Moneybelt comfort?

I got a silk Eagle Creek around the waist one, and I wore it with the pouch on my back and didn't notice it (had passport, airline ticket, 2 backup credit/debit cards, some USD, and extra euros in it) at all. You just want to either get one that comes with a plastic sheath or put your stuff in a ziploc baggie b/c it can get sweaty and you don't want to ruin your tickets and stuff. Have fun! :)

Hello Dana-

A proper moneybelt should not be bulky at all. It should lie flat on your body, under your clothes and above/below your waist but not at your waist itself. I recommend a silk waist moneybelt, such as the one Rick Steves sells (please act surprised at this recommendation!). I'm especially a fan of the plastic "barrier" in the pockets that separates my money from my sweaty body. I prefer waist over neck moneybelts because the waist ones are easier for me to wear under my clothes. I've used a moneybelt in France without any problems. It was very comfortable - oftentimes I forgot I was wearing it. You may want to wear it for a few days before the trip to get used to it.

Will people be able to tell that it is under your clothes? I don't think it matters. Here's my logic: if a thief knows I am wearing a moneybelt and wants to rob me, the perp has to come close to my face, lift up my shirt, and unbuckle from the back - all without getting my attention, which is impossible. I would kick the person by step #2. Alternatively, the thief could easily steal something from my pocket without disturbing me or attracting attention. If a thief is trying to steal from your moneybelt, you're going to notice!

Thank you all so much for your input!

Dana, you can buy one at your local drugstore for around $10 and try it out to see if it works for you.

I'm a woman who likes to dress pretty well on trips, and have used both style of moneybelts. Both worked well. Right now I'm into the neck ones, which I find more convenient, don't get as sweaty, and don't add more inches to my middle!

Try wearing one around BEFORE you leave. You can get a feel for how they work and adjust the fit/style accordingly. Personally, I wear a waist style moneybelt "backwards" (the hook in the front, the money part in the back, because it fits across the small of my back better than the other way). Ditto to the plastic insert, it keeps things from getting stinky. There are also ones that go around your leg (kind of like an ace bandage). Regardless, consider the discomfort a small price to pay to avoid the major cost and headache of losing your most precious items (passport, money, Visa). Rome has professional pick pockets, and the best defense besides being alert is to keep your precious cargo out of sight.

I have worn the one around my waist. I do not wear very tight clothes, so the money belt never shows anyways. I do not wear the plastic one as it would make me feel sweaty and hot. I do not keep airline tickets in it as I only use etickets, and they are replaceable anywhere. I only keep my cc, atm card and passport in it ( plus some money) I never carry very large sums of cash regardless.
I do not wear one every day, only on " travel" days, or days where I go to my ATM and withdraw cash for three or four days.
I wear the belt slightly below waist. I do not assess it in public.

It's really a matter of personal taste & comfort. I primarily used a neckpouch on my recent trip to Rome because I didn't like the waistbelt--especially after nearly dropping it in the toilet!

Also take into consideration where you will be and when. Neckpouches don't work so well with tanktops, but since I was in Italy in December, the cord was perfectly hidden beneath a turtleneck or scarf the entire time.

They are so cheap, I would suggest buying both and experimenting.

I always love this question because I don't do what everyone else says. I use a waist money belt, but I adjust the strap and drop the pouch down my pants leg. I usually wear pants when I travel so this works well for me. It is not bulky or particularly sweaty. Rick's plastic insert is fantastic, but I was unable to adjust the belt without cutting and sewing. I also found this method to be very comfortable. If I needed access during the day, I would usually go to the restroom, but a couple of times when that wasn't possible, I just pulled it up and then dropped it back down. If someone somehow managed to cut the strap, they still wouldn't have the belt. My daughter found a money belt designed to fit around the calf of the leg. That felt insecure to her, so she wore it around her thigh. (That would so NOT work for me!) She was very comfortable with that. Best advice: try out a couple of different ways before traveling.

That is a great idea! My husband really didn't want to wear one but I think he would go for that. Thank you everyone for your advice. It has all be extremely helpful. I have one other question to go along with the belt. Other than Rick Steves (of course) are there stores that I could go and buy travel accessories. I have been google-ing in search for the last 2 days and can't find any travel stores in New York! I don't know if I am not using a good keyword or if they don't exist...or if a camping or luggage store would be fine. Thanks.

I used both a neck pouch and a waist belt during my Camino pilgrimage this summer in Spain. Both were by PacSafe. I prefer the waist belt.

I like the Pacsafe belts because the belt is strong (reinforced with a cable to prevent slashing - although it can set off airport metal detectors, so you may have to take it off for inspection), and the clasp is better than Rick's or Eagle Creek's. And it has a plastic pouch for credit cards.

