Ten days into what would have been two months in South America, I broke my leg in two places. I was deep in Chile, a country whose language I didn’t speak, and I’d just booked flights to Brazil and Easter Island. I could have panicked. Instead, I was just disappointed. After years of extended traveling, I had a system in place to handle emergencies. I was in a staggering amount of pain, in an embarrassed heap far from home and hostel, but I wasn’t too worried.

You don’t need to go overboard to be prepared for travel emergences. My advice is to plan for the obviously probable, and don’t sweat the unlikely and improbable. Here’s some precautionary steps I’ve found to be invaluable during my trips over the years.

Before You Go

Do a bit of research

How tolerant a country’s residents are toward foreigners varies significantly from region to region, and of course, person to person. Some understanding of local cultural norms will go a long way in bridging any etiquette differences and assessing risks. Are shorts O.K.? Do you need to wear a head covering? Should you tip? A few minutes online before you leave will give you a much better idea of dos and don’ts. A good place to start is Travel.state.gov’s Country Information.

Take a working phone

A prepared traveler has a mobile phone provider like Google Fi, Sprint or T-Mobile that works in other countries, or has obtained a local SIM card. The value in having a working phone overseas can’t be overstated. The last thing you should be concerned about in a crisis is how much your phone bill is going to be. Or worse, figuring out how to get your phone working in an emergency. Regardless, download the local area to your Maps app, and download the local language pack on Google Translate. That will cover you for most of it, even if you don’t have a signal.