How to carry cash while backpacking?

[Dan8G]

So i'll be touring Europe/Asia for a few months this summer, and have heard horror stories about pickpocketing. I was told to have one of those thin, under-the-shirt, burlap things that holds your passport/important items. No thanks. I was considering wearing a money belt (one of those Pacsafe ones, with the steel reinforced strap) around my shoulder (Still have to worry about style! haha).

I'll withdraw money as i need it (take about 300€). Carry 50€ in my pocket, and then keep everything else (passport, flight passes, credit cards) in my pacsafe.

Any suggestions/comments?

[CheapScotsman]

Its been a long time but when I was in Europe and Asia (in the summer) I was wearing shorts and long T shirts

I got a small fanny pack and wore it directly around my waist under the T shirt (which hung down 1/2 to my knees) ... worked fine for me.

[heymikey]

Well, you seem to have everything you need. I carry a money belt but only wear it when I'm traveling from one place to the next. Otherwise, I usually leave it at the hostel (secured with travelsafe (http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&_action=detail&id=18)). Besides, the money belt goes under your shirt so I don't understand why you're worried about style. Nobody would see it. To prevent pickpocketing, I have the walletsafe (http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&_action=detail&id=15). You can tell that I like PacSafe products. :razz:

[sfw]

Well, you seem to have everything you need. I carry a money belt but only wear it when I'm traveling from one place to the next. Otherwise, I usually leave it at the hostel (secured with travelsafe (http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&_action=detail&id=18)). Besides, the money belt goes under your shirt so I don't understand why you're worried about style. Nobody would see it. To prevent pickpocketing, I have the walletsafe (http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&_action=detail&id=15). You can tell that I like PacSafe products. :razz:

where do you buy your pacsafe products?

[heymikey]

where do you buy your pacsafe products?
I bought the travelsafe in Hong Kong for about CAD20 (they were on sale) since I couldn't find one here. As for the walletsafe, I don't remember the name of the store but it specialized on travel accessories.

[spookie149]

The travel belt would be a good idea. Word of advice- don't let your guard down around kids. A friend was distracted by a vendor and a little girl behind her swiped her wallet when we were in Asia.

[redbimmer]

So i'll be touring Europe/Asia for a few months this summer, and have heard horror stories about pickpocketing. I was told to have one of those thin, under-the-shirt, burlap things that holds your passport/important items. No thanks. I was considering wearing a money belt (one of those Pacsafe ones, with the steel reinforced strap) around my shoulder (Still have to worry about style! haha).

I'll withdraw money as i need it (take about 300€). Carry 50€ in my pocket, and then keep everything else (passport, flight passes, credit cards) in my pacsafe.

Any suggestions/comments?

Not to be crass, but do you want to protect your valuables, or do you want to look fashionable? I admit that a neck pouch isn't very stylish, but it really is one of the simplest and most effective ways to keep your cash and passport safe. As someone pointed out, you can place it under your t-shirt or jacket. Plus, all the other tourists are going to be wearing the same thing, so you won't look out of place at all. I generally don't like money belts because they're a hassle when you need to change clothes or use the bathroom, and they tend to chafe my waist. Another alternative is to use a slim wallet and keep it in your FRONT pants pocket, which is much harder to pickpocket and will never fall out when you sit down somewhere.

where do you buy your pacsafe products?

MEC sells them, as well as Europe Bound.

[atomiton]

i know someone who had pockets sewn on the inside of all his pants.

[farkaland]

What about pants with zippered/velcro pockets?

[spookie149]

What about pants with zippered/velcro pockets?

I know some people who had their back pockets sliced and flyers swiped out of there. Wouldn't advise it.

[Dan8G]

So I just went to grab the pacsafe today, and the strap doesn't extend enough to pulll over my shoulder comfortably. So the next option in my mind is just to carry around 100$ at a time, and keep taking out when i need more. Leave my passport in my day pack at the bottom sandwiched between some stuff, or in my pack locked up at the hostel.

I know though that there will be a slew of banking and conversion fees if I do it this way. Or even just using plastic everywhere. Does anyone know of a way to get around this? International bank accounts? Special bank account with a branch here?

Thanks!

[heymikey]

I know though that there will be a slew of banking and conversion fees if I do it this way. Or even just using plastic everywhere. Does anyone know of a way to get around this? International bank accounts? Special bank account with a branch here?
I posted this before but if you have a TD chequing account, switch to their Select Service and they will waive their fee for withdrawing outside Canada (see chart (http://www.tdcanadatrust.com/accounts/compare_chequing.jsp)). Plus if you maintain $5000 in your account, they will waive the monthly fee as well. You can easily change your account type online through easyWeb so once you get back from your trip, you can switch it back to their Value Plus or whatever.

