Start with the official word: the U.S. State Department's travel advisories at travel.state.gov rate every country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel). Read the full text, not just the number. The number tells you the rating. The text tells you why, and the why is what you plan around.
Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). It's free, it takes minutes, and it means the nearest embassy can reach you when something goes sideways. This is the single highest-value, lowest-effort move in overseas travel.
Passport, visa, insurance policy, emergency contacts, prescriptions. Keep paper copies in a waterproof pouch separate from the originals, and encrypted digital copies you can reach from any device. If your bag walks away, your identity shouldn't walk with it.
Cash in small bills, two different cards, stashed in at least two places on your person and one in the room. Card readers need power and networks. Cash doesn't. In a disruption, the person with small bills eats and the person with only a card waits.
A local SIM or eSIM on arrival, a check-in schedule with someone at home, and a weather radio in the bag for places where the cell network is a rumor. The rule is simple: someone always knows where you are and when to worry.
Look like you belong, never look like a target. Clothes that work from a boardroom to a dirt road: dark colors, no logos, nothing flashy. Confidence and calm are camouflage. More on the packing side of this in the Provivalist's packing list.
Destination field notes and kit breakdowns, in the Depot newsletter.
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