Another Money belt Question-For the Ladies

Suzann, I use the RS Silk Moneybelt for my travels. During my recent trip, I found it to be more comfortable to wear around my stomach in the small of my back. It shows if you wear it in the front, but on your back you hardly notice it at all. Hope this helps a bit!

That is where my wife wears her. Fairly high under the bra line so that the pouch fits in the small of the back. In my opinion that is the proper way to wear it. But a lot of people like to wear at the belt so that it is more accessible and really becomes a hidden billfold defeating part of the security aspects of a money belt.

I use a purse with my wallet attached to the inside.

Someone recently posted that they wore their moneybelt safety pinned to their pant's waistband. I suppose they cut the elastic straps and then use the tabs at either end to attach to the inside back waistband. I thought I might try that my self. I usually start out with mine low on my hips, but during the day it rides up around my waist. I wear mine with the pouch in the small of my waist.

There are "leg wallets" that strap around your calf. You might want to check them out. I've also heard of people who sew a "hidden pocket" into their clothes- you attach it to the inside of the waistband of your pants/skirt.

Although I didn't actually end up wearing it, I did buy a money belt, and it seemed to fit well when I placed it on the small of my back. Like I said though, I didn't actually wear it while on the trip, so I guess I can't say whether or not it's comfortable to wear it like that all day. It was inside a lockbox back at the hostel or inside my purse the whole time.

Someday, Ann, you probably will post how they got your purse.

Oh no, I've roused the money belt cult. It's not like I told the OP not to wear hers (in fact I suggested a way to wear it), I just related from my own personal experience that I don't find it necessary.

I don't find the waist type comfortable. I bought a neck type, shortened up the strap and wore it over one shoulder. It hung below my armpit. I secured the strap to my bra strap with a safety pin so it would not slide down.

On Anna's post: I am a lot more careful with my purse when walking in downtown NYC, Chicago, LA, etc. The same goes for Europe. While in smaller cities I don't worry about using a money belt, I feel safe and relaxed. It depends on where you are going. Like Anna, I don't often use a money belt though I am NOT promoting or suggesting this, I am fully aware that one day it may come back to haunt me. When I did try it, I did not like the belt in my pants but also preferred wearing it on my back as some have suggested. I just wanted to support Anna, she didn't suggest for Suzann to not wear one. She only accounted her experience.

I'm with Annaliese. I wear my waist money belt with the pouch in the small of my back. Very comfortable.

Just wondering, Monte, about the hidden wallets. What I have seen is a loop that goes around the belt then the pocket slips down inside the trousers. Doesn't the different coloured loop around the belt give away the location of the hidden wallet? How do you cope? Thanks in advance...

Nigel, the two I have have,(sorry, I don't know the grammer here) two belt loops, one black and one khaki. If your shirt bags out over the loop there doesn't seem to be a problem.

From what I have seen , it is only on this website that money belts are considered mandatory. On other travel boards such as Fodors, most women, at least, opt out. It is a matter of personal comfort and choice. I carry a very small and secure ( zippers secured and covered by flaps) cross-body bag, about 5x5 inches, with a cut-proof strap. I "wear" it right by my hipbone and never take it off. Over my shoulder I sling a small stylish bag that carries map, book, sunglasses, etc., and fits under my arm. A thief would have to get physically violent with me to get anything from the cross-body bag. The chances of that are as low as the chances of someone mugging you to take your money belt.

I agree with Lola. I carry my regular Baggalini "around town" bag cross-body. It holds everything I need for walking around a large city. I also have several casual jackets with safari-style button or zip pockets. I keep my hand over my bag if we are in dense crowds and we don't use the tube or the metro.

We use neck wallets and hidden wallets, the kind that have the belt loop and tuck down iside our pants. No money belts. The neck wallets usually come with a spring toggle to adjust the string-around-the-neck part. Those toggles are a nuisance to I've had my wife help me modify them. Take off the toggle. See how much slack you need in the string part while it is around your neck. sew the string along the edge of the wallet down to the bottom and cut off the excess. That will make it a lot more comfortable to wear.

I have not tried them but I have heard the over-the shoulder-holster type are comfortable. My sister travels to Italy every coulple of years and she has an unique solution. She sews a couple of pockets inside of her waist on both her pants and skirts. She uses soft material and makes the pockets seperately then justs bastes them them so she can easily remove them when she gets home.