I didn't like the neck one for these reasons: 1) It looked and felt like I was wearing a bulletproof vest, 2), it was a pain reaching into my shirt to get stuff, and 3) it soaked up a lot of sweat and got my money/papers wet (probably the least of your worries on a typical vacation - my pilgrimage was strenuous).

To be fair, I also had sweat/comfort issues with the belt during the hike, and I took both off while trekking. But when I did the usual RS city-walking, I used the belt vs. the neck pouch. It held more, and I had no problem accessing it.

My mom found the neck pouch for me at Target. I've also seen moneybelts at REI.

I have been to Paris twice and to Rome five times. For my first overseas trip I bought a money belt but have never used it. I know I am crazy, and I have numerous friends who have been victims of pickpockets, but the women that live in Rome and Paris carry purses, so I figured why couldn't I. I have taken my purse on the RER, the metro in Paris and Rome, and have even taken the wallet eater bus in Rome! Of course, on the bus the only thing I had in my purse was a small amount of money and a map, and someone on the bus got their wallet lifted while we were on it. My husband doesn't carry a money belt either. Once a pickpocket stuck her hand in his pocket and he looked straight at her and bellowed "pickpocket!" She retreated pretty quickly. My purse is a bit hard to pickpocket because the closure is small and it is velcro which makes noise. I wear it across my chest with one hand over the closure. Even if you use a money belt, it pays to be wary and and aware of your surroundings.

I used a waist belt for 6 trips and recently used a neck belt.I really like the neck belt better as it is more available if needed.I just unbutton my shirt whereas the waistbelt needs to be pulled out of your trousers.I dont understand those who dont use one however.It is like insurance in that you buy it and hope not to use it.

Sherry, you're right in that women in Paris & Rome carry purses. But you're missing one big point. They don't have as much to lose as you do. If they lose, their wallet, they simply replace cards,etc, just like you would do at home. If you lose your cards, you're going to spend some of your vacation time replacing these items & what are you going to do in the meantime? I travel by myself. Losing my ATM card would leave me broke & unhappy & I don't even want to think about replacing my passport. I use the RS silk moneybelt & don't even notice it. I sometimes touch it to verify it's still there.

To follow up on Rose's comments, not only do the locals in Rome and Paris have less to lose, the local pickpockets are less likely to target them anyway. So while the ladies in Rome and Paris may have a purse slung over their shoulder, the language that comes out of their mouths is likely to be Italian or French, not English. Even ignoring clothes and cameras, its not hard for an interested person (eg. pickpocket) to tell who's a local and who's a visitor. As Rick says, it's nothing personal. Travelers are more likely to be carrying large sums of money and lots of credit cards than a local.

My husband and I each wore a Rick Steves moneybelt. I wore mine over toward my left side. Inside were passports, ATM cards, a credit card, larger amts of Euros, phone numbers of banks and financial institutions that issued the cards, in case of loss. I kept passports and anything I didn't need to get to in a hurry in a small ziplock bag to prevent moisture problems. The ATM machines in Europe suck in the ATM card and don't give it back until transaction is over, so we each took an extra card just in case the machine ate the card or rendered it useless. I didn't find the moneybelt to be bulky. I found it to be freeing, so that I could enjoy myself. I did wear a small purse with across-the-body strap to carry lip gloss, small amt of Euro, small digital camera, and extra batteries. If I had it to do over again, which I hope to very soon, I would do exactly the same as before.

Sherry, I agree local women don't wear money belts, but as pointed out , they are less likely to be carrying a couple of hundred euros and a passport on them. Also, if they lose their id, it would be easier for them to replace it. Just like it would be for us at home.
I personally do not wear a moneybelt every day. I don't think it is nessesary, since I only carry one days cash on me at a time, and I do not carry my passport with me. I am one of those who uses hotel safes and has never had a problem.

On travel days though , the passport , cc and ATM card go into my moneybelt.

I've tried all sorts of ways of carrying valuables, and though I preferred the waist belt to the neck pouch, I found it too hot in warm climates. So I operated on my belt in my hotel room and cut away the soft wallet part, sewed up the sides and pinned it with two medium sized safety pins to the inside back of my jeans or capris waistband (side not centre). I had my passport, credit cards and some notes in there and couldn't feel it in place at all. I was able to extract things from it if necessary by sliding the wallet zip across to open it and reaching in to get whatever I needed. There's no way anyone else could have got in there, though.
Another place I kept passport and cards sometimes was in the side pocket of my cargo pants - the one down at knee level. It had a button-down flap over it and I figured no-one could get in there without me noticing!

It's not about the fact thieve woul know if you have soemthing on your back. They search anyway. I would never wear anything on my back, I mean inside my shirt.
Here is how i do it. I have a jean jacket that has large and long inside pockets.I put everything in there and then button it.Nobody will be able to search you inside of your jacket.Also I glued some velcros on top of the pockets so I can close them.
I wear a small backpak with a few things in it, such water, maybe some cleaning products, nothing valuable. When I am in crowed palces such subway or even on busy streets, I carry my backpack right in front of me. Never never carry it on your back.

