Most folks don’t go on vacation preparing to be robbed or mugged, but they probably should.  Tourists tend to wander about in predictable herds—wallets stuffed with cash and distracted by their surroundings—making them prime targets for thieves.  Pick-pocketing is so common at some attractions that signs are required to alert visitors.  But even if you avoid the crowds and take the road less traveled, you could still be robbed or mugged.  Fortunately there are many ways to reduce the likelihood and consequences of this happening to you.

img_4292-resized
Hide money in several unexpected places

One of the easiest things to do is to hide your money in several different places, making it unlikely that thieves will find it all.  Even if most of your valuables are stolen, a bit of cash will let you reach a police station or your hotel, or grab something to eat while you wait for grandma to wire more money.  Options for hiding emergency funds include a money belt, secret pockets in your clothing or hand luggage, and (sometimes) your shoes.  Too bad many of these places are well known to thieves or impractical for other reasons—we still haven’t found a good way to hide money in a flip flop, for example (and to be honest, it’s not something we’re looking into right now).

The ideal hiding place should be:

  • on your person (so even if your bags or purse are taken you’ll still have it)
  • lightweight and small (so you’ll always bring it)
  • appropriate for any time of day or night (so it doesn’t raise suspicion)
  • innocuous and inoffensive (so it’s easily overlooked)
  • not in itself valuable (so that it’s not a target).

We have found the humble little chap stick to meet these criteria perfectly.  Simply take a chap stick that is almost used up and keep advancing it until the rest of the product falls out.  Push some tightly folded and rolled bills into the void space at the bottom of the tube, around the plastic screw in the centre.  Carefully thread the plug of remaining product back on the plastic screw, and reverse it back down into the tube.  Versatile and inconspicuous—not to mention tasty.

img_4276-resized
A chap stick is perfect for hiding emergency cash
img_4289-resized
Stuff folded bills into the bottom and reassemble
img_4286-resized
Fully functional and impossible to tell there’s money inside

Considerations:

  • Emergency cash is pretty easy to lose, throw out or launder by accident.
  • Hide most of your money on your person and in your hand luggage, not in checked baggage.
  • Choose a type of currency that is accepted locally, and carry enough to be useful.
  • Some vendors may not accept bills that have been folded or creased.

Categories:  International Travel