Thank you everyone for your responses. I am glad I am not the only one who dislikes the money belt (my husband calls it a diaper). I never wanted to wear one at all but RS guidebooks and the posting made me think it is a good idea. Of course I never wear one when I go to San Francisco, Miami, or LA.
You all have given me lots of options. The belt loop and inside pocket sounds like a great idea. carried a purse on my recent trip to Europe with my camera and guidebooks without any problems but i was usually concerned because it wasnt a cross body style. Lola, what is the name of your bag? I like the idea of it being cut proof.

My wife wears a RS money belt, that we get for free before every RS tour we take (#9 coming up), when we go to Europe every summer, and she says she would rather be a "little" uncomfortable for 3 or 4 week than run the risk of loosing her pass port, debit cards, itinerary, and travel tickets. She does not wear a money belt, not do I, when we visit LA, SF, Boston, NY, etc, of course we do not have our passports along on those trips and if we loose anything else, it is much easier to solve that problem being in the US than in Europe.

Suzanne, it is a regular little leather bag, slim and flat, with a Velcro flap over the zipper. I keep everything important in an inside zippered pocket. Only the strap is cut-proof. I added that, using a nice leather strap I had made for the purpose. PAC safe makes a fairly small bag with cut proof strap and slash proof body. But as some have commented here, I found it a bit"industrial" and heavy.

I only wear a moneybelt while actually in transit and needing to carry passport around . I also wear low rise pants, I just tuck it into top of undies to keep it from riding up and it seems to work. I couldn't wear it in small of back as it would likely show easily through my tshirts .
Normally for day to day sightseeing I leave my important stuff in the hotel safe, have for years, no problem. I carry only days worth of spending money, and a photocopy of pp, plus my drivers licence( yes, I know its not legal id, but they have accepted at musuems etc for deposit on audio guides where normally they would ask for your credit card or passport. I use a great lightweight but strong purse that I carry cross body. I keep cash in an inside zipped pocket and purse also zips close and has a flap that clicks close over zipper. Its great.

Suzann - I carry a lightweight zip top purse - usually the Le SportSac brand. I do take the extra step to secure whatever I am using as a wallet to the bag itself. Right now I have a small wallet on a strap and I just loop the strap around my purse strap. This simple step prevented my wallet from being lifted on a subway. Remember - what you are trying to do is to not be "silently pickpocketed". If someone accosted you with a weapon and demanded your cash, you'd probably take off that moneybelt pretty quickly. This is not the scenario you are trying to avoid. Pickpockets are very good at getting your wallet out of your pocket or your purse without you feeling it - the purpose of a moneybelt is not so much to "hide" your money as to make it VERY difficult for it to be lifted without your noticing. This is why the neck purse works - it is obvious that you are wearing it but to get at it someone would have to put their hand inside your shirt! The cross body bags are more difficult to simply pull away from you quickly but my current purse has a short strap and I wear it tucked under my arm. A friend had her wallet lifted in Chicago when she put her purse on the arm of her chair in a restaurant - I never do that when I'm traveling. Finally - my son just got back from several months in Australia. While there he lost one of his debit cards - simply lost it. A skype phone call later the card was cancelled and he used his other card for the rest of the tip- no big deal. I agree with poster above that this board tends to talk more about moneybelts than other travel boards, especially those that are populated with more Europeans. If the moneybelt will ease your mind, then wear it, but please don't get the idea that if you don't use one you WILL get pickpocketed. That is not the case.

Since we are talking about money belts and ladies, I am going to bascially throw myself under the bus and admit a truth that I have been dying to confess since I started posting on this site: I wholeheartedly admit that I am a big fan of the ... wait for it... (in)famous "bra purse".
I wear dresses a lot and I find that a money belt around the waist is not practical, and I hate wearing things around my neck so the neck version is annoying to me. So more often than not, I stick my cash and my two credits cards into a very thin and small wallet and stick it in my bra (side, like practially under the strap, NOT the front. Sticking it in the front is an invitation for people to look "there" and also looks unsanitary). I know a lot of people are not fans of that technique, but personally, I find it more convenient. I even think it's easier for me to inconspicuouly reach near my arm (as if I was scratching my shoulder) and pull it out than to rummage through my waist area. Also, if a person is coming toward that area of my body, they will have more problems then just that fact that they were trying to take my money. All in all it works for me. Just a suggestion to anyone who it willing to think, um, outside the box :-)

Go, Monique! I use my bra purse, same system, 365 days a year. Never lose it, and it is pretty discrete. But I also use a waist money belt when travelling, and also a day messenger bag when I travel. it just holds water, book, map, etc. But my cash is close to my heart.

