Travel Money Belts And Travel Security

By Steve Gillman

Travel money belts are still a good way to carry cash. They're
common, and thieves know of them, but it isn't easy to tell if
your belt has a hidden compartment, and it isn't easy for a
robber to get at it quickly. It is a good way to carry SOME of
your cash when you travel. Here are some more ways.

Losing Money In An Ecuadorian Disco

Travel gets me thinking of ways to hide money. I had the idea
that a hundred dollars, wrapped up in an ace bandage on my leg,
would be safer than in money belts. It worked for ten days on
our trip to Ecuador, until we went dancing. The cash danced to
its own tune, which I didn't even notice until morning. The
lesson is to wrap it up tight, or don't go dancing.

Hiding Money And Documents

There are travel options other than money belts for hiding cash
and important papers. Use several of them, rather than putting
everything in one place. Don't carry too much cash. It's easy
now, almost everywhere, to access your money using an ATM, so
carry enough for a few days, or a week at most.

There are pouches that hang under your shirt to carry your
passport and other papers. They're obvious if you're wearing a
light shirt, but then it is always hard to thoroughly hide a
passport on your body. In any case, it isn't easily accessible
to pickpockets.

I cut a pocket from some old pants and used a safety pin to
attach it inside my travel pants. This has worked well on
several trips. It's not noticible, and would be difficult for a
thief to get at without taking off my pants. However, it is
inconvenient when I'm asked for my passport, since I have to
reach into my pants.

Hiding Money In Shoes

If the inner soles of your shoes are removable, put twenty
dollars under each one for emergencies. This works well for me,
but then I don't have expensive shoes that could themselves be a
target. It is just another place to hide cash, and you should
always have several different ones when traveling.

Think creatively. Roll up a bill and put it in the handle of a
disposable razor. Just don't throw it away by accident. Find or
make other hiding places. If your money is in several
hard-to-find places, it will take a persistent thief to find all
of your cash. Make robbers truly work for their living.

Hiding money in your hotel room requires some thought. There
are many good places. Ask any thief, and he'll tell you the best
ones. Just choose a safe hotel and be careful. Of course, hiding
things will at least reduce the temptation for bad employees and
lazy thieves.

I once had a wallet stolen from a zippered back pocket. It was
a decoy wallet, so the pickpocket's skill earned him a few
pieces of paper. Another time I had to drag a robber off a bus
and wait for police, but his accomplice escaped with our money.
Travel is about adventure, but fortunately we can avoid this
kind most of the time.

About the Author: Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and
traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 42, he travels
with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. For travel stories,
tips and a free Travel Secrets e-book, visit:
http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com

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