[...] For some of my bitcoins I recently purchased some crypto-steel and stored some bitcoins on those. I just moved from Afghanistan to Korea spending a few weeks in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and French Polynesia. By moving, that meant bringing my crypto-steel with me (not trusting it to some post office). So here I am traveling with these metal squares through various security. I spent about 15 minutes in Dubai trying to explain my crypto-steel to security (I had them wrapped in metalic tape to ensure nobody tampered with them). I finally had to unwrap one enough to show what was inside (I also had full chemical gear so that was part of the inquisition as well....long story). I ended up checking my bag in with the crypto-steel from there on out and was paranoid every minute that they were not in my possession. Every hotel I went to had to have a safe. I ended up in one hotel without a safe and I only left briefly to eat. I ended up using a bus instead of going on airplanes when I traveled due to the difficulty. Flying from Vietnam to French Polynesia I decided to keep the crypto-steel with me to avoid the worry I had before. I had to explain to a Vietnamese security guard what they were, I used pictures on my phone and was ok after 5 minutes (I was surprised when he said "oh, Bitcoin!").
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Thanks for sharing your experience Elwar. Had a similar one explaining a few Casascius coins.
I am wondering though why you carry the cryptosteel around. Just remember a 12 word Electrum seed and you have no explaining to do crossing borders, and no worries of being robbed when away from 'home'. Still each time I punch in those 12 words from memory to cold sign a transaction, it feels like magic internet money. It makes me again experience how powerful and independent Bitcoin really is.
I don't just carry my cryptosteel around with me when I travel. I was moving from one country to another so I brought with me the most valueable stuff (I have 2 suitcases sitting in a storage space in Afghanistan waiting for my buddies to get around to shipping them to me).
I have 2 separate backups that I was able to leave with family (split amongs several members) when I was in the US.
And I did mix the keys up so they are in the raw form but only I know the pattern.
I would not rely on SD card as that can get corrupted or burned or fried. I do not keep all of my bitcoins in one address so memorizing each one would be faulty.
Hopefully I will only be moving to a new country a few more times and I can securely hide my cryptosteel on my property.
Which, like I said, I would be able to store gold once settled somewhere. But Bitcoin is a ton more easy to transfer country to country than several pounds of gold bars.
