better than a money belt (in my humble opinion)
 

Hi Fodorites,

I just came back from a two week trip in Italy. I had read here (and elsewhere) to beware of pickpocketers, and I guess I took it to heart because before my trip I had bought two money belts and neck style pouches to secure money, passports, credit cards, etc. After my husband looked at them, and then picked himself off the floor from laughting at me, he informed me that he would not use either. According to DH, "I've traveled all around the world and never gotten robbed", so it became clear that I would have to become the keeper of the valuables on this trip. Only problem was, I really didn't like wearing those money belt/neck pouch items either.

I found a really good solution, and would like to share it with folks here. I found a very smartly designed across the body type bag that I felt very secure with. It has an unbelievable number of pockets and interior compartments for carrying and organizing lots of stuff that you travel with (in addition to wallet, I carry maps, a guide book, a small travel dictionary, a 3x5" notebook, pens, gum, kleenex, wipes, a change purse, glasses, sunscreen, cellphone, a camera, extra batteries, extra memory card, and who knows what else, and had space for all this!), but more to the point, I kept my passports and larger currency and credit cards in a zippered interior pocket(inside another zippered pocket) that no one could easily find or know about unless they had this bag, and kept smaller bills and change in a little change purse in a more accessable zippered pocket, and felt completely secure about this arrangement.

The bag is very compact and lightweight, even with all the stuff I carry, and after my first few days I ditched the totebag I also had with me and only carried this bag. It is designed to be worn with the strap
across the body, with the bag part in the front, and I simply kept my hand securely resting around the strap and don't believe that anyone could get try to get in it without my knowing. Another option is to wear it with the front flap facing your body, and then it is even more secure. I also don't think anyone could easily rip it off your body, because besides going across your body, the strap webbing is light but seems very strong and secure. Anyway, I always felt very safe (and well organized) using it, and now I wouldn't travel with anything else.

FYI, This bag wasn't cheap, but extremely well made-- it is called the TUMI T-Tech Flap Body Bag, or something like that. You can see it at the TUMI website...the address is:

http://www.tumi.com/tumi/flap_body_b...?modelid=41710

I got it in blue in a store, but on the website I see they have other colors.

PS Anyone want to buy a never-used money belt or neck pouch?!

Happy travels

Ronnie

Ronnie---just checked out the TUMI website. Cool bags! I've been looking for something like it for a while. Thanks for the post. Judy

Nice bag, Ijust ordered a different bag from Magellans but if it is not quite right I may try this out. Thanks Barb

I have a money belt in a way, except it's much nicer. It's a small rectangular pouch with two tabs that you hook onto you belt, you then fold it down your pant leg. No belts around your waist or the such. It's quite comfortable except it seems to get a little damp from being down below.

Nice bag. I was checking it out at Nordstroms when I was in Boston a few weeks back. Should have gotten it instead as it might have survived better than my cute green bag. Not that I'm bitter or anything...

mcnyc,

the blue one I got is on sale (end of season clearance) on the website. Since mine survived two weeks of travel without even a pizza sauce stain, maybe you should get it for your next adventure;)

We have been carrying Tumi luggage for years (although not this piece). It is incredibly durable and well engineered; the zippers still zip, the wheels still roll, and there are no tears in the nylon.

We have a rack of lesser quality bags in the basement that are no longer used. Tumi is worth the investment.

Just a couple of comments. The statement "no one could easily find or know about unless they had this bag" assumes that professional thieves never go into luggage stores to learn how bags are constructed. I'm not sure that's a safe assumption.

And the assertion "I've traveled all around the world and never gotten robbed" reveals a naïveté verging on the Pollyannish, as it's also true of every person who gets robbed the first time.

In 2000, I got a similar one in black at Target for $25. and take it on every trip.

Aren't TUMI's bags quite expensive ? At least they are here in Swizerland.

I bought a cute Echo bag from TJ Maxx for my trip and it looks very similar to yours. It is black on the outside/ hot pink of the inside w/ lots of compartments. I bought a moneybelt but I am not hip on wearing it. I haven't decided.... The bag is made of parachute material and could squish up to a small size for packing purposes. I'll let you know how it holds out for me when I return. :)

Thanks ronnie56, but I think I'm too late. It's no longer on sale. However, I did find a messenger bag that I could use...I wish I could stop being a shopaholic. I think I have more bags than God now...

Never mind. I did find it. Woohoo!!! :D

Brando, DH has the same type of money. Eagle Creek brand. He's used it for years and has thrown everything else away. His tucks in, like a shirt, but only goes down maybe 5-6 inches, not down his leg.

ronnie56, thanks for the tip. I just may get one. I am a luggage, travel accessory junkie.

