A solo traveler who has been to more than 80 countries always wears one piece of jewelry to stay safe

Joey Hadden
Updated ·2 min read
2

  • The solo traveler and show host Pamela Holt uses a medical bracelet for safety during her travels.

  • The bracelet from Etsy carries her name, medical details, and emergency-contact information.

  • The idea came from a health scare in the Galápagos, highlighting the need for ID in emergencies.

From Iceland and Italy to Thailand and Vietnam, 54-year-old Pamela Holt has explored more than 80 countries.

For most of these adventures, Holt has traveled solo.

As the host of the Amazon Prime and GoTraveler show, "Me, Myself & the World," Holt shares her global experiences and imparts key lessons she's learned as a solo traveler.

When it comes to safety, Holt told Business Insider she always wears a bracelet with a hidden message for medical professionals.

The trip that gave her the idea was back in 2009. Holt was headed to an island in the Galápagos by boat after seven days of trekking through the Amazon when she started to feel sick. When she got to the island, she blacked out.

"All I remember is stepping off the boat," Holt told BI. "And they told me later that I looked at these cab drivers and just keeled over."

Holt said there was no hospital on the island, so one of the cab drivers took her to his home.

"His wife cared for me for about five days," she said, adding that she was asleep most of the time. "This woman had to put me in showers to keep my fever down, and I had no ID bracelet telling her any medical information."

After that experience, Holt knew she needed to find a way to communicate with medical professionals in an emergency.

A pretty bracelet with an important message

A black bracelet holder on a wood floor showcases a gold bracelet with the name "Pamela" engraved on it
Pamela Holt's medical bracelet. Courtesy of Pamela Holt

To find a medical bracelet she'd want to wear, Holt went to Etsy.

She found a seller who makes custom jewelry, including designs specifically for medical alerts, starting at $35.

Holt purchased a copper band and had her name and a medical symbol engraved on the front. Holt's medical details and an emergency contact number are hidden inside the band.

"I found a bracelet I liked and customized it," Holt said. "It's fashionable."

And most importantly, it makes her feel safe during her solo travels.

Read the original article on Business Insider