LutherDavies

I think you may like this BRX Excursion backpack (http://www.briggs-riley.com/category...Backpack_BP118 ). It’s the perfect size for a daypack and can carry a lot of stuff without being too bulky. It’s made from extremely tough material that’s difficult to tamper with, so you need not worry about pickpockets. But if you would feel a lot more secure carrying a messenger bag, there’s a nice option from Briggs & Riley you can check out – the Go messenger bag (http://www.briggs-riley.com/category...nger-Bag_VB410 ). It’s an extremely compact and cool looking bag and the best part is when you sling it across your shoulder, you’ll always have it in your direct vision.

twiggers

Thursday: Great points!! I have some sunglasses, gum, and wallet in my purse. But when we travel there will be a lot more.

Luther: Thank you for the links!!!!

jubilada

I find pacsafe heavy for its size. I use a cross body purse which can be turned zo zippers face in. Mine is a baggalini.

november_moon

My travel purse is a black SportSac. It is small enough to carry conviniently and has an adjustable strap so I can carry it cross-body, on a shoulder tucked up under my arm, or in my hand. It also is made of light nylon so it weighs practically nothing and can be rolled up to fit into another bag when not needed. It fits a guidebook, my wallet, bottle of water, sunglasses, and a few odds and ends.

I've read the horror stories of people getting pickpocketed in Europe, but one thing I notice is that the vast majority of them happen in Italy, Spain, and France. Benelux doesn't seem to be a hotbed for pickpockets.

twiggers

November: That seems to be my general impression as well, but you can never be too safe I suppose!

LSky

I would never buy a special travel purse or clothes. If you carry a sportsac at home then carry it on vacation. Otherwise use the type of purse you use at home, it already goes with your clothes.

twiggers

^^^yea, but my main purse is a pain. I wouldn't want to carry it around all day on vacation. It's heavy, it's a designer brand which could scream "rob me", and it's clunky. I want something more discreet, something that doesn't get in my way, and lighter.

I have special beach bags for when I cruise....so it won't be too bad to buy something for city travel.

I'm leaning towards cross-body, and will hunt for something that doesn't cost a fortune.

spcfa

My needs on vacation are vastly different from my needs at home, so there is no way my home purse would work for trips. In my "real life" I drive to the office, spend all day there, and then run an errand or two on the way home. I use my desk as my special needs holder. When I travel I'm out all day, and with my spouse, taking public transportation and going places I've never been before. I've got snacks, maps, a dictionary, antibacterial hand wipes, kleenex, mints/gum, disposable ponchos, etc. in addition to regular purse stuff. Needless to say I have a for-travel-only bag that I wear across my body, that will transform to an over the shoulder bag or a waistpack. It's about 9x6, so it's neither small nor large. In a museum it passes for a purse so I don't need to check it. Can't imagine how I could do without this specialized bag.

Iowa_Redhead

<<<Otherwise use the type of purse you use at home, it already goes with your clothes.>>>

But it doesn't go with my plans! My regular purse has shorter straps and just goes over a shoulder. The top is pretty much open and can only be snapped closed in the center. While I can fit a book and/or journal in it, my shoulder would fall off before too long.

At home, I go from the house to the car to work to the car to stores to the car to the house. I'm rarely out and about for long periods. When I travel, I want a camera, journal, book, maps, water bottle, snack (sometimes an apple, sometimes a sandwich), umbrella, sometimes a hat and/or sweater. In addition, I want something that I can carry and have my hands free.

With a mid-size messenger bag, I can put whatever I want into it and the weight is distributed across my chest and back instead of just hanging off a shoulder. I can protect the bag better in crowds by swinging it a bit more in front of me or I can have my hands free for spiral staircases or hiking by simply spinning it more behind me. Anything I want/need to carry will fit.

Just like my normal purse, my messenger bags all tend to be black so they "match" my clothes as much as ever. My needs at home are different from my needs when traveling so my bag changes to fit those needs. I use a messenger at home if I'm going to be out all day at an antique show or amusement park, etc. I think I have about 4 messenger bags of various sizes and styles now.

bratsandbeer

When I travel I use my large sized Healthy bag. It can be brought around front or to the back. It is on one shoulder and so both of my arms are free if need be. You can pack it so full and feel no weight. It is amazing.

When I am walking around a tourist area I usually just carry a water bottle, my Birkenstocks if I want to change shoes which I do everyday when walking a lot, a snack and maybe a light jacket.

If it is cooler weather I wear my black microfiber rain coat. I did sew a pocket with a zipper into this raincoat so I have a pocket where it would be very difficult for anyone to steal something out of it.

There are ways to make yourself safe without going overboard about all of it. The main thing is to keep the important things in a safe place. I have read reports where the bottom of purses were slit with a knife and everything falling out. This is where a pacsafe purse would be ideal cause it has a metal mesh lining and can't be slit with a knife.

My son tackled a pickpocket in the metro in Paris. The pickpocket had stolen a billfold form a U S tourist. The tourist got his billfold back.

So to think it won't or can't happen to you is silly. But don't lose something valuable because you didn't take precautions to keep it in a safe place.

Travelnut

<red>bratsandbeer</red> - the leg safe doesn't slip because it is secured with Velcro straps, and you can position it over the 'bulge' in the calf so it doesn't slip down. At most I have adjusted it once during a full day, but mostly I forget it is there.

bratsandbeer

Travelnut - thanks - I wondered how it would stay up. Might be comfortable and another way to carry your valuables.

suze

I don't use a money belt myself. I think they are good if you are traveling in less developed countries, for longer trips (more than a week or two), staying in hostels, or other reasons like that.

It depends what your every day purse at home is like. I have used mine for European travel (a medium sized leather purse with thick strap long enough to go cross-body). Or I've used a LeSac type nylon tote bag with zippered top, which is good because it's roomy and has no weight of its own.

I don't worry about getting "slashed" because I don't think that's going to happen. Most people who lose things traveling it from their own carelessness (setting something down in a train station, looping a purse over the back of a chair in a sidewalk cafe, etc.).

emd3

You don't think a purse slashing will happen? I was in Oaxaca at a market last October. I had a PacSafe purse on (slash proof in the strap and whole purse area). My friend had a regular cross body purse. We entered an area that was a bit crowded. As we were leaning over to look at some dishes, someone pulled my friend's purse strap a little off her back (she didn't feel this and we did not see it, but this must be what they did) and slashed it, pulled on it and thereby got the whole purse, and ran. By the time we realized what had happened, the person was long gone.

PacSafe. I don't go on any trips without my PacSafe purse. When you are traveling, you are not in your every day frame of mind. You are out and about, and stopping to look at whatever or take a picture, and that is when it happens.

emd3

btw, my friend's purse was leather (not material), so it was not that easy to slash. Must have been a very sharp knife or utensil that was used to slash it so fast.

emd3

I got this pacsafe purse for a recent two week trip. Love it, it is more stylish than the other pacsafe purses and looks more like a regular purse. Perfect size for me.

http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php...=detail&id=105

Sue878

You can also go to www.travelsmith.com and look at their shirts. I stopped wearing a moneybelt and just bought a couple of their shirts that have security pocket for my money, credit cards, passport etc. I even put my camera in one of the pockets. I wear them over a tank top or long sleeve tee if it is cold. Then sometimes I carry a small backpack or purse for other things.