We love our Tumi luggage and have used it for years. It still is in excellent condtition even after being checked in zillions of times. It is expensive, but hey, it's only money ;-)

Years ago on my first trip to Italy, everyone scared me to death with their pickpocket stories. I bought a leg spandex leg pouch thingy that you slipped on and wore mid thigh. It obviously could only be worn under pants, it would defeat the purpose if you wore it with a dress ;-)

The next morning after seeing it, the office jokester, while reading the morning paper, suddenly shouted out, "Oh my Gawd, they have been finding murdered tourists in Rome with their right legs cut off!"

I loved that leg thingy and it served me well for numerous trips after that. Then I got married and DH wears a money belt.

Nina

Unfortunately, there are two well-known methods of defeating the "cross-the-body" bags:

They are periodically snatched by thieves riding by on mopeds;their straps have also been slashed with knives.

Moneybelts work because they are out of sight.

I'm happty to hear your DH has never been robbed...give it time, though

I do agree DH's claim is a bit naive; in his favor he is a bit of a road warrier (trip to Italy for 4 was made with his airline points) so he does have a bit of street cred. But just to be safe, I carried the valuables.

Also I may have been a bit overanxious about the prevelence of street thieves. The first day of our trip a disheveled looking old man walked up to us (near us?) in Rome, and I grabbed my bag yelling "Va Via!" (Go Away!) at the top of my lungs. My family looked at me as if I had two heads, and told me I had seriously better relax about the pickpocketing thing.

It became a running joke in our family...because I couldn't help but remind my family that according to what I read, lots of pickpocketers hung out at the train station, on the Rialto bridge, etc. I must say, though, that while I saw lots of gypsies begging,and lots of graffiti in general on the streets, I always did feel safe (after the first "va via" incident) and began to relax a bit.

I had also heard about the mopeds riding by and snatching shoulder bags, and/or slashing the straps. What can I say, other than that
I felt secure holding my bag closely across the body, and with the strenght on the webbing of the strap on my bag, didn't see how anyone could easily do that.

I guess the message is be aware of your surroundings, but go enjoy yourself.

I have used several of the Travelon bags from QVC shopping, I believe the shoulder bag might be #10350, have it in many colors and have in other textures. It is an over the shoulder bag ;with all the elements of this tumi bag and quite inexpensive. I wouldn't take a trip to Europe without one. You might look it up. Halfpint

Ronnie's bag is on sale at the Tumi website:

http://tinyurl.com/g8c3z

Halfpint, I have a similar leather Travelon bag #F9809, purchased from QVC and found it perfect on my last Paris trip. It holds alot and cost less than $20.00, when I bought it. In cold weather you wear it under your coat for improved security.

There is a similar bag on HSN, item #891-778
http://tinyurl.com/je7f2

My husband and I have used money belts for years now. We wear them under our clothes at the back and always carry currency, passport, credit cards and E111 cards in them. We only get passports out just before we need them and replace them as soon as possible once we are through customs. In addition we have a copy of our travel insurance policy certificate and our flight reference numbers. We just carry enough currency for the day in a small purse in a light daysack. I do have a bag similar to the one described by Ronnie which has a belt and a strap. I usually use this on travelling days and ditch the daysack as we have our main luggage with us.
We always have copies of the identification page of passports and insurance documents back at the hotel.
I can't say that the belt is 100% comfortable but once we started using it we realised that we felt much more secure and didn't need to worry.
I think that some guide books tend to overplay the pickpocket/thieving aspects of some city holidays but such incidents can have a devastating effect on the victims. Not least because getting new passports, booking flights and getting funds can take days.
Our philosophy has been to think through our security, decide what to do and then to relax.

I am inclined to agree with Dukey. A money belt works because it goes on in your hotel room, comes off in your hoel room, and is not visible 99% of your day.

Do you wear your "across-the-body-bag" when you sit at a bar? or take it off? At a sidewalk restaurant?

Any bag is something you can be separated from... more easily than you can... from a money belt.

Best wishes,

Rex

I agree that Tumi bags are very well-designed with regard to interior pockets, and I have a backpack from them that I used to carry to work every day. However, after about a year, the zipper on it fell apart, and I don't want to take it back to Tumi to get fixed because I don't want another bad zipper on it. My DH also had a Tumi laptop bag that fell apart, and the same thing happened to two guys I know who also had Tumi laptop bags. I am not saying this will happen to everyone, but maybe their quality has gone down in recent years or something, so beware before you spend that much money on one of their bags if the money is an issue for you.

Again, I really like their designs, but my experience has made me cautious about buying another one. Everyone I know who had a bag of theirs fall apart used theirs every day as their work bag, so keep that in mind...maybe it wouldn't be an issue if you just used the bag for a few trips a year. Just wanted to throw that out there.

