Photo by Trans Link. cc
Money: Let’s face it, we need it to survive, especially when we are traveling away from home. Unfortunately, thieves like to pick tourists’ pockets, which are easy targets. Traveling with the right gear can help you hold on to your money and still enjoy yourself.
Money Belts
These belts have a pocket on the inside with a zipper and are great for stowing cash, particularly emergency cash. You can open up the pocket and stash a few hundred-dollar bills inside. This is great for emergencies, since you will have spare bills on hand (or in your belt!).
Passport Pouches
Your passport is your most valuable possession when traveling—a person without a passport is a person without a country. These pouches are good for carrying your passport, but never wear them outside your clothes. It labels you as a tourist and makes it easy for the thief to just grab it and run. Wear the passport underneath your clothes, either under your shirt, or on your hip under your pants. Never put your passport in a bag or a backpack. You can usually find these pouches at places like Walmart and Target.
Shoes
The brand Slotflops has designed shoes that have a secret compartment that pops out of the bottom of the heel, letting you carry your credit card and even a little cash. This brand only does flip flops, but the website Stashvault.com offers other styles of shoes with compartments. These shoes are useful particularly for emergencies and when bags are inconvenient. The prices range between $26–30.
- slotflops.com
- stashvault.com
Secret Pockets
Whether you buy clothes and bags that have them or make them yourself, having a hidden pocket somewhere on your clothing is a great trick to store credit cards and cash. Avoid putting a hidden pocket right behind a real one though, to avoid it being discovered in a potential mugging. Having secret pockets in backpacks are good to store your more valuable items.
Credit Card Protective Covering
With the popularity of credit cards, robbers have stepped up their game. Some thieves carry devices that can scan your credit card to get the number, just by getting close to you. The trick to combat this is to get a protective covering. The covering repels the frequencies that the scanners use, keeping your card and money safe. Amazon.com offers these covers for only $5, a good investment.
No matter where you travel, you’ll want to keep your money safe. The gear here can help you keep your money close and help you have a wonderful, worry-free vacation.
—Heather Moon