When you’re traveling, there’ll always be one kind of person who loves your favorite jeans even more than you do: the pickpocket. Those sleek back pockets are often barely big enough to contain your phone, credit cards, and cash, and they’re out of your eye-line, making them easy to snatch from. While the inside pocket of your jacket can offer a good place to hide valuables, they also require you to keep your layers on and fastened at all times – not an ideal option for people traveling to exotic countries. So what can you do to keep your money secure?
RFID protected money belts were designed to offer a solution to people following the active travel lifestyle. Not only do they provide an invisible safe space in which to store passports, credit cards, and keys, but they’re also protected with an RFID-blocking lining so that you can bypass physical, and digital pickpockets at the same time.
Don’t Reject your Wallet
Importantly, if you want to make the most of RFID protected money belts, you need to recognize that they’re not substitutes for your wallet. Your money belt isn’t there to carry all of the stuff you need for daily transactions. You don’t want to be pulling it out and re-hiding it every time you make a purchase, because that defeats the purpose by drawing attention to it. Instead, the things you use all the time, such as:
- Your identification
- The cash you’ll need for the day
- Any vouchers
Should be carried outside of your money belt in your wallet or pocket. Just make sure you shove the money as deep in your pocket as it will go. If you need to access your belt, do so in a place where no-one else can see it – like a restroom.
What to Put in RFID Protected Money Belts
Just because your money belt will help keep your valuables secure doesn’t mean you should empty your safe wherever you go. Just carry valuables that you might need. Some of the items that you can put into your belt include:
- Vital information for health emergency purposes
- Your room key
- Any Visas, or your passport
- Your travel insurance info
- Credit cards
- Emergency cash
If you don’t need access to your smartphone at all times, you can put this in your money belt too, but only if you’re not going to be grabbing it every ten minutes.
Keep Your Money Belt Hidden
Keep in mind that RFID protected money belts work best when they are hidden. If your money belt is visible, then you’re waving a red flag to thieves. Make sure you try the belt on before you leave, and wear the clothes you’ll be using on your trip so you can double check whether or not it’s visible. If you’re wearing it under your clothes, try to button your shirt and tuck it into your pants, don’t let the material just hang loosely over the belt so that it’s exposed every time you reach for something.
