This Just In recently offered readers some tips on carrying their money overseas. Nine readers responded with their own stories. Here are some highlights...

Just got back from 9 weeks in Brazil. I contacted my credit union (credit card and atm card) and Capital One. Neither charged surcharges for use in a foreign country. Capital One also listed the exchange rate for each transaction. the only bank that I paid a surcharge for withdrawing cash was CitiBank. By the way, in case it hasn't occurred to someone, take your ATM card, withdraw a little cash as you need it, IN THE FOREIGN CURRENCY, and there are no exchange fees! I love it!--Diana Brueckner

I had forgotten to call Mastercard before a trip to Los Cabos, Mexico. On Friday evening, I wanted to get pesos from an ATM, but the machine kept my card and gave me a message to call my bank. When I called Mastercard, they told me they thought the card might be stolen. I had to wait until Monday to go to the Mexican bank in person to retrieve my card, and they were reluctant to return it to me. What would I have done if I was not staying in Los Cabos until Monday?--Phyllis Learn

I let my credit union (ATM) and credit card company (MC) know I would be traveling in Japan, where almost no non-Japanese ATM cards are accepted. They both thanked me, and I had no trouble using or getting a cash advance on the credit card. The ATM card worked only at the Japan branches of Citibank, but without glitches. In spite of the problems others describe, I'd say letting the companies know is worth a try.--Linda Bowman

Some new travel products offer a quick solution to carry-on luggage restrictions. This year, Hefty began selling a flat-pack of 7 Hefty quart-sized OneZip bags, specifically labeled as meeting security guidelines.

But editor Erik Torkells recently tested some great products for carrying liquids, which you may find much more useful.

More: Learn how to pack right. One quick tip: The Feds post their list of prohibited and allowable carry-on items on the T.S.A. website.

The ultimate website for packing well is OneBag.com. Created 11 years ago, this site encourages people to travel with only one bag, as its name suggests. But even travelers who carry several bags will find useful packing tips on this site.

A few years ago, I met OneBag.com's creator, Doug Dyment. He's a technical marketer in San Francisco who uses the site to share his thoughts on the the superiority of traveling light. He's refined his strategies over the years as he's learned from hundreds of fellow travelers who have e-mailed him.

Dyment, one of the most gentlemanly fellows I've ever met, has a fantastic trick for preventing your clothes from becoming wrinkled. As he says, "The common practice of individually folding items of clothing, then piling them atop one another, is just about the worst thing you can do from a packing perspective." His trick is "bundle wrapping" instead. His explanation is better than any I can give, so I encourage you to visit his site.

It's gotten chilly here in the Northeast, which ultimately gets me daydreaming about a day at the beach. To me, there's nothing better than spending a day on the sand and swimming in the salty blue. But if you're like me, the pockets of your swimsuit are often full of the essentials: Cash, ID, keys, perhaps a cell phone—though there's no way I'm taking a call. So what's a beachgoer to do with all that stuff when it's time to take a dip? I don't know about you, but bobbing around with my back towards the horizon and my eyes focused on a towel-covered pile is not my idea of a good time.

That's why I love the TravelSafe 100 from Pacsafe, a manufacturer of innovative, anti-theft travel gear. The lightweight portable safe can be secured to just about anything, such as your chaise lounge—plus, it's lined with stainless steel cables making it slash proof, snatch proof, and tamper proof. It retails for $40 at pacsafe.com, a small price to pay for beachy peace of mind.

MORE BY DAVID LAHUTA Delta's food for thought.

For 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.