How to Protect Your ID Proofs and Money While Traveling

When you are thousands of miles away from your home traveling in some other state or country, the only thing that keeps one’s mind occupied keeping money safe while traveling along with ID proofs, and essential documents. And when you have to take the papers out in the city, it becomes tiresome to keep checking your bags and pockets for the things that you kept there. To escape all this hassle and to keep your money safe, all you need is to learn how to make a secret pocket in your pants.

Most countries around the world are safe enough to roam around, but you can expect pickpockets everywhere and cannot identify those theft, if not goons. They might not rob you blatantly, but just steal your belongings with such dexterity that you will detect the harm done to you only after they are long gone. Therefore, it is better to be safe than sorry because losing your belongings in a foreign land may cause a huge mess to your travel plans. You do have an option to wear a money belt under your clothing, but it is uncomfortable to put on, and you might get tired of it too early. Moreover, the pickpockets are already aware of the money belts. It is better to have a concealed pocket on your clothes because it does not cause much discomfort to your body thereby keeping money safe.

How to make a Concealed Pocket

If the services of a tailor in your region cost too much, you need to learn a little bit of stitching yourself. The largest size of the ID proof that you need to carry is probably your passport. Measure your passport so that you can create a pocket a couple of inches larger than the measurement. A 7″X5″ pocket can be a right size, to begin with, but you can create a larger pouch if you feel so. This size of the pocket can comfortably hold your ATM card, cash, and mobile as well. Keep a ziplock bag in the pocket as well, so that you can secure the things in it when you are too close to water.

To begin with, take a scrap piece of cloth and cut out the desired size. Secure the fabric using all-purpose pins on the inside of your jeans, behind the actual pocket. Now stitch the secret pocket on three sides with a needle and thread. Learn using your equipment on another ragged cloth if you are not confident to make a pocket for the first time. Your veiled pocket does not need to be perfectly sewed; you can do the job roughly as you are the only one who is going to see it. Once you are done, check the pocket for any holes or weak stitching; you would not want your things to fall out without notice. Now turn around your jeans on the right side and put your stuff in the secret pouch. Voila! You have done it!

What things you should carry in your secret pocket

When you are traveling between various cities in some countries, you might need to show your passport at multiple places. If you are a foreign national, it is the most critical document. Else, if you are moving around different states in your country, you can carry other ID proofs that may suffice. In India, for example, if you want to rent a car for Self-Drive, you need to show your Driver’s License, Adhaar Card, etc. Carry only those things that you think that you might need on your day out. Otherwise, keep the papers safe in your hotel room locker only. A clever tip to cheat the robbers is to keep a mockup wallet containing a little bit of cash and the cards you don’t need.

Being safe is always better than to regret not taking the preventive measures earlier. It takes less than an hour to do this job, but it will go a long way to help you have the peace of mind on your long vacations.