That travel blogger's "hostel dorm hack" almost got my stuff stolen

Some guy named Derek on YouTube swore you could leave your bag on the bunk with just a cheap luggage lock and it'd be fine. I tried it at a hostel in Barcelona for 3 nights. First morning I wake up, my lock is cut and my phone charger is gone. Nothing major missing but still. Hostel staff told me dorms get hit all the time especially near Las Ramblas. Anyone else had bad luck following these online "pro tips"?

3 comments

3 Comments

murray.cora1mo ago

Honestly, leaving stuff in a dorm with just a cheap lock is basically asking for trouble. Those little combo locks can be cut with nail clippers, not even kidding. Tbh proper hostel hacks are more about using lockers or bringing a proper padlock, not just trusting a zipper pull. Ngl Derek's advice sounds like he's never actually stayed in a busy hostel dorm before.

the_tessa17d ago

I get what you're saying, but I kinda see it the opposite way honestly. Saying a cheap lock is "basically asking for trouble" feels a bit dramatic to me. Most theft in dorms is from unlocked bags or unlocked lockers, not from someone actually picking or cutting a lock. The whole nail clipper thing is a myth for the most part those little combo locks are plastic junk but it still takes effort and noise to get through one. And the real deterrent is just having any lock at all that makes your stuff harder to grab than the guy next to you who left his bag open. If someone really wants your stuff, a padlock won't stop them either since they can just wait for you to leave it open or steal the whole locker. I think trust and being smart about where you put things matters way more than the grade of your lock.

leehall1mo ago

Oh man, I feel this. I once had a guy in my dorm in Prague who locked his bag with one of those little wire luggage locks to the bed frame, and someone just snapped the lock with their hands while he was in the shower. @murray.cora is right about the cheap combo locks being useless, but honestly even a solid padlock doesn't help if the locker itself is flimsy or has a busted latch. I still bring my own lock but I zip tie anything valuable to the frame and sleep with my phone under my pillow now, just feels safer despite looking paranoid.