It looks like a great idea, but I would still feel much safer using a money belt. I use a belt that goes around my calf under my pants (we usually travel during off-season where pants are needed), as this is more comfortable for me. I have a small purse that I keep non-valuable essentials (maps, sunglasses, small umbrella, etc) in, as well as a small amount of money so I don't have to get into my money belt all the time. Everything else stays in either my money belt or DH's, as I don't prefer to take any chances.

Thanks for sharing!
Tracy

Thanks Sunny16. I don't know if Tumi was always Chinese made, but it is now, which is why sometimes I have a hard time justifying paying so much. I guess I have it in my mind that "Made in China" means inferiority.

Not to start a political discussion or anything...

I, too, have been looking for that perfect travel bag with tons of pockets. I went into our local REI sporting goods store and found a bag called the REI Personal Organizer. It has tons of pockets, the inside is orange so it is easy to find things, has a shoulder strap and can also be worn around the waist. We will be leaving next week so I will see how it works. I was thinking if we are in a very crowded train station, etc., i could wear both the shoulder strap and the waist belt. I am sure that would look dorkey but safer.

The only thing I don't like is it looks more "sporty" than "feminine". It is gray and black. Can find it on the REI website...it is $40.

We were in Italy in May, and I went through the same gyrations... worrying about pickpockets in Florence (where they WILL get your money if you let them) and Venice - this from a couple starting their trip out in New Orleans (much less theft loss post-Katrina). My wife wears a nice cross-body pouch on a light string under her dress/blouse for her passport, ID & big bills. I was pretty pleased with myself with my REI purchase of a T-Lock webbing money belt - I modeled it for my wife, who took a look at the design walked over and unlocked the buckle and spun away from me... getting the belt cleanly in one movement. I wore it anyway - men are stubborn that way ;-) I did see a new line of products at REI with steel cable reinforced straps to combat the fabled strap-slicers of Rome - the OUTPAC http://www.rei.com/product/12932861.htm

hey ronnie56 - I was looking at the picture of the bag you use and can't figure what makes it designed to wear around the body - it just looks like a purse. Is it because you can extend the strap?

I use a normal pocketbook myself. While this Tumi one looks cool enough, I don't see that it has any more security than any type of small, close-fitting handbag.

If someone runs off with your purse, it doesn't matter about the pockets inside, etc. etc.

I also think one obvious thing to do when 2 people travel together, is divide up the loot (cards, cash, passports) so if something does happen you still have 1/2 left. Even solo, I leave part of my stash behind in the hotel room. This sounded like everything they had was in that one bag... which I don't think is a very good idea.

i agree with rex...the valuables that require the most care (cards, passport, large sums of cash) are best stored directly on the person - in a secure pocket, money belt or whatever. on the person is much more secure than in a bag...no matter how well the bag is designed.

bags come off in restaurants/bars, must often be put through security scan machines (not just at the airport but often when entering attractions, etc.)

the only valuable that i keep in a bag is my camera which is insured and much less of a problem if stolen as compared to my docs or cards. i do think that the chance of a bag being stolen or lost is low if you are careful, however, a lost passport can easily ruin an expensive holiday.

and i have to admit that i once forgot my bag - containing my camera, when i got up to leave a cafe in italy. luckily, i discovered the mistake within minutes and returned to find the barman holding the bag. a momentary lapse perhaps caused by too much wine and being tired from travelling but once is all it takes.

This looks like a great bag! One of my main concerns is a bag that is LIGHT, as they always seem to weigh me down. On my last trip to France I took a very lightweight Le SportSac bag, which worked out very well, and held alot of junk. Since I'm a travel accessory "junkie" also, I'm inclined to try out this Tumi, as it's quite nice looking. Maybe I'll check out at my local Nordstrom's first to see if it's on sale.

I just got back from a rather short trip to NC to visit family, and took a light leather travel bag from Orvis that has been OK in the past, and looks good. However, it drove me crazy and I could never find anything I was looking for. Maybe it was just my own disorganization - but I think I need something like the Tumi!

kwren:
in response to your question, the bag is worn across your body on the diagonal...picture how a "miss america" sash is worn

it is clear from this thread that everyone has their own method of securing their valuables. I liked using this bag because it was lightweight, strap seemed strong, was a super organizer, and had zipper pocket deep within another zipper pocket so I felt that valuables could be safely stashed there. I also thought it was goodlooking:)

sunni16: sorry to hear you had a bad experience with the manufacturer but I just wanted to tell you that my brother in law had a zipper problem on a TUMI item he bought once and they fixed it no questions asked. I like when a manufacturer stands behind their product. Maybe you shouldn't give up on the items you have with broken zipper, take it to the TUMI store and have them fix it

anyway, interesting to see what solutions people have, thanks all

While we are talking about bags, I would like to make a suggestion.

Before you go on your trip go through your wallet and clean it out. You do not need your library card, your supermarket card, your Costco card etc etc. I always do that and although I have a very organized wallet I am always amazed as to how much I remove before taking a trip.