Posts Tagged travel security
Dovetail Travel in Peace Body Band Set
When my Dovetail Travel in Peace Body Bands arrived in the mail, it appeared as though I’d ordered particularly creative lingerie. At least, that’s what my husband hoped. Alas, Dovetail body bands serve a much more practical purpose for today’s traveling woman: protecting travel documents, currency, and essentials.
Designed to fit sleekly against your skin, the two Dovetail body band styles come as a set which includes the travel band, the travel wing, a portfolio for your documents and a small carry bag. The band is just that: a minimal band of stretch power net that’s worn around the hips or waist (whichever position fits best). A narrow pocket holds your valuables. The wing, worn around the upper body, looks somewhat more complicated to wear at first glance, but is actually quite intuitive to snap into place. Its pouch, worn against the upper back, is somewhat roomier.
Dovetail has certainly put a sexier spin on anti-theft pouches (this isn’t your grandma’s money belt). Made of 88% nylon and 12% elastane, both styles are very lightweight, stretchy, and surprisingly comfortable. Walking around for a time, I was able to forget they were there, in the case of both styles. But there are a few caveats: the bands only come in one size, designed to fit up to a women’s size 10. (While the elastic material is very giving, the products are not adjustable.) Additionally, the set is currently available only in black. (I’d love to see it offered in white as well, for better concealment under lightweight, warm-weather clothing.)
The portfolio, which includes several credit card slots, a sleeve for a passport, and a bill-fold, fits well in the travel wing pouch, but is too wide to comfortably fit in the narrower travel band (it was forced to bend, which made it dig into my skin). Personally, I opted to ditch the portfolio altogether; a passport, credit card, and a few bills fit very nicely in either pouch without the stiff, plastic case. If you do plan to use the portfolio for extra security, however, I’d opt to do so with the wing, which houses it far more comfortably.
Dovetail Travel in Peace Body Band sets are currently available at the Dovetail website, and cost $52 per set.
Posted by Amy in General Gear, Travel Light on January 10th, 2012
Eagle Creek Accessories to Keep Your Money Safe
Many types of urchins would love to get hold of your money or credit cards when you travel. Keep it all safe with these under-clothing accessories.
There are a few practical travel gear items I’ve been using since I first set off on my first trip around the world many years ago. One of them is the venerable under-pants money pouch from Eagle Creek. Officially it’s the Undercover Hidden Pocket. I’ve had one of these under my pants in a few dozen countries and as a result, the total amount I’ve been pick-pocketed in all time is…30 rupees in India. (And that really was in my pocket—I’d just gotten change at a movie theater.)
Sure, you can buy things that hang around your neck and go under your shirt, but I don’t like the feel of that—especially in sticky tropical countries—and it’s too easy for someone to do a cut and pull in a crowd. To get this thing out of my pants would be tough though, especially since it’s usually attached to my belt. (You can pin it with a giant safety pin if not wearing a belt.) Then when you need your money or credit card, it’s easy to pull this out and get to them.
There are three places to put things: a main compartment good for a passport and bank notes, two equal smaller ones for credit cards or another currency folded. Speaking of choices, there are also two different belt loops. One is brown, one is black, to match whatever belt you’re wearing. The other just folds out of the way.
It’s all made from ripstop nylon and I can attest that these things hold up through years of daily use on the road. If you’re carrying a passport though you should put that inside a Ziploc bag to be safe. If you get caught in a total deluge, this thing is not completely waterproof.
The Undercover Hidden Pocket comes in black or khaki and lists for $12, which is not a bad investment for something that will help you hold onto the rest of your money. It would make a nice gift for a person about to go on a long international journey. You can find this money pouch at most any outdoor gear or luggage shop, but you can also order it online from Backcountry, Altrec, or Moosejaw.
Undercover Leg Wallet
Another option, if you’re going to be somewhere that involves having pants on every day, is this Undercover Leg Wallet. Instead of going between your underwear and your pants/skirt, this attaches snugly to your leg. 
It kind of feels like you’re packing heat, so if you want to pretend you’re a detective with a concealed weapon, this will do it.
I’ve used this a couple times, but it’s not something that would be my first choice. It’s harder to get to this when you’re pulling out money to pay a bar tab or buy something in a market. Plus it doesn’t work with shorts or a skirt. It has to go on your calf unless you have really skinny legs.
On the plus side, it’s larger and doesn’t hinder movement in any way. This seems to me to be a great choice for people who spend a lot of time in dicey situations: third-world journalists and NGO field workers, for instance. If someone gives you a good once-over, they’ll see a money pouch attached to your belt or hanging around your neck. They won’t see this.
