduran local news covered the shooting as thoroughly as CNN did here.

 

The shooting led to some interesting discussions about guns and gun rights.  On Utila Island, it is fairly difficult to legally obtain a firearm.  According to the locals, the first step to getting a gun permit in Honduras is a police background check.  They told me that the cops on the island rarely approved the check.  They don’t want people armed in their little section of paradise.

 

The locals were quick to explain that the gun control laws didn’t really disarm anyone.  One guy told me “Everyone has a gun.  They just don’t have a permit for it.”  He explained in great detail how they smuggle guns onto the island from the USA mainland.  I won’t reveal the process, but it was quite ingenious and clearly worked.  On the “black market” a cheap 9mm pistol (like a Taurus or KelTec) costs around $1000 US dollars.  A Glock or Beretta would be about the same price down there if legally acquired with a legitimate permit.  Guns are expensive there due to high import taxes, but it was obvious that many Hondurans believed they were a necessary purchase.

 

You can’t legally buy a gun on Utila island, but the island’s only pharmacy also sells beer and chicken.

 

As long-time readers know, most of my blog posts are related to firearms and tactics.  This particular post doesn’t fit with my usual fare.  With that said, I think the stuff I write about in this post is just as important as any of the other articles I write 3-4 times a week.

 

Let me explain…

 

Many of my readers are extremely serious about developing the skills they need to protect themselves.  I am too.  But I recognize that sometimes a constant focus on self-protection can lead to an obsession with “safety”.  Being overly “safe” will keep you away from some of the best experiences you might ever be able to have on this planet.

 

Don’t obsess over the advice on this page or any of the other great firearms/self-defense websites out there.  Be smart.  Read.  Learn.  Prepare.  But then go out and LIVE YOUR LIFE!  Have some fun.  Engage in a passion other than fighting or shooting.

 

I consumed a large part of my younger years with every waking moment devoted to learning, practicing, and studying the fighting arts.  My dedication created an excellent skill set but I really wasn’t happy.  What good is a defensive skill set if the only thing you can defend is the boring life that you don’t truly enjoy?

 

You don’t have to travel the world and do all the crazy things I like to do.  Just find something you enjoy outside of the fighting arts and make it a point to devote a greater amount of time pursuing that enjoyable hobby.  Allow yourself to find and cultivate ALL of your passions.

 

Last year I spent more than six weeks traveling outside of the country doing all the things that I enjoy.  I made it to five new countries (Thailand, China, Singapore, Colombia, and Honduras) as well as a repeat visit to Mexico.

 

I learned to scuba dive, paraglided off a mountain in Medellin, Colombia, camped on a beach in Thailand, rode my first overnight train, and saw some amazing Buddhist religious artifacts.  I ate incredible food and met dozens of new friends from all over the world.  Next year, I will do even more.

On the dive boat

 

For your “tactical” homework assignment this week, I want you to forget about guns, shooting, and fighting for a couple days.  Take that time to plan out how you are going to have more fun and live a better life in 2013.  In the long run, those few days off from the gym, the dojo, or the range will do wonders for increasing your quality of life.

 

 

 

Sunset from right outside my room on Utila. Getting to see this every evening for a week made up for the crappy view of the city soccer stadium I had at the other hotel.

 

FIELD STRIP: Makarov Pistol And Licensed Copies

FIELD STRIP: Makarov Pistol And Licensed Copies 660 495 Greg Ellifritz

Do you ever research which  guns are most prevalent in the foreign destination to which you are traveling?

I do and I think it’s very important.  If you need a gun in a foreign country, it may not be the same gun you are used to carrying and shooting at home.  It’s best to have a broad knowledge of how different guns work.

 

My friends at The Firearms Blog are committed to providing some of the information you may need.  Check out the link below:

TFB FIELD STRIP: Makarov Pistol And Licensed Copies

This is just one installment into TFB’s excellent video series covering the field stripping of uncommon guns.

 

Why would anyone need to know how to shoot a Makarov?

 

You should understand it because the Makarov is still commonly carried by cops and soldiers in Eastern Europe, China, Cuba, and many of the former Soviet Bloc countries.  If you are visiting one of these areas, taking the time to watch a short video like this is a cheap insurance policy.

And for what it’s worth with regards to the Makarov, they will generally shoot (but not reliably feed).380 acp cartridges.  If you can’t find that oddball military 9 x 18 mm ammunition, keep that little bit of knowledge in the back of your mind.