Forget money belts, hide your stash under your pant leg
November 3, 2009 by Craig Guillot
Filed under Gadgets and Gear
Having traveled to many countries where the criminals can steal the shirt off your back without you even noticing, I’m a pretty security-conscious traveler. Many travelers prefer to leave their valuables back in a hotel room but when you’re staying in a run-down shack in a run-down part of a third world city, it sometimes seems better to bring things with you. Money belts that slide under your pants or shirt are popular with travelers but the problem is that they’re so popular most criminals know all about them. They may protect from sneaky pickpockets but an armed street kid in Rio or an unscrupulous soldier in Nigeria knows that you stash is more than likely wrapped around your belly.
Trying to stay one step ahead of the competition, I’ve never used those belts and have always been a big fan of the Eagle Creek Undercover Leg Stash. Worn around your calf under a pant leg, it is strapped to you by Velcro and features two pockets that can hold a passport, big wad of cash, credit cards and any other items you don’t want muggers or armed men to find. I’ve been using the same one for about ten years and while it stinks and is stained with sweat and other odd substances, it still wraps tightly around my leg. Combined with a dummy decoy wallet, the leg stash has given me perhaps too much confidence to casually stroll around in dangerous places and know that I’ll always return home with my money.
The downsides are that you have to be wearing pants to use the stash and that it can sometimes be difficult to access what’s in there without drawing attention. One time, I was stopped by police at the U.S./Mexico border when they saw me digging into my secret pouch. Another time, a waiter at a restaurant in Phnom Penh grew quite nervous when I started rolling up my pant leg to pay the bill.
