Money, credit card, passport+camino passport weather and security

[RJ454]

First time walkers. Best way to keep important items safe and dry.

 

[tomnorth]

Ziplock plastic bags.

 

[Kanga]

Yes - I've tried expensive fold down thick waterproof wallets sold in hiking stores and everything else and I'm back to ziplock plastic bags. Take a few extra because they do get worn with constant handling. You need some way of hanging stuff when in the shower - I put my things, including the ziplock bag, in a mesh shopping bag with a handle. Usually there are no hooks but the shopping bag handle goes over the door knob.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

First time walkers. Best way to keep important items safe and dry.

I have a neck pouch with a lanyard that is zippered and waterproof on both sides. It is seam sealed and weather tight. It is very thin and light and exceedingly tough. It is just big enough to hold my passport, drivers license, debit card (which is what I use for ATM withdrawals) my pilgrim Credencial, and my main supply of Euros. I also keep Euros in my pocket and in a zippered pocket in my pack.

When walking on the Camino during the day, the pouch goes into my short's zippered or velcro'd pocket. At the end of the day, it goes around my neck and under my shirt while walking around town, and accompanies me into the shower where I hang it where I hang my towel. When I am done with the shower, I grab the pouch when I grab my towel to dry off.

I also have a copy of my passport and relevant travel documents and ID in a ziplock bag which shares the space in the velcro'd pouch in my pack where I place my water reservoir.

 

[FourSeasons]

Money belt always around my waist then put in ziplock bag when in the shower then after I towel off, it goes back around my waist. I sleep with it on me. It holds my U.S. passport, credit card, debit card, extra euros, copies of those items. My pilgrims passport is in a ziplock bag in my backpack.
The items in my backpack are in waterproof stuff sacks. Pack of 3 different colors and sizes at Walmart. One for clothing, one for Toiletries and one for dirty clothes/socks/undies in case I'm too tired to wash one day or it's too cold and wet for items to dry.
Keeps things organized. I love the color coding because I can just pull out whatever bag I need to get into.
Please, refrain from use the plastic bags the crinkling is so disruptive in the evenings and early mornings. So much crinkling!!!
Buen Camino!! Hope this helps.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Money belt around my waist or sewn into my Macabi skirt or walking pants.
In that are credit cards and extra cash and passport and it never gets left ANYWHERE - I take it into the shower with me, as others have said.

 

[C clearly]

Plastic bagged valuables attached to body all weather

 

[rvv]

I have a neck pouch with a lanyard that is zippered and waterproof on both sides. It is seam sealed and weather tight. It is very thin and light and exceedingly tough. It is just big enough to hold my passport, drivers license, debit card (which is what I use for ATM withdrawals) my pilgrim Credencial, and my main supply of Euros. I also keep Euros in my pocket and in a zippered pocket in my pack.

When walking on the Camino during the day, the pouch goes into my short's zippered or velcro'd pocket. At the end of the day, it goes around my neck and under my shirt while walking around town, and accompanies me into the shower where I hang it where I hang my towel. When I am done with the shower, I grab the pouch when I grab my towel to dry off.

I also have a copy of my passport and relevant travel documents and ID in a ziplock bag which shares the space in the velcro'd pouch in my pack where I place my water reservoir.

View attachment 41008View attachment 41008

Is this pouch available over the internet?

 

[november_moon]

My husband just put his stuff in a ziplock bag in his pants pocket - the cargo style pocket in hiking pants. Worked well for him. My hiking pants don't have nice pockets like that, so I had a small cross-body handbag for my valuables. It rode in my pack while walking, so no worries about getting wet then. When I stopped anywhere, I took the little bag with me.

 

[RJ454]

Thanks to all for your kind replies. We rookies carefully study this site hoping to learn and prepare.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Is this pouch available over the internet?

Here's the link:
http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/zip_pouches.shtml#travel

 

[StuartM]

I use a map case when I travel for documents. One of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CK9YOAG/?tag=casaivar-21

I never put my cards or cash in it, though. I keep 20 £/$/euro in the pocket of it for emergencies but my wallet stays on me at all times. If you have everything in one bag then if you lose that bag you lose everything.