[CheapScotsman]

Unless the hostel offers a secure storage area ... if you leave you pack locked in your hostel room you should pretty much expect to come back one day and find it sliced and rifled.

[spookie149]

If you open an HSBC account here before you leave it's free banking with them and partners worldwide. In China this included Hang Seng.

[redbimmer]

So I just went to grab the pacsafe today, and the strap doesn't extend enough to pulll over my shoulder comfortably. So the next option in my mind is just to carry around 100$ at a time, and keep taking out when i need more. Leave my passport in my day pack at the bottom sandwiched between some stuff, or in my pack locked up at the hostel.

I know though that there will be a slew of banking and conversion fees if I do it this way. Or even just using plastic everywhere. Does anyone know of a way to get around this? International bank accounts? Special bank account with a branch here?

Thanks!

IMO plastic is the way to go. Yes, you're paying conversion rates, but you would have to do that anyways at a money exchange or bank. I know Mastercard doesn't charge any additional service fees, and the rates always reflect current market value. I know Scotiabank is part of an international alliance so you can use partner ATMs without any service fees- I think it includes HSBC in Asia.

[Talamasca]

Citizens Bank of Canada has a Global Chequing Account that allows to withdraw money globally without any fees from their end, although the ATM itself may still impose a fee.

[Sgt_Strider]

Another way would be to use travellers' cheques. I usually leave my cheques in the hotel and I never had a problem with someone stealing it. It's not likely that the petty thief will be able to cash it especially in countries like China.

[time space]

Another way would be to use travellers' cheques. I usually leave my cheques in the hotel and I never had a problem with someone stealing it. It's not likely that the petty thief will be able to cash it especially in countries like China.

Imho, traveller's cheques are a royal pain in the butt. I remember always looking for somewhere to cash them, getting suspicious looks from hotel clerks, and often paying additional service fees to cash the damn things.

I second the plastic suggestion - look for the best deal with your financial institution as also suggested on the previous page. Or preload your VISA with cash before you go. In this age of ATM's, no one should have to suffer thru traveller's cheques ever again.

[pipolchap]

I always carried the bulk of my cash and passport in a money belt under my clothes.

The money I expected to use that day was split into 2 places, a cheap wallet in one pocket and plainly folded up in the other pocket. I pulled out the wallet all the time to pay for taxi rides and food. Once this was used up, I moved cash from the other pocket into the wallet.

If I needed to access some backup cash for some expensive gifts or whatever, I go somewhere private (restroom or wherever) and access the money belt.

It has worked for me for 10 yrs of backpacking. Why did I develop such a complicated paranoid system of carrying cash???
The places I usually visited never really accepted plastic or had ATM's, so I had to carry it ALL in cash. And most of the time, I had to carry small denominations because most people do not have change. So I would end up with these ridiculously huge bulges. Cash is king, traveler's cheques cause too much problems.

I NEVER left cash or passport in my hostel/hotel room.

[Bazooka Joe]

I've got a little pouch that hangs off my belt with a thin, black strap. The strap is almost invisible against a black belt, and the pouch hangs inside whatever pants/shorts you're wearing. The belt itself also has a hidden compartment with photocopies of all my personal info and $100 US in there (would be 100 Euro in your case).

I've carried up to 4k in cash this way though some pretty rough countries. I always carry a pack of tissues in my back right pocket and a fake wallet with whatever money I'll need for the day, expired ID and expired credit cards in my front pocket.

This is probably a little extreme for Europe, just trying to give you options. Depending on where you go in Asia this may not be unreasonable.

[Sgt_Strider]

Imho, traveller's cheques are a royal pain in the butt. I remember always looking for somewhere to cash them, getting suspicious looks from hotel clerks, and often paying additional service fees to cash the damn things.

I second the plastic suggestion - look for the best deal with your financial institution as also suggested on the previous page. Or preload your VISA with cash before you go. In this age of ATM's, no one should have to suffer thru traveller's cheques ever again.

I didn't had any difficulties getting my cheques cashed. Obviously there will be some paper work to fill out, but other than that, I don't recall I had to pay any extra fees.

[heymikey]

There's also the Visa TravelMoney (http://www.visa.ca/en/personal/prepaid/travelmoney.cfm) card which is an alternative to ATM cards. It's not tied to your bank account so if it gets stolen, you don't have to worry about someone wiping out your account. You can top it up as you go.