Fanny pack vs money belt?

[Tallpine]

What have you used to secure valuables like cash, passport or credit cards while hiking? There are some items that need to be on our person at all times. There will be times when the pack is off and we’re in camp or town. Does the hip belts on the backpack interfere with carrying a fanny pack? I see on Amazon there are under the arm wallets that look like a holster. I’d be interested in how or where you carried the absolute essentials while travelling.

[Leo L.]

My long-term experience in travelling is:
A fanny pack provides no security against thieves and robbers, and is prone to being forgotten&left sometimes somewhere.
A moneybelt is about the best when it comes to security, providing it at two levels: First, no one will know you are carrying one, and second, it is hard for bad people to get at it. And third, you will not forget it somwhere.

The only downside of a moneybelt is the fact that it adds bulk and discomfort around the hip. You have to try it out in test hikes if it works for you.
I'm carrying a moneybelt on all my hikes and other travels, but only use it in civilisation.
Out in nature, I'd put the moneybelt in the pack.

[LoneStranger]

I have used a Versa from HMG as a chest pack for a few years now, but I don't carry my valuables in there. Depending on where I am they ride inside my pack (wilderness) or in a ziplock in my pocket (in town.) Even if I use the Versa as a fanny pack in town I still keep the valuables in my pocket.

[Deadeye]

Pants with a zipper pocket on the thigh.

[Tallpine]

Pants with a zipper pocket on the thigh.

That’s probably the best idea so far!

[HankIV]

Sounds like you are talking about a thru hike. If so you can probably pare down you wallet items to fit in one of those little dynemma wallets. A credit card, debit card, ID and health insurance card, maybe $100 or so cash. I was amazed how much it pared down my wallet load from day to day civilized edc.

Passport would definitely fit in most zippered pants pockets.

[Nanatuk]

I carry a fanny pack turned to the front. I want to have the basic necessities if I ever got separated from my pack. I've been doing it so long I don't think I would do it any other way. It is my lifeline and I've only mislaid it once (nature call). I keep my phone in the right side cargo pants pocket and keep a ziploc with cash and ID in a pants pocket on the left side.

One thing to be aware of if you decide on a fanny pack - Most of them buckle opposite of the pack, which when turned to your back will fall right in the middle of your back. That will ruin your Packs back suspension and/or wear the padding out quickly. I couldn't fine fanny packs that buckle near the Fpack so I modified mine. by cutting off the strap on one side, installed the buckle then adding the leftover webbing to the other strap to extend it. I wish someone made a fanny pack that buckled near the pack.

[JNI64]

When I was doing my 100 mile sections I would use a fanny pack . I don't like things in my pockets rubbing and poking it just bugs me, I don't even like my wallet in my back pocket. Anyways I very much liked it, I would carry a little radio in it , my map pages for the day,Scooby-Doo snacks,candy to suck on to get me up that mountain, smoke ables,phone .

[Leo L.]

May I add:
For safety reasons, I usually stash some of the money in various places, like in a zipped compartment of the thigh pocket, various places inside the pack, and even some deep inside the emergency package.
Always considering what's most likely going to happen (to forget/leave something) and whats less likely (being robbed).

Nowadays, the smartphone seems to be more valueable than the purse. More and more cards get replaced by an App so lately I just carry the driving license (and the passport, when being abroad) in hardware, and have all other cards in form of an App or as an online service. So nowadays I take greater care of my smartphone than of my purse.

[Traveler]

Ditto on Deadeye's solution. I would add I use convertible pants with a zipper pocket so in most all seasons and weather I have a decent level of security.

[Kittyslayer]

So what are your fears? Robbery? Theft? Lost (left behind)?

Robbery ~ I would put this pretty low on your list and if someone is going to confront you and rob you they will take your valuables no matter where you have them.

Theft ~ There will be times where you must leave items unsupervised. Just try to minimize those times and attempt to secure your items as best you can. Best suggestion is a zippered pants pocket as hopefully you will always be wearing pants/shorts except when showering or sleeping in your tent. A fanny pack set down while you shower, poop, swim, etc. is a lot easier for a thief to quickly grab and sneak away with compared to your whole pack.

Left Behind ~ It is a lot easier to leave somewhere and if you have taken your fanny pack off for some reason you might forget it. I am pretty sure I would notice if I started down the trail without my pack.

So I would go with a zippered pants pocket or buried inside my pack. Might require you to reevaluate what pants/shorts you plan to wear.

Any of the "travel" style money belts designed to thwart pickpockets just do not seem compatible with backpacking. Waist versions don't work well with a pack hipbelt. Around the neck sounds like a sweaty chest. Shoulder holster would likely be uncomfortable with pack straps.

[Odd Man Out]

On my first hike I knew I didn't need my wallet on the trail so I stashed it in my pack. While hiking, I reached back to check my back pocket and had a mini panic attack when it wasn't there until I realized it was in my pack. The event took all but a fraction of a second, but was annoying. A few minutes later, it happened again. I figured after a while, i figured I would get used to not having my wallet in my pocket. But after two days and a few hundred mini panic attacks, I realized that after a lifetime of carrying a wallet I cound not adjust to not carrying one. So I got a lightweight backpacking wallet and carry it in my back pocket as usual. My hiking pants have zippered back pockets so it won't fall out on accident. My zippered hip pocket is for electronics.