Picture of the photo page of my passport on my phone in case I lose it, all my insurance docs emailed to myself so I always have them, same for electronic versions of travel docs (I always have a paper copy if possible as my primary).

Map case goes under my pillow when asleep (only time my wallet goes in).

 

[Paladina]

Money belt always around my waist then put in ziplock bag when in the shower then after I towel off, it goes back around my waist. I sleep with it on me. It holds my U.S. passport, credit card, debit card, extra euros, copies of those items.

A good idea to keep copies of the originals, but wouldn’t it be a better idea to carry them separately?

 

[FourSeasons]

A good idea to keep copies of the originals, but wouldn’t it be a better idea to carry them separately?

Hmmmm....well the money belt is with me/on me 24/7 so I don't see any safer place. I have copies especially of cc and debit card just incase they get eaten my a machine.

I'm sure we are all open to any other suggestions you may have.

 

[ranthr]

Why tell everybody where you hide your valuables?
If my option was to rob fellow pilgrims, it would be an easy task after reading this!

 

[Paladina]

Hmmmm....well the money belt is with me 24/7 so I don't see any safer place. I have copies especially of cc and debit card just incase they get eaten my a machine.

I'm sure we are all open to any other suggestions you may have.

After having my wallet stolen (not on the Camino) and losing everything except my passport, which I was carrying separately, I’ve been more careful to distribute cards, cash and travel documents about my person. I’ve since relied on cloud storage of copies, but maybe that’s no longer regarded as theft proof either.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I wear a waist fanny pack with an extra hidden zipper inside, which holds a small ziplock bag with my passport, credit/debit cards and larger amounts of cash. The larger front sections carry assorted small items and my phone for taking pictures. It is on my person at all times, removed only to go in my shower bag, and at night it goes in the foot area of my sleeping bag.
I personally don't care for using neck holders or crossover purses combined with backpack use. I don't like dealing with their long straps that are a nuscience for me when taking my pack on and off numerous times during the day.

 

[C clearly]

I personally don't care for using neck holders or crossover purses combined with backpack use.

It's funny how we differ. I precisely prefer the crossover purse with my backpack, and hate the idea of having an extra strap around my waist!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

It's funny how we differ. I precisely prefer the crossover purse with my backpack, and hate the idea of having an extra strap around my waist!

I don't feel the extra waist strap at all. I think we each get comfortable with our choices and like shoes, one size doesn't fit all.

 

[trecile]

It's funny how we differ. I precisely prefer the crossover purse with my backpack, and hate the idea of having an extra strap around my waist!

I'm another crossbody bag fan. I had one that I could wear crossbody or as a waist pack, and it drove me crazy the one day that I wore it on my waist. I put the crossbody bag on before my backpack, and it stays there until I shower, when it goes into a jumbo ziplock bag.

 

[AJGuillaume]

I'm trying to figure out what a crossbody bag or a crossover purse looks like. Pictures, anyone?
Or is it simply a waist belt bag with a very long belt?

 

[trecile]

I'm trying to figure out what a crossbody bag or a crossover purse looks like. Pictures, anyone?
Or is it simply a waist belt bag with a very long belt?

It's a hand bag with a long strap that goes over one shoulder and across the body.

 

[FourSeasons]

Why tell everybody where you hide your valuables?
If my option was to rob fellow pilgrims, it would be an easy task after reading this!

Robbers already know where pilgrims hide their valuables. One night in Fall of 2013 while sleeping in a large albergue, many pilgrims got robbed because they left their valuables in their backpacks, yes their backpacks or had a sleeping bag that unzipped at the feet, yes, they got into them and stole what items where at the pilgrims feet. These are seasoned robbers posing as pilgrims, they know.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Good to know! I will check my sleeping bag and if it has a 2nd zipper at the foot, I will secure it permanently with Gorilla Glue!
(I never have any valuables in my backpack.)

 

[C clearly]

I will check my sleeping bag and if it has a 2nd zipper at the foot, I will secure it permanently with Gorilla Glue!

The ubiquitous diaper pin can be inserted from the inside to secure the zipper.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

The ubiquitous diaper pin can be inserted from the inside to secure the zipper.

A better, temporary idea!

