I use a standard wallet in my pocket just like I do everyday at home. Ridiculous amounts of cash are kept seperate, in various hidden places inside my pack.

quote:

in various hidden places inside my pack.

And if they steal your pack the theives now have ridiculous amounts of cash. This still puts 'all your eggs in one basket'.

I don't like either money belts or neck pouches.
The leg thingy works great if it's not too hot outside to wear long pants. I use it when I'm taking long trips on ferries, trains etc.
Lots of the time I use the over the shoulder bag. I just met a girl who got her purse taken off her body by a moto driver in Vietnam, so you never know.
I picked up this great belt, a real one, here in Thailand. It has two compartments and I can put my wallet in it when I have a dress. Plus it's cute.
Usually I just don't carry lots of cash around with me, and when I do it's in the shoulder bag worn across my body and to the front where I can see and feel it always. I don't worry as much about the cash as I do about keeping my credit card and atm card separate, though. I don't use travelers' checks so if I lost both of those cards I would be seriously fucked.

quote:

Originally posted by static:
If you're a dude you can go old school and stick your wad of cash in your bro.

Lol! And wtf language is that in Static?

Oh, I forgot: separated by a common language and all.

You might know it better as a manseire.

quote:

Originally posted by static:
Oh, I forgot: separated by a common language and all.

You might know it better as a manseire.

Hmm. Using the power of the Intarweb I can find out what you mean but I'm not convinced that manseire is an actual word. In any case, it's meaning is a little scary - and pour moi, not a viable money-storage solution. But thanks anyway

Picky. 'Relaxed'. Don't fret it.

Joe, that was Diamonds...

Used a neck pouch back when I was a Tenderfoot. Ran short of money in my pocket, the vendor tapped the middle of my chest where the neck pouch was. I was not fooling anyone.


I have seen people make change out of their money belt. Not just one guy...Dozens of people. The cover is blown there too. You are NOT FOOLING ANYONE

The best idea is this sewing your own pouch into your pants thing. I like this.

Personally. I stuff a big roll of cash up into that weird frotnt part of the pocket and let it sit there. If you turn your pockets out, that space isn't compromised. No muss no fuss.

None of this hiding stuff on your person crap is going to do a whit of good to a seasoned robber.

But to the original question. Forget the neck pouch. DO NOT compromise your belt. Good luck out there.

D

I went with the neck pouch by the way. Seemed much more comfortable to me

hmm.. guess to me I never thought of keeping things secretive - in a lot of places, you can't help but not look like a local, which means you are probably a traveller, and travellers usually have money. whether you try to hid it or not, people know you have it.

I was given a money belt as a gift, still don't know if I'm going to use it. for me it would be more that it's harder for people to take if they are trying to be sly - if they are going to hold you at gun point, they're gonna get it. I also have a neck pouch, but geeze, don't actually wear it around your neck, that looks silly. I wear mine just as I would my purse back home, slung over my body from left to right.
OF course, the only real travelling I've done is in western Europe, where I felt relatively safe - no different than at home. (except for sleeping with the darn thing on in the sleeper car and in dorms - those crazy young German men, out to rob you at any opportunity! *j/k!*) (though I really did sleep with the thing on for the first while - I've heard of people who've had things stolen from under their pillows - not safe enough)

I also bought one of those actual pants belts with the zipper on the inside. we'll see how that works. (more of a storage place, I think, not to use in daily transactions)

Static, nice Seinfeld reference.
"You want me to wear a bra?"
"No, no, a bra is for ladies. Meet the Bro!"

Being an absolute rookie world traveler I've decided to start out with 2 different ways to keep my money "hidden."

I've got a neck pouch and I've also got the, as wandering annie put it a "hidden pocket thingie"http://www.eaglecreek.com/40024.html . I'll see how it goes as I go.

quote:

Originally posted by TheWanderer:
whether you try to hid it or not, people know you have it.

Exactly. If you get held up in a dark alley at night, count on them finding your money belt. So what you can do to protect yourself in that situation is:
First: Don't be in that dark alley at night

Secondly, spread your money out in as many places as possible. When travelling, I often keep cash in all of these places:
1) a wallet
2) money belt (I mean an actual belt with the zippered pocket).
3) Often I'll be wearing convertible pants that don't allow for a conventional belt. So in that case I use a leg money belt, that straps around my calf. At first I was worried about it sliding off, but I haven't had any problems with it. After awhile I don't even notice it.
3) a little in my pack or whatever bag I'm carrying at the time
4) some back in my hotel room/locker in the hostel

#3 and #4 aren't as safe, I would think, but on the whole I feel better spreading it out. Maybe some day I'll get mugged for every last cent, and then I'll be glad that I left a bit in the hostel.

The security a money belt provides isn't really that it hides your money- they know you have money. It protects you by slowing them down or making access difficult. Given enough time in that dark alley, they'll find all the money in your money belt, wallet, socks, bra, etc.

For example, for the ladies, if you carry money in a purse for example, expect a motorcycle to ride by with 2 men on it. The strap on your purse will be slashed with a knife and they'll grab your purse. I heard warnings of this sort of thing in southern Italy, but it's liable to happen anywhere. This type of theft is VERY easy to prevent, you just have to make your money a little less accessible.

i just wanted to say again that i love boots.
today i was on here for a legit reason as young trav'lr asked me point blank:

money belt vs. neck pouch???

i knew my preference, but needed some back up so i came to this thread. i too like the idea of the hidden pocket thingee. and keeping money in a ziploc folded (w/the zipper cut out) keeps it from being affected by moisture either while in your shoe, banana hammock or money belt.

for a long while i did not know this trick and my passport ended up yellowed, the edges scraggly and bubbles appeared where my photo is under the laminate. now, i tuck the pp into the plastic ziploc first.

quote:

Originally posted by Brianne:
If you're a chick you can go old school and stick your wad of cash in your bra. Then when you go to take it out you look like one of those sweet Saloon Girls in an old Western.

I've done this at concerts and what not when I don't want to carry a purse, but don't want to get pickpocketed. It's not that uncomfortable. Never tried it while traveling though.

I agree, I tried the whole neck pouch thing and it just bothered the crap out of me and you have to go to the bathroom to get your stuff out without people seeing you. Plus with your bra you don't have to carry anything extra, and if you're afraid your money will fall out just sew a lil pocket into it and you're good to go.

front pockets...split the amount and in one, wrap the cash around your credit card and wrap with a rubber band or two to add friction and make it hard to fall or "fall" out. Big fan of the shoes too