- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
Comments (10)
Print
Save/ShareFor years, I've had mixed feelings about money belts, which aren't really belts but are instead pouches that you loop into your belt line. On the one hand, these pouches keep your money and documents out of reach of pickpockets. On the other hand, the nylon material is often uncomfortable to wear, especially during warm weather. And in the event that you are actually mugged, a criminal may be able to spot its bulging pattern under your clothes and force you to hand your valuables over.
One solution is the Eagle Creek All Terrain Money Belt, sold at stores like REI and at EagleCreek.com for between $12 and $15.
I was reminded of this belt by a video on YouTube by Mathew Honan of how easy it is to use. (Honan says he wore the belt during a recent trip to Nicaragua):
If you have found your own solution for carrying valuables, feel free to share it by posting a comment below.
ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB
Krakow, Poland, is home to the world's best hostels, according to the 2007 Hoscars by Hostelworld.com.
Aaron Hotfelder has info on "the most delayed airports in the world" over at Gadling.
Peter Greenberg defends his belief in Rule 240 on the Today show's website, which contradicts a critique of this belief by travel writer Joe Brancatelli, which we and our readers explored in an earlier post and which Upgrade: Travel Better has also weighed in on.
User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions.
I always wear a purse across my chest, instead of just on one shoulder. It might be slightly harder for theives to take it that way. And, there's always the option of keeping some spare cash in your shoe...(a stinky, yet effective solution. :)
Posted By Tootie on February 6, 2008, 3:07 PM
I ditched all money belts and neck purses years ago because they bugged me, and also cried out, "here are my valuables!" As for a real belt/money belt, well, I don't even wear belts at home. I keep my goods in my front pockets, and occasionally in the rear if the pockets have zippers. Some day I could get unlucky, but so far, I've had no problems in the US or overseas.
Posted By placeswegopeoplewesee on February 6, 2008, 3:24 PM
Thanks for the link. (And you might want to see my full review here: http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002611.php.
Evan Marks also made an excellent point about this belt: because the buckle is plastic, you can leave the belt on when you go through airport security.
Posted By mat honan on February 7, 2008, 1:00 PM
I've never been a fan of money belts or neck purses. When I travel I use a messenger bag and keep my valuables, such as cas, cards & passport, in the interior wallet and carry it across my torso with the "front" against my body rather than facing forward.
I personally feel as though the money belts and neckpurses are a bit too cumbersome - you're either having to open your jacket/coat to lift up your sweater to access the money belt, or opening the jacket/coat to pull the neck purse out of your shirt - all very cumbersome. Plus the neck purse makes that horribly unflattering bulge while screaming "HEY! I've got valuables tied around my neck!"
Posted By Vanessa O'Donnell on February 7, 2008, 7:03 PM
I prefer to use a slim wallet that I tuck into my leather motorcycle boots. They tend to be both dirty and stinky. I have a small amount of cash in my pocket, but can esily get to more. And I've never had anyone give my boots another look. Of course, if I need to go somewhere nice, they do polish up nicely.
Posted By Jason Stanford on February 11, 2008, 12:41 PM
I used something very similar to the all terrain money belt for my travels in Honduras, Guatemala and Chile. Since they are so narrow you can't put much in there but I used it to put emergency items...important phone numbers, large bills, etc. That way if something were to happen, I would have something to get me by. ALISSA
Posted By Alissa on February 11, 2008, 3:20 PM
You say, "I was reminded of this belt by a video on YouTube by Mathew Honan of how easy it is to use." What's so easy-to-use about that? You take it off to access your money?
Posted By vfrance on February 11, 2008, 4:01 PM
When traveling wearing a pant suit, I put some cash in one of the side pockets and use a large safety pin to pin the top part securely. That way if someone reaches in this pocket, the pin stops the reach.
Posted By Jeane Fullerton on February 11, 2008, 6:43 PM
I have used the Eagle Creek belt for several years and found that with the right folding, I can fit several hundred dollars in it. You can pull money out very easily without having to pull the belt all the way off if you take care about how to stack them. Also always include a copy of the front page of my passport.
For passports I use a "hidden pocket money belt" that has loops that your belt slips through and the pocket slips inside your pants.
Posted By Weyland Billingsley on April 10, 2008, 8:32 PM
I have owned three of these belts and the buckle broke on all of them. The very small, hinge pins are made of plastic and give out much too easily. If they designed the hinge with one continuous titanium pin the belt might be strong enough and still airport friendly.
Posted By Rich Cameron on April 20, 2008, 3:50 PM