I've used both. Get one with multiple pockets.

I like the belt better because it stays out of the way. I have a small digital camera around my neck (tucked into my shirt when not in use). My kids liked the neck pouch better.

It's only bulky if you put a ton of stuff in it. Stick to a credit and debit card, large denomination cash that you won't use that day, and valuable tickets.

It's good to divide the load with travel partners in case you lose something. I carried my passport/ticket, debit and credit card, and a two-sided copy with all passports and cards for my family. My wife carried a credit and debit cards for different accounts plus her passport/ticket and page of copies.

The kids carried their own passports and tickets but didn't carry extra copies since my wife and I had one and we had extras in our bags.

The first time I used a belt, my stuff got sweaty. Either get a plastic lined belt or put your stuff in zip-lock bags.

I agree with Jennifer -- I don't like the neck pouch either. I do use one outside my shirt, though, when checking in at the airport to keep my boarding pass, passport, etc., easily accessible. I'm also likely to toss random change or receipts in it until I get better organized (like when I'm sitting on the plane). For day-to-day travel, I prefer the moneybelt for comfort.

Places where I have found money belts in addition to this site:
Wal-Mart
Target
Luggage stores, esp in the outlet malls
Any stores selling active (i.e.hiking) wear.
Catalogues such as Tilleys, TravelSmith, etc.

Hope this helps!

I've tried the neck money belt before and I didn't like it. I found that it was hard to find a way to wear it that didn't make my shirt look funky...maybe its a girl thing? Since then I've used the waist money belt (I have a land's end) and honestly it was very comfortable. In fact there was a couple of times I had to reach in a double check that it was still there! And no one had a clue it was there. I've traveled in the summer with it as well as the cooler months and didn't have any itchy scratchy feelings with it either.

Di, There are people on these boards who have written about having money lifted from the knee pocket of their cargo pants while on the bus or train. I wouldn't know personally, but I believe people when they say that items in your front (or knee) pockets are not safe from picket-pockets.

I wasn't planning on getting a money belt despite fear of being robbed because I can't imagine adding anything to my waistline. Instead, I was thinking about using a trick my aunt used in Vegas. She used to safty pin a wad of cash to her bra that she would take out in the bathroom. I was thinking something like that would be easier and less disfiguring. I mean there's plenty of room there! lol

I wore Rick Steves' moneybelt during my first three European trips but I found it to be really uncomfortable. So now only my husband wears one, with both our passports, credit cards and extra cash. I carry one credit card, photo ID and cash in my locked daybag, in case I get separated from him.

Karis, If it was uncomfortable, I think the question is how or where were you wearing it? Personally I have never found the belt to be uncomfortable but I have also seem a lot of people who don't properly wear the money belt and can see why it would be uncomfortalbe.

I went online and found Rick's moneybelt cheaper than sold on his website. Sorry Rick. It's silk, thin and looks perfect. Even still, I think I would keep the pouch part on my tummy where I can keep a hand on it - not on my back as suggested here otherwise. I always travel with a fanny pack facing forward to keep tickets, boarding passes, money, ID, etc easily accessible.

I see no improvement in security if you wear it in front with your hand on it unless you are wearing outside of you clothing which is common. I have seen many people wear it at the waist line just behind their belt so that they have easy access. That is not the purpose of the money belt.

I totally agree with Linda about the pockets on Cargo pants.
It's not a good place for valuables. I have to wear them for work. An EMS collegue fell asleep on a bus and had her stetho and wallet lifted from her cargo pants leg pocket while she slept.

I seldom use a moneybelt in it's original state. I have them altered and half zippers put into my waist bands so the moneybelt can be removed and refitted in various pieces of clothing. A good tailor should be able to do it for about $10 a piece. That way there is no belt to ride up or show under low rise pants.

When I used to use the regular moneybelts I'd have to wear regular or high rise pants with a tuck-in shirt and place the belt over the shirt tail. That works ok but the zipper method seems better. It's really handy in my uniform skirts and pants. I liked the suggestion on the Grafitti wall about having a "travel uniform". Makes good sense!

I find my money belt most comfortable worn in the back, just below the waist. I also use a bra safe which is a small pouch that attaches to your bra straps.

Just got back, and wearing a waist belt worked for all of us, including my daughters, 12 & 15. They did not like carrying passports in theirs, so when we moved to a hotel with a room safe, the passports went there. I find waist belts best. We all used separate neck pouches in airports for documents, and the strap really irritates my neck.

In the past I've even slept in a waist belt, when I've had more money than I should, or was in a dicey motel. You do have to remember to take it off before you step into the shower!