 

[november_moon]

Yes, the most important thing is to figure out what works for you. Trying to carry a cross-body bag or a waist pack while carrying my backpack - for me, too fussy and hard to get everything situated the way it should be - just too many moving parts. I know others have no problem with this, but I just can't seem to get everything to reliably go in the right place without 5 minutes of adjusting. I need simplicity. I also have never been able to figure out a comfortable way to wear a money belt or under-clothing neck wallet - something is always sticking out somewhere or bunching up - I'm really short, so that's part of it - I think taller people might have better luck. But that's fine. I put my cross-body bag in my pack when walking, carry it when not, which worked great.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I've thought about carrying my waist pack in my backpack and taking it out when I stop for lunch or whatever, but I love the usefulness of certain items at my fingertips while walking....phone for taking pictures, pen and a few index cards, reading glasses, sunglasses, ibuprophen, small amounts of cash for tiendas, lunch or snacks, etc.

 

[Momy]

Robbers already know where pilgrims hide their valuables. One night in Fall of 2013 while sleeping in a large albergue, many pilgrims got robbed because they left their valuables in their backpacks, yes their backpacks or had a sleeping bag that unzipped at the feet, yes, they got into them and stole what items where at the pilgrims feet. These are seasoned robbers posing as pilgrims, they know.

OMG! Seriously???

 

[FourSeasons]

OMG! Seriously???

Yes, seriously. The Camino can be such a magical place and feel like Utopia but it's still real life. Although robbery is rare it happened at least once on both of my Camino's. I had my guidebook stolen from me early on during my second. Sorry, but it happens. I figure they needed it more then I did. Just be smart and use common sense.

 

[FourSeasons]

I've thought about carrying my waist pack in my backpack and taking it out when I stop for lunch or whatever, but I love the usefulness of certain items at my fingertips while walking....phone for taking pictures, pen and a few index cards, reading glasses, sunglasses, ibuprophen, small amounts of cash for tiendas, lunch or snacks, etc.

I don't understand. I used a fannypack on both my Camino's and loved the convience. Why are you thinking about putting your waist pack in your backpack?

Because I carried cash for daily expenses, change, my cell phone, and a few other items in my fannypack at night while sleeping I would attach the waist pack to the railing on the head of the bed then put the pack under my pillow. Never worried about thieves in the night.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

A topic not yet touched on here is, "the giveaway." This is usually a ziplock bag, old wallet or something like it containing a few euros, a cancelled credit card or two (deface the signature on the back), and maybe the used up tickets to start on your trip. If confronted by a thief, they get mostly garbage, which they will not discover until there is a lot of distance between you. Of course, t is still a robbing and must be reported.

 

[FourSeasons]

A topic not yet touched on here is, "the giveaway." This is usually a ziplock bag, old wallet or something like it containing a few euros, a cancelled credit card or two (deface the signature on the back), and maybe the used up tickets to start on your trip. If confronted by a thief, they get mostly garbage, which they will not discover until there is a lot of distance between you. Of course, t is still a robbing and must be reported.

I've never heard of anyone being robbed face to face. Only in the night while sleeping.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

I've never heard of anyone being robbed face to face. Only in the night while sleeping.

It happens.

 

[scikowski]

I use a cotton neck pouch but I loop it around my bra strap instead of wearing it around my neck. I tie a knot in the cord to make it the right length. Everything inside (passport, some euros, credit card) is in a ziplock baggie. Credencial goes in the top pocket of my pack, extra euros hidden (hopefully) in my pack. Like other posters, pouch stays on my body unless I am actually showering. Phone stays in my pocket while sleeping, too. Like other posters, I do keep copies of my documents on my phone, which is password protected (also hopefully). There are lots of ways to carry your stuff, but don't put anything you can't stand to lose in something you can take off and accidentally leave behind!

 

[KYBirdman]

Is this pouch available over the internet?

ZPacks.com

 

[peregrinamaybe]

I’m glad a plastic bag worked for many but I would caution against it as the sole protection for important items. Many of our Ziploc bags developed tears along the seams. They just aren’t designed to be regularly opened for over a month. We put our passports and pilgrim credentials in a Ziploc bag. That bag plus wallet, stamps, and Spanish cell contract were then put in the smallest size Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack.