That’s not what it’s for any more. It’s a place to safely secure perhaps some of your largest bills if you’re carrying cash, at least one CC and your ID. Your wallet should contain only a modest amount of cash and another CC.
When I went to Europe for the first time I took along a neck pouch. Hated it, stopped using it on the 2nd day. I just made sure my wallet was in an inside zipped pocket. I kept my passport in the room safe. As far as I’m aware, there were no attempts to steal anything anyway. As for losing my wallet, I’m pretty careful.
Same here. For reasons I won’t go into (friends in Canada who could need me on short notice) I usually have mine either in a suitcase or vehicle with me any time I leave the state. Worse comes to worse I wouldn’t be adverse to taking a bus or renting a car and making a week out of the adventure back. 3-4 days if I pushed it.
If you’re overseas and your passport is stolen, you can go to US embassy and they will help you get home. It might end up being a huge pain in the ass, but they’ll get you home.
In the states, I’d call the airline and explain what happened, it must have happened before and they are procedures. I lost my credit card in Moscow in the 90s and Visa fedexed me a new one within a couple of day, I can only assume it’s even easier now to get replacements. If I’m in the states, I’d just go to Bank of America and explain what happened to get money out of my account.
I heard of a story once where a student had no ID on him and they asked if anything else on him had his name so he showed that his mother had written his name on his underwear. That worked.
Money belt, photocopy of passport not in my wallet, biometrics available to family if I give them the location and lock info. For that matter, my fingerprints are on file with the FBI from a criminal background check for work.
My favorite more-secure travel gear is fromPacsafe.
I wore one when my wife and I traveled to Russia to adopt the Firebug, back before the Magnitsky Act. I was carrying a rather nontrivial amount of cash in fresh $100s. The adoption trips are the only time I’ve bothered with one.
I wore a “neck wallet” when we went to China, where cash is king. We were doing an adoption and needed to bring a large amount of cash (close to $10K), and I didn’t feel comfortable carrying that in a pocket. I only carried the neck wallet on the excursions where we really needed it, otherwise it stayed locked up in the hotel safe, and we took out just what cash we’d need for that day.
I don’t think I would have been comfortable using a card in China even at the few places that could accept them. Cash was safer and easier.
I used to keep my passport in my safety deposit box at my bank. My gf asked me what I’d do if the chance/need to travel internationally arose acutely. So I started keeping it at home. Likewise, If I’m traveling to, say, Texas, and the opportunity arises to head south, this way I can.
ETA: additionally, Pennsylvania’s driver’s license doesn’t count as “RealID” so I might as well get used to using my passport.
??? A standard Penn. driver’s license counts as valid ID.
REALID doesn’t come into effect until 2020 and will be required for things such as boarding domestic flights and entering some federal facilities or military bases that ask for it.
Personally, I don’t take my whole wallet travelling. I will take my driver’s license, health card, and a CC in a very small case. I keep cash in a separate pocket and another CC hidden in my luggage. I will bring my passport if there is a chance I might want to cross any borders.
Anyone who has lost their whole wallet can tell you, the time and cost of replacing everything is ridiculous!
Yes, that’s why I said “might as well get used to using my passport”.
I’ve looked into getting my PA REALID early (they are accepting applications this spring. You can qualify early). I do not have a Social Security card, nor do I have an acceptable birth certificate and I don’t see a reason to not just keep using my passport.
Having known several careful people who had their wallets cleverly filched from front pockets, waist packs under their jackets, backpacks that were slit, luggage in an overhead bin, and similar, I always travel with at least one locking bit of paraphernalia. I can be relaxed and not so vigilant, and it’s not difficult.
Here’s how I travel: Spending cash in a clip in my right front pocket. Mostly $20.00 bills, to keep it from getting too bulky. Debit card and ID in a small wallet in my left front pocket. Three hundred bucks in a wallet in my back pocket.
