Snapshot

[FirstBubba]

I don't like carrying much in my pockets either, but I've become a fan of the Wrangler Outdoor pants with interior cargo pockets. Great for carrying my phone and the keyless gizmo for our truck.

What do you guys think about moneybelts for traveling when cash is necessary, but not going to be used often?

Don't know that I've ever had enough cash to be overly concerned about a "money belt"! LOL!
I've never carried over about $1500.
Mostly for tips and guide fee balance.
Everything else was available on my card for room, board and incidentals.

...until I got fogged in on Kodiak Island for 6 extra days! LOL!
Card and cash dwindled pretty quickly. Took a secondary stash to get out of that one!
But sitting on a rock in the Pacific Ocean, what else you gonna do?

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

I don't like carrying much in my pockets either, but I've become a fan of the Wrangler Outdoor pants with interior cargo pockets. Great for carrying my phone and the keyless gizmo for our truck.

What do you guys think about moneybelts for traveling when cash is necessary, but not going to be used often?

Outfitter advised that I take $2,000 US with me to Africa and pay the rest with my VISA. Turns out I didn't need more than $700 cash (could have got by with a lot less but I was pretty generous tipper, to my PH especially). I picked up a money belt sort-of at the Bentley luggage store in the mall. Not a traditional money belt through the pants loops. This one was essentially a strap with a flat pocket with large zippered pouch for cash and smaller one on front for cards. Worn underneath the shirt. Even without an undershirt it was so comfortable I forgot I was wearing it ... for two day flight over there. Let's see if I can find it on the net ... yes, here it is: https://www.shopbentley.com/en/belt-...r-1004238.html The lodge had a safe and locked up the pouch for me the first night I was there. I'm sure your lodge in Montana will be equipped with a safe for same purpose. Maybe one in your room even. It is the way to go. Most purchases along the way were with debit cards. I acquired both a US funds debit and a British pounds sterling debit from my bank before leaving and put a couple hundred bucks on each. Once I was at the lodge no cash was necessary because everything I needed was part of the package (including unlimited wet bar).

[fitch270]

I’m taking enough for tips and hopefully meat processing, plus a bit extra just in case. I saw the type you bought OHH, but picked up a regular one online. I’ll pull all non essential stuff out of my wallet and keep some pocket cash in it until we get to the lodge. I’ve become use to wearing a belt even for pants that don’t require it, so will have that on at all times anyway, other than airport screening.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

"Not much blue tooth crap is durable enough for my lifestyle. Can't imagine what would happen if the canoe tipped over wearing that stuff. Your voice travels through a ziplock bag? Really? Who woulda thought."

Well, I imagine most electronics are at risk of ruin if they go into the water when you tip over your canoe. The last time that happened to me has to be at least 10 years ago and it was because I had a novice in the boat with me. Both of my canoes are stable and I can stand, polling, in my tandem without tipping it. So, the chances of me taking a swim paddling flat water are about zero.

"Any vendor who owns a business but doesn't have debit card technology and only takes cash is not going to stay in business long ... not up here for sure. The government regulates banking up here and pushed the debit card technology along vigorously."

Well isn't that nice in the great country of Canada. I can assure you that vendors like cash where I live and I'm glad the government is not pushing us into using debit for everything. Perhaps I don't want all my transactions tracked by a bank and have information that can be used against me later. Perhaps some of the vendors like cash transactions as a means of hiding sales from being included in taxes. It sounds like Canada has pushed the technology as a means of getting greater control over the citizens and to make sure they take what they want in revenue.

Consider this, if universal health care is ever passed, it could be a problem if the government decides I'm spending too much on booze

"I NEVER give my debit or VISA cards to ANYONE to take out of my sight. That is dumb! Nowadays almost all restaurants have portable machines that waiters bring to the table."

Again, that's not the standard where I live. I've never seen a portable machine used in a restaurant here in the Southeast.

"I find it something of an oxymoron that you are so into phone technology but still carrying a wad of cash in your pocket because you're afraid of debit card technology."

Your implication that I'm afraid of debit card technology is a stretch and laughable. I use my debit card in many places, but always when I maintain control of it. Once again, my concern is in what happens if it were to leave my sight and that there are some purchases for which I don't want an electronic trail.

Hah, hah. Like all the government ever did for you was bad things ... like protecting your arse with the best and most expensive military in the world. Everyone else should pay for that right? I suppose pushing the debit card system may yield paper trails that help with revenue collection. So what? I don't have a problem with paying my taxes. I do have a problem with those who find ways to cheat so I have to pay more for the services they also enjoy. Donald Trump may think that "makes him smart" (quote from the debate with Clinton) but I think it makes him a freeloading deadbeat. Not surprising. He's also an immoral philanderer and a coward who dodged service to his country.

No portable debit machines down there? Really? Wow! Everyplace here has them. Even mom & pop corner stores. I suppose you don't have "tap" technology either? Still hasn't arrived in Montana (chip technology there only last year but it's been around everywhere up here for at least the last dozen years). Here, if banking clients choose, they can opt for special chip debit cards that they merely wave over the portable debit machines and transaction is cleared ... up to a hundred dollars a day. Very handy for quick purchases at the grocery store or theatre. People aren't held up in line waiting for someone to push a bunch of buttons keying in this or that account, pin #, etc. Sure, if I lose the card someone could theoretically rip me off for a hundred bucks but it hasn't happened yet. The massive convenience is worth the small risk. Really frustrates me when I go back to Montana and have to stand in line at the store waiting while a half dozen people ahead of me each slowly write cheques and enter balances in the register at the back before moving on. How twentieth century! Crap, NO ONE up here takes cheques but my church and a few utilities (which I now pay electronically at home). And the bank doesn't allow those cheque transactions to go without a fee, not like debit payment. Open up a cheque book here at Safeways and the checker would probably fall on the