As with the first item above it’s made with wicking ripstop nylon and has a soft surface for the part that goes next to your skin. Ample pockets keep your goods separated and the straps close with adjustable Velcro.
You’ll find this Undercover Leg Wallet at many physical retailers and it lists for $18. Get it online at Backcountry, eBags, or Altrec.
See more Eagle Creek gear reviews
Posted by Tim L. in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on December 8th, 2011
G-Form Extreme Portfolio for iPad
Traveling with an iPad is amazing. Checking email or accessing the Internet on a large screen is instantaneous versus having to lug out a laptop, wait for it to boot up, and locate a wifi signal. But, the danger always exists that it will be dropped, crushed, or destroyed in transit somehow.
While the iPad does come with a cover, it barely keeps the iPad from getting the screen crushed or struck with a sharp object such as a key or even a pen.
The G-Form Extreme Portfolio is the GI Joe of iPad cases. Its thick cushioning gives the immediate impression that the sleeve is top dog in protecting your iPad. But, there is science behind that armor. It uses “reactive protection technology,” which contains a composite blend of materials designed to protect devices inside by being water-resistant, flexible, and, well, reactive.
G-Form says that the material changes its molecular structure on impact to protect the device inside. While I cannot visibly notice that happening, I believe it. The company even tested it by dropping a bowling ball on an iPad encased in this sleeve. If that is not a guarantee for how solid this case is, then I don’t know what is!
As a rather clumsy traveler who often drops things at security while juggling multiple things or leaves them behind altogether, I welcome the added protection and unique shape of this case that makes it stand out while at security or in the seat pocket in front of me. It even comes in yellow, which is perfect for the forgetful traveler!
The Extreme Portfolio is more than a regular iPad sleeve. It fits both the iPad and iPad 2 plus other tablets that measure roughly ten inches. Inside, there is a layer of polycarbonate to protect the device plus an internal pocket for documents or other small items. The portfolio is not just for zipping up everything for protection. It can also be opened and reverse zipped so that it can stand upright in an easel form so that you can watch movies on an iPad while keeping an exterior pocket in the back protected.
It is available at G-Form’s website and makes a great gift for the frequent traveler or the most extreme techie. It’s tough to find elsewhere for now, but Amazon has it for sale from a few third-party sellers.
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Posted by Ramsey in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, Travel Light on November 28th, 2011
Thwart Pickpockets with P-Cubed Pants
Valid or not, many travelers worry far more about their valuables when they travel than they do in their home town, packing all sorts of special gadgets and bags designed to keep thieves away from their belongings. Some places are really safer than home in this respect, while others (hello Rome!) are known for separating wallets from pants faster than you can say “mustard trick.”
Getting robbed sucks no matter what, so we often cover theft-proof helpers on this travel gear blog and highlight when travel clothing has good security pockets that provide a layer of protection. All those are child’s play though when compared to these P-Cubed Pick-pocket Proof Pants I’ve been trying out lately.
Technically these are written as “PˆCubed” pants (as in P^3 – “Pick Pocket Proof”). But anything that makes me search for some obscure symbol in my word processing program is not going to keep that designation in the long run. Remove that silliness though and these pants are all business. An incredible amount of thought—from a designer who is obviously a real traveler—has gone into every detail of these.
I first met the head of this company at the Outdoor Retailer show in January and he gave me a full demo of how these pants work. Now normally a “pants demo” is not going to take very long, but this was like a piece of classical music: each time I thought it was over, another wave came. That’s because these pants are not your typical “wicking, with pockets” variations you see on most racks. They are built for hard-core travelers who carry a lot around without being bogged down and who are in dodgy places untouched by tour buses.
What’s in your pocket stays in your pocket
Let’s start with the pockets featured in these photos below because they’re at the core of keeping your valuables safe. Open, they function as regular pockets you can stick your hands into as you’re kicking back in a secure area, the tab buttoned to the back of them. Even then, your phone or money can be in a second hidden pocket inside. When you’re walking through a local market in Jaipur or Delhi, however, you can move the flap over the pocket and zip it up, giving you more layers of protection than even a dedicated robber-wallah can get through.
Beyond those, you’ve got rear pockets that snap closed, nice, but also have a hidden zipper pocket inside for stashing cash or valuables. When you don’t need them for that, the “cubed” pockets expand to hold a guidebook—a quite thick one at that! And then there are side cargo pockets for carrying whatever else you want to have on you. They button closed, so you can put a point-and-shoot camera in them with no worries.
