As an expat living in Central America, Iʼve seen it one too many times: an unsuspecting tourist walks around the streets, gawking at a church or an ornate door, phone in hand. Before they know it, an unseemly character has rushed past on a bicycle or motorcycle, grabbing the phone before the tourist has time to process whatʼs happened. Maybe they thought that the bulky fanny pack was too much hassle. Maybe their pockets were already full of the passports, hotel keys, money and other things they thought theyʼd need while on that outing. In any case, the device theyʼd relied on to find restaurants, locate their hotels or contact friends and family was gone, and theyʼd now need to scramble to replace it in a less-than-ideal location for electronics shopping. Rule one of this story is pretty simple: Keep your valuables tucked away when theyʼre not in use. And when they are in use, guard them carefully, and be sure to always know whatʼs around you. The second rule of this story is simple too: Find a reliable method of stashing said important goods. Naturally, keeping your valuables in a hotel safe is ideal -- that is, when you have a place like that to keep your stuff. When youʼre moving from airport to hotel or youʼre otherwise in transit, youʼll need other ways to ensure youʼre not the next victim of a pickpocketing or snatch-and-run scheme -- and of course, to keep all of your stuff organized and actually with you when you need it. As the single parent of an active toddler (who also turned into a very active pre-schooler and grade schooler) I sometimes felt like I was pulled in a dozen different directions when we were on the road. And that was just with one child! Weʼve traveled to many international locations during her youth, and every time Iʼd get a little better at handling all of the stuff. I distinctly remember one trip to a warm, humid country where every tourist with a backpack or purse was a target for the packs of thieves that hung around the city center. It was a part of town you didnʼt want to miss -- so what was there to do in order to keep all of the things we needed on us, without losing anything important? I ended up with our passports and money stuffed into a sticky money belt, jammed under my tank top. It was completely obvious that I was wearing a money belt, and I found myself wondering whether any thieves would be bold enough to demand that I take out what I was “hiding,” instead of the typical grab-andrun routine. Maybe it was the bouncy blonde toddler at my side, or just plain luck -- but that time, we were spared the hassle and fright of losing our important documents. It was far from comfortable to walk around like that, but at least we kept things intact. My point: I quickly discovered that money belts were not fooling anyone, and that weʼd have to find a better way to stash our valuables. Thatʼs where hidden pockets come in so handy -- and help us avoid the eyes of thieves. The hidden pockets in the Global Travel Clothing jacket provide a perfect place for your important stuff. Theyʼre stealth enough to keep your passport, mobile phone and other documents away from the bad guysʼ eyes, giving you the peace of mind you need when youʼre in an unfamiliar place. You canʼt avoid every single potential problem that might arise with traveling, but at the very least, you can avoid getting your important stuff snatched.
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