7 best ways to hide valuables while traveling

Nothing spoils a once-in-a-lifetime trip like losing your wallet, phone, or passport—yet many tourist sites are infested with skilled pickpockets. Fortunately, you can protect your belongings with everything from hidden underwear compartments to shoes with built-in money slots. Here are seven incredibly brilliant travel tricks for concealing valuables.

Disguise Your Money Belt

Forget about the fanny pack-style money belts of the past. Inner zipper-closure pockets on leather smuggler’s belts, like as this Duluth Trading Co. alternative, are ideal for concealing emergency money and replacement keys. This flexible men’s alternative is available in brown and black and has a 19-inch concealed pocket. It costs $70, but there’s no telling how much time and stress it may save you on your trip.

Stealthy Bra Pouches

A hidden bra pouch is a superior choice for ladies. Eagle Creek’s Undercover Bra Stash is inexpensive and easy to conceal beneath clothing. Put your credit cards, cash, and keys in the silk bag and secure it around the middle of any bra. It’s washable, has a lifetime warranty, and has a three-by-four-inch inside that can easily hold small items. It’s also a smart $14 investment.

Stash Cards in a Phone Case

Consolidating your phone and credit cards into a single, easy-to-hide case helps lessen your load and keep your most critical cards hidden. The Incipio Wallet Cover serves as a kickstand case for watching movies on the aircraft and costs $14.99 (at the time of writing). It is also available in a variety of colors and sizes.

Bury Your Beach Items

Beach safes aren’t usually the most discreet method to conceal your wallet and other valuables, but one that you can bury directly beneath you will keep everything out of sight. The Beach Vault is designed to be hand-drilled into the sand beneath your blanket, ensuring that even the most astute thief will be unable to discover any of your personal things. It costs around $40 and includes a beach towel and a cushion.

SlotFlops

If the age-old method of hiding emergency cash in shoes appeals to you, ditch the stinky socks and invest in some summer-friendly SlotFlops. These $25 vacation flip flops include a built-in area large enough for your cards and money and available in a variety of colors. You may also acquire a card-sized travel tool that features a metal wrench, saw, ruler, bottle opener, and solar compass as an additional bonus. Just be cautious where you take it—the TSA may confiscate it from your shoe or carry-on—but it’s ideal for fishing excursions and camping.

KangaROOS

KangaROOS, the original sneaker with an outside money pocket, is a more durable shoe with compartments. The secret pocket is large enough for some emergency cash and a backup key, and criminals will miss the little outer pouch beneath the ROOS logo. These sturdy walking sneakers, which are now on sale for $73 (at the time of publishing), will endure long enough to show their value.

Make a Decoy Wallet

If all else fails, it’s smart to have a decoy wallet handy in the event that you get pick-pocketed or held up. Thieves will probably go for any old wallet you pack with old gift cards or cardboard junk-mail cards from banks. You can throw or hand over a decoy wallet in the event of a mugging, or keep one at the top of your bag in case a pickpocketer strikes.
To take it one step further, keep your act.