I tried all this and was surprised at how easy it was to be a bag-less traveler when using these. In my pants I had keys, a phone, an iPod, a notebook, cash, credit cards, coins, sunglasses, lip balm, a pen, and a map—with room to spare. If I had really wanted to go nuts, I could have carried a water bottle with them too: the pants come with a bottle carrier that attaches to existing buttons on the pants.
Teflon-coated and tough
But wait, there’s more! These travel pants are treated with Teflon, so they’ll repel stains and a fair bit of water. (Misty rain yes, deluge no.) They’re wrinkle-resistant and so far that’s held up for me after three washings. They look good coming out of a scrunched bag. They are made from serious, thick fabric (75% cotton canvas, 25% nylon) that can’t easily be slashed by a kid with a razor blade. So they’re not as lightweight as pure nylon travel pants, but they’re stronger and more suited for travel in non-tropical climates.
There are belt loops, but also size adjustments that enable you to make them tighter without a belt—handy after you’ve been on the road for six months and have dropped 30 pounds.
All these extras don’t come cheap. You’ll pay more than a Ben Franklin for the Adventure Travel Pants version reviewed here. But these can replace a lot of under-clothing security accessories and they’re built to last you decades of solid use. I feel confident saying that when I’m 70 and fighting off the new generation of urchins in developing countries around the world, I’ll probably still be packing these.
See the full scoop on the P-cubed pants and order them direct at ClothingArts.com. They have some helpful videos there showing how all the features work.
So far they’re a bit hard to find elsewhere online, but they are available at Travelsmith. You can get a more sedate “business traveler” version (minus the cargo pockets) at Magellan’s. Search “pick pocket pants” and take advantage of this deal: Free Shipping for orders over $50.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear on November 10th, 2011
Pacsafe Venturesafe 200 – Daypack with Extra Security
If you want to make sure nobody can steal what’s in your bag without a big fight, carry your belongings in a Pacsafe bag.
Some travelers worry a lot about things being stolen out of their bag. Unlike the fears of being a terrorism kidnapping victim in the Middle East or getting beheaded by narcos south of the border, this one actually has a good chance of happening if you’re not careful. Even in places people feel are safe, it’s dangerous to let down your guard: more tourists get robbed in Italy than anywhere else. If you’re on a subway or in a crowded market anywhere, odds are someone is working the angles, trying to find a score.
As the value of what travelers are lugging along with them goes up with the number of gadgets they’re packing, you can easily have the equivalent of $1,000 on you—and thieves know it.
I’ve been recommending Pacsafe products for a long time. I reviewed a few of their items on the old version of this gear blog that are still available, like the Metrosafe 200, a portable locking safe, and a Daysafe slash-proof laptop backpack. Here we checked out a theftproof laptop bag in a more conventional briefcase style.
I like this cool little Venturesafe 200 bag because it’s a nice size for a day of sightseeing. Everything seems to be sized just right. The back pocket can hold a Kindle nicely and the phone pocket is the right size for my Android smart phone. With those two things in there (and lots of little things), I can still fit in a super-zoom camera. There are additional pockets for other items and gadgets, a clip for keys, and a secret zippered pocket facing the top.
All that’s well and good for travelers, but the real advantages to this small daypack are all the security measures. First of all, the strap over your shoulder is slash-proof and snatch-proof. A thief can’t quickly cut through it with a knife because there’s wire mesh inside. The same wire mesh goes through the whole bag as well, so the old trick of slashing the bottom of a pack and taking what’s inside won’t work with this. The extra-strong zippers tuck into little pockets so they’re hard to reach. A robber can’t unbuckle the strap without turning a knob to the side at the same time.
None of these thing will keep a really determined bad guy from just taking your whole bag—especially if you’re swinging it around while stumbling drunk down the street alone—but they put up levels of deterrent. Those will usually be enough to thwart a thief who is in a hurry and doesn’t want to get caught. They’ll move on to another mark.
Like all Pacsafe bags, this Venturesafe 200 one feels very strong and well-made, like it’ll outlast all your travels. It comes with a two-year guarantee. There are four color choices and the list price is $54—not bad for something that’s like a daypack with an insurance policy attached. It also comes in a larger 300 size that’s less purse-like or if you want to carry around an iPad or netbook.
See all the details at the Pacsafe website and check prices online, where it’s often discounted.
Pacsafe VentureSafe 200 Compact Travel Bag at eBags or get it at Amazon.
Posted by Tim L. in Business Gear, General Gear on August 31st, 2011