Exactly Karen! I always carry a big purse (like a hobo bag) to hold my camera, my RS phrasebook, snacks, make-up, any souvenirs I buy, small umbrella, loose change, etc... and I still wear my money belt here and there, but totally agree: keep the cash close to your heart - literally!! :-)

I call it the "Belt O' Torture". The belt can be too long and may get further stretched out during use so I bring small scissors for trimming purposes. I bring 2 money belts so I can wash and let one dry while wearing the other one. I also have a silk neck one with a long string that I wear tucked into the front of my pants - it cuts down on the sweating issue. I get rid of the plastic liner and have added a folded dryer sheet to absorb the sweat rather than my passport/money. I usually have the money belt portion in the small of my back. Once I was wearing the pocket in the front, as I boarded the train and was putting my luggage on a top luggage rack, a young woman patted her belly and asked her male companion to assist me with my luggage because I was pregnant. Priceless! I do carry a small coinpurse with about 50 euros and know that it may well be taken from me. As much as I hate the Belt o Torture, it is worth the peace of mind. I lived in Europe as a teenager but that was some 30 years ago -- never wore a money belt, never locked my bicycle, never locked up my skis. . . never had a problem. Now you must lock your bicycle in Europe - times change. . .

Suzann - if you can stand another thought on the money belt question, here it is. I use the neck wallet - around my waist. It has been the only comfortable way I have found to wear one. The loop meant to go around your neck is quite long and adjustable. The wallet part ends up on my thigh instead of my waist, so no problem with anything showing or being uncomfortable. I do use a small safety pin to secure the belt to my clothes just to be safe, as I can't really feel it so wouldn't know if it somehow slipped off. This works so well for me that I went to Step 2: I took the elastic waist band off my waist money belt, cut the loop on the neck money belt and made 2 loops. I thread the elastic belt through the loops. Super comfortable and easy!

Yes, it is indeed only the Rick Steves acolytes that seem a little rabid about the money belt thing. Again, while I'm not telling anyone not to wear it (by all means, wear one if it makes you feel better), I don't think it means an imminent loss of valuables. And someone mentioned slash-proof purses the purse I carried was actually PacSafe, and it is slash-proof and has a ton of useful (and not-so-easy-to-open) compartments. I wore it all over Europe and I wear it in Seattle to this day. Plus, being from Moscow originally, I know a thing or two about keeping my things safe from sticky fingers :)

Hi Suzann, As I am not a huge fan of the money belts, another option I have used with great success is to make and sew an envelope type stretchy pocket on the inside of a camisole. Make sure the pocket is a fraction smaller than your largest item, eg: passport , so that you get a snug fit . The flap of the pocket can be secured with a dome or safety pin. Sew it so it sits either under the bust or lower in the small of the back. I use this system every time I travel to store cash, passport, cards etc.
As long as you don't wear clingy tops, you don't know its there and any pickpockets would have a hard time getting to it if they tried.

I'm new to the RS forum/books, but we're going to Italy and Greece next month. I don't think I'll use a money belt/neck belt or sew any pockets - primarily because I don't wear baggy jeans, baggy pants, or baggy tops. I prefer sleeveless camis/tank tops or built-in-bra shirts, or easy-to-wear dresses. I just don't understand how my clothes will allow for a large patch of paperwork and documents, even in a nice-looking silk bag, to fit undetected or comfortably under them. I think I would need to wear a size bigger in everything. I like the ideas of cross-body bags and securing a wallet or whatever inside the bag itself, and making sure getting in the bag is difficult - and keeping a hand on it, keeping it close, and paying attention. I think I've missed the moneybelt boat! :)

I agree that most people most of the time are honest and are not pickpockets, but I don't want to take that chance in a foreign country where I'm totally dependent on what I have with me. I'm not crazy about the moneybelt, esp. in hot weather, but I wear it because I don't want to worry about being pickpocketed. I don't wear a moneybelt in the U.S. because it's my home country and if I got pickpocketed, I could easily call my bank and credit card companies. I would even encourage locals to wear a moneybelt in certain situations. One of my friends in Germany went to a club and had his wallet lifted out of his back pocket when he was dancing. An employee found it the next day and everything was there except cash (only 30 euros, but my friend needed to live off that until he got his paycheck).

