I’ve been pretty lucky when it comes to travelling. Up until Hawaii, that is.
Remember how I wrote about how NOT to piss off Pele the Fire Goddess? Well I must have pissed off her and her entire family, because after that, it all went to hell. I’ll tell you more about it later, but among my stolen items were two credit cards. Goddammit.
The worst thing about having my items stolen was the creepy sense of violation. I’m not kidding. The whole stupidly long process of replacing my American Expresses was nothing compared to how grossed out I felt after realizing someone had reached into my purse and yoinked out my cards without me having noticed in the slightest. Barf. Get your dirty grubby fingers off me, hobo.
So I thought maybe it was a good time to start trying extra safety measures. I was asked to review a Baliloca purse, a unique leather design cross-strapped purse that hugs your body and makes it hard for people to steal your shit.
I didn’t LOVE the design when I first saw it on the website. It reminded me of a gun holster or something. I thought maybe only the pretty models in the videos would be able to pull off such a thing. But when I received my own, it actually didn’t look too shabby at all.
It took me a few tries to figure out how to wear it. I struggled into those straps like a fly caught in a spider’s web. But the purse really does fit snugly against my body. And my absolute favourite thing about it? I can go entirely HANDS FREE!
And to like, protect my valuables and stuff.
This design makes it incredibly hard for thieves to reach into your purse pockets. It also gives you more flexibility when it comes to moving around, and keeping your hands free. The look has grown on me a lot — even more now that I’m going to El Salvador and Guatemala in a few weeks where pick-pocketing and theft is much more of an issue than other countries I’ve visited.
What I didn’t love: I wish the adjustable cross-strap was made from the same material as the rest of the purse, for aesthetic reasons. But I do love the fact it’s adjustable.
The pockets are also very tiny, so if you’re the kind of person who keeps their entire bedroom in their purse, it might not work too well for you.
How do you protect against theft on the road?
