Minding your money and documents while traveling

I hear horror stories of people being robbed of their important belongings while on the road. I was in a train station in Sapa Vietnam when we saw a Caucasian girl crying on the street since she lost her passport and money. Same case with a guy talking to his friend on Skype in Laos asking help because he lost his wallet and credit cards. These events can be traumatic, and more of a hassle. Fortunately, I haven’t experienced losing a passport or documents, but I almost got robbed. Let me share with you a few personal precautions I do to make my possessions safe and give me peace of mind while I travel:

Don’t put your eggs in one basket or rather your money

Honestly, it scares me to bring large amounts of money but I try to keep myself composed and not to look tense. What I do is to distribute them in different places, not only in my wallet but also my bag compartments, notebooks or even shoes. That way, if one would ever get lost, I wouldn’t lose everything.

Use secure money pouches and wallets

It’s a benefit for us travelers that there are manufacturers like DesignGo and PacSafe which make products to secure our belongings. What’s better is that they have different designs that suit different lifestyles. Here are some that I use.

1. Tri-fold walletsafe. I’ve had my pacsafe wallet for more than three years and I can attest to its quality. Its metal chain has kept me from losing the wallet from falling on a few occasions and even prevented a thief from totally picking it out when I was riding a jeep. It's one of my worthwhile purchases.

2. Travel pouch. Both DesignGo and Pacsafe have their own versions of this and the choice is subjective. What's important is they both serve the purpose of keeping your documents close to your body either under the shirt or jacket. A passport fits in perfectly with a few bills in there.

3. Belt bag. Occasionally, I use a belt bag to keep small items and money but not always. But some of my friends do use them regularly and it works for them.

4. Money belt. I have the DesignGo money belt and I thought it was ingenious and probably the least place a thief or robber would look into.

5. Undercover leg stash. I don't have this yet but I plan to get one when I saw a friend who has this. Eagle Creek and REI have versions of these wallets where you put it on the lower leg when wearing pants. I thought it was really useful.

Document prints and online duplicates

Call me paranoid, but I can't stress enough of having multiple copies of documents like tickets, passports, hotel reservations and even my identification cards. Aside from printouts, I have scanned copies online and also on my mobile phone storage. This makes it a lot easier to obtain these items again and may be used as identification when out of the country.

Always have a presence of mind

I may have scattered my money in different locations, bought all the anti-theft accessories I can use or have dozens of multiple documents I need, but prevention is still best by being alert and conscious of your surroundings. If you feel a location has  had numerous incidents of theft, be cautious.

Don't be too Flashy

Finally, attracting too much attention is the last thing you would want. You'll be an easy target for thieves watching from afar.