Sarah, from Denver,, I do not wear baggy jeans( size 4 at most) or baggy tshirts either,, and I manage to wear a moneybelt when needed( for me, ,only while travelling if you read my previous post).. One only needs to put three things in there. One passport. One credit card, and one atm card.,, oh, and I guess if they have alot of cash. Its pretty thin.. I don't put a bunch of "documents or papers" in there. They are replaceable.

I use two different options. I have a small "bag" from Baggallini. It's about 3X4 inches and has two loops on one side to slide your belt through. It also has about 4 zippered compartments and is large enough to hold your passport. It's very convenient, especially if you are wearing a top that covers it. I also have a silky pocket/pouch that has two straps that attach to my bra straps. It is large enough to carry folded up bills and a couple of credit cards. But of course you will have to find a private place to access the contents.
Both have come in very handy for me. The Baggallini is great because of so many compartments.

I always wear a money belt and it really doesn't bother me. It does sit higher than my low rise pants but my shirt covers over it so that it isn't visible. When I need money I lift my shirt a couple inches, unzip and grab cash. Even if people saw the money belt it would be difficult for them to steal it or pick pocket me.

Not sure how much you need to hide, but a few dresses I bought from REI last year had a hidden pocket that I didn't notice when I was in the store trying them on. You could hold your cards and some cash, but definitely not several bills and a passport. I hate wearing purses and my husband gets the fun job of holding all of our money, cards and passport in his moneybelt when we travel.

So I'm wondering .... when do you start wearing the money belt? Do you put it on before your overseas flight (keeping your passport out until you're on board)? Or do you put it on just before you land? I would think it might be uncomfortable to wear during a flight.

My husband hates the money belt! My son wears it around his neck, but then we see the string peeping out sometimes. I detest it. Sorry for those who are freakishly attached to using this thing. Instead, I bought a PacSafe purse back in 2008 and have used it for 6 trips back to Europe in that time. Very well worth the money, and I have my PP, CC and whatever else in my purse. That being said, I am trying to come up with a reasonably, safer way for my husband to carry important stuff on him this coming December when we try Spain and Portugal. Any ideas for sewing a pocket in would be greatly appreciated. There has to be other options. BTW, I am so thrilled to read about keeping stuff in the bra. That reminds me of my grandma and I had mentioned it to my daughter this past summer as a brilliant option! Not my passport though...that will have to stay in the PacSafe.

Charlene- I actually wear both a waist belt (that I prefer) and a neck pouch for travel days. I keep the extra money and cards in the waist belt, and passport and boarding pass in the neck wallet. I also carry a small wallet for the day's purchases. I can access the passport & boarding pass easily without dropping cash all over. I zip it up and tuck it into my shirt during the flight. When I'm in my hotel, I move that stuff to the waist wallet. It looks like you must now remove any moneybelts while going through security. I don't find the waist belt uncomfy, but why don't you get one and try it out for a few days at home?

"Not too comfortable"...."don't like the idea"? Having experienced the incredible hassle suffered by traveling companions who have been ripped off by thieves (thieves who used incredible sleight-of-hand and diversionary techniques) I am rather miffed when those of us who concur with Rick's advice to use money-belt are described as "the money-belt cult"! Okay, so your hand is on your across the worn across the front bag.....two huge guys almost knock you over in the subway, and while you are regaining your balance, a third guy is in and out of your bag so fast you don't even realize it until you are back at the hotel. (I traveled with someone to whom this happened.)

Grace, the same could happen to someone with a money belt in the sense that they could pull and tug on the clothing, realise something else is there and rip it off. My cross body is PacSafe and it has all sorts of zippers and an extra lock that was actually fumbled with in Italy, but not easy to open. I grinned the entire time. This year I used PacSafe in London, but the rest of my trip I used a Coach bag that was kept close to my body, under my arm, and no one messed with me...not even in Amsterdam's Red Light District. It can happen, I know this, but my passport was back at the hotel. Sometimes I take chances, sometimes I don't.