[Gambit McCrae]

Money pouch: I found a little dyneema one on etsy a long time ago, it goes in my food bag.

Fanny Pack: I tried the fad several times, even got a vintage AT fanny and then a dynemma one. It just dont make sense for me. Its not comfy with a hip belt

[zelph]

My hiking pants have zippered back pockets so it won't fall out on accident. My zippered hip pocket is for electronics.

You Ventured You Gained Screenshot 2024-01-12 12.10.06 PM.png

[petedelisio]

Cash, Ident, passport, and or cards in ziplock (a non clear baggie may be better) in zippered pant pocket always. Have a very small Fanny pack around town. The ultrlite plastic wallet always stays in designated place of choice. Unless I’m a body of or water without designated pocket. Then improvise as per usual.

[BillyGr]

May I add:
Nowadays, the smartphone seems to be more valueable than the purse. More and more cards get replaced by an App so lately I just carry the driving license (and the passport, when being abroad) in hardware, and have all other cards in form of an App or as an online service. So nowadays I take greater care of my smartphone than of my purse.

Not a certainty, but on forums that are store-related, I see a number of people mentioning that even some major stores in the USA have yet to activate systems to process all these electronic payments (that is, ones that don't use an actual credit type card).

Seems that if even major stores are not all doing them, some of the smaller shops along the trail might also not be so equipped, so having at least one actual card (maybe two, in case one fails to work) would be sensible, at least as a back-up plan. Also, not being sure if any of those electronic payments can be used for obtaining cash (say from an ATM), which may also be helpful in some places to have over a card/electric payment.

[Leo L.]

Oviously, this varies greatly with each country and region.
Here in Austria, we still use cash everyday and physical cards for shopping. Rarely anyone uses the smartphone.
But in some eastern countries, and especially Scandinavia, there is almost no cash at all, everything gets paid with cards, and many are using Smartphone payment.
We are at the beginning of preparation for our summer hike in Norway, and one of the things a guy who spent half of his life in Norway told us is: No cash. Bring your cards, and the smartphone.
I would still carry a decent amount of cash, just stashed away deep inside the pack.

[Alligator]

The classic traveler money belt that you wear under your clothes would get really nasty being up against your body all the time. There are some nylon actual belts with inside pockets that look like outdoor webbing belts. I used to pull out cash, my drivers license, and a card or two but I carry a Ridge wallet now. It's small enough that I don't mind throwing it in the pack. In town I just take it out and carry it in a pocket like normal. A substitute I would be more likely to leave by accident or possibly drop. Fanny packs just accumulate stuff and can weigh extra ounces that really aren't needed.

If you carry something in a zippered shorts or pants pocket, make sure it's waterproof because it's going to get wet. If you carry a wallet think about that time you washed it! In your pack, same, but less frequently will it get wet.

[carouselambra]

A friend of mine has hiked several routes of the Camino, the Tour Du Mont Blanc, and several other "trekking" trips. He uses this belt: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CGXUQHA...ils&th=1&psc=1

When we have hiked the AT and other trails together that are not trekking, he does not use it.

For me, I carry a lightweight runners wallet that is tied to a string and goes into the pouch inside my backpack that would hold a water bladder. At night when I set up I take it out and put it into the zippered side pocket of my trail zip-off pants.

I am a hammock sleeper and at night I keep it either in the organizer that hangs from my ridge line or the pocket of my sleep shorts.
BTW, my sleep shorts have zippered front pockets so that on cold nights I can keep my phone and Sawyer close to my body. The wallet is secure in those same zippered pockets. I can't put it in footbox because they will slide out from my quilt.

[RangerZ]

+1 on the zippered pocket. I use a gorilla tape reinforced ziplock sized to credit card and dollar bill (folded in half) size.

AN observant pickpocket would notice me surreptitiously checking my left back pocket for wallet, back right for neckerchief, left thigh pocket for notebook, and right thigh pocket for AT Guide, right pants pocket has phone.

My left pants pocket only has chapstick and maybe Lara bar.

If I’m traveling with my passport it is in it’s own ziplock in the zippered pocket with the wallet.

On my first hike I knew I didn't need my wallet on the trail so I stashed it in my pack. While hiking, I reached back to check my back pocket and had a mini panic attack when it wasn't there until I realized it was in my pack. The event took all but a fraction of a second, but was annoying. A few minutes later, it happened again. I figured after a while, i figured I would get used to not having my wallet in my pocket. But after two days and a few hundred mini panic attacks, I realized that after a lifetime of carrying a wallet I cound not adjust to not carrying one. So I got a lightweight backpacking wallet and carry it in my back pocket as usual. My hiking pants have zippered back pockets so it won't fall out on accident. My zippered hip pocket is for electronics.