Ditch the Money Belt and Build a Hidden Pocket

by Justin Glow on

While I do feel they are usually necessary, I dislike wearing a money belt when traveling. I own a Rick Steves-branded pouch, but I often find myself not wearing it because it’s uncomfortable. Even when it is strapped to my waist, I spend too much time with my hands down my pants fixing an annoying situation spawned by the belt. This, of course, draws attention to the very thing I am trying to hide.

I was searching around today for money belt alternatives and ran across this tutorial on building a hidden pocket into an existing pair of pants. The plans seem simple enough: turn your pants inside-out, cut a scrap piece of fabric into the same shape as your existing pocket, and sew! Even I could do this!

You could do this to all 4 pockets of your pants, effectively tripling your storage space. My brain is already churning with ideas on how to keep your valuables from falling out. Andy over at HoboTraveler created a Velcro-based pocket, which seems ideal, though a zipper could work as well.

Now how could I waterproof it?

World Hum Interviews Rick Steves

by Justin Glow on

It’s hard to argue with the success of Rick Steves. Even if you’re not a fan of his guides (I am), you can’t deny the influence he has had on millions of travelers bound for Europe. Our friends over at World Hum recently ran a great interview with Rick. Here are some highlights:

On communication…
“Stuff that we couldn’t even imagine 30 years ago is commonplace now in Europe. In the old days it was a big issue how to stay in touch with a loved one. You’d go to the American Express office and you’d pick up mail that was two weeks old and you didn’t know if you got it all and so on. Now, my son just calls me on the cell phone and you pay a buck a minute and it’s great. I just love it.”

On experience…
“What takes away from the [travel] experience is having enough money that you buy yourself out of all the risk and all the unpredictability. That could happen 30 years ago, it can happen today. When I travel, there’s no unpredictability. If I’m determined to get from Milan to Córdoba today I’m going to get from Milan to Córdoba. There’s something to be said about roughing it for the sake of roughing it. You just have a more vivid experience. You meet more people. You’re more needy. You let yourself into people’s care.”

On drugs…
“I’ve also been comparing American drug policy to European drug policy. People in America think you’re either hard on drugs or soft on drugs. They say Europeans are soft on drugs. I think you’re either hard on drugs or you’re smart on drugs, and I think Europeans are smart on drugs as opposed to waging war on drugs.”

Click here to check out the interview in full.

One for the Road: Rick Steves Istanbul

by Kelly Amabile on

European travel guru Rick Steves has changed things up a bit for one of his latest books. This new stand-alone guide to Istanbul was not written by him–a first for the super active and involved guide book master. Instead, Rick turned the project over to a pair of trustworthy and knowledgeable Europe Through the Back Door tour guides.

Husband and wife team, Lale Surmen Aran and Tankut Aran are an Istanbul couple that run a “Back Door” style travel agency, SRM Travel, and have led several Rick Steves’ Best of Turkey Tours. As Rick states in an introductory sidebar, “I believe [Lale and Tankut] know their hometown better than any non-Turk ever could. And, after a lifetime of tour guiding, they relate well to Americans and understand their needs and concerns.”

This city guide is a nice slim fit for your backpack or day-bag, loaded with tips on where to dine, sleep and shop in Istanbul. The Turkish travel duo suggest self-guided tours of Hagia Sophia, the Grand Bazaar and other sites, as well as walking tours of the Old Town back streets, the historic center, the Golden Horn inlet and the New District.

Rolf Potts on the Rick Steves Radio Show

by Justin Glow on

This past Saturday, Europe travel guru Rick Steves hosted an hour-long conversation with Rolf Potts, author of Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, on his weekly radio show, Travel with Rick Steves. Here are some of the topics covered:

  • What is vagabonding?
  • Vagabonding as a “whole new ethic of travel.”
  • Time as your “truest form of wealth.”
  • Is it possible to vagabond with children?
  • What are the best places in the world for long-term, budget travel?
  • How do you budget for a vagabonding trip?
  • “Playing games with your day,” or jumping outside of an itinerary when on your travels and allowing your surroundings to shape your day.
  • Hosteling as a senior citizen — can it be done?
  • Can time shares or home exchanges fit into the vagabonding method of travel?
  • How can you get time off from work to travel long-term, or do you have to just quit your job?
  • Can you find Internet access everywhere in the world?
  • How do you deal with culture shock?
  • How to use vagabonding and travel in general as way to discover your “core values.”
  • Returning home after a long-term trip — how do you adjust and re-assimilate?

You can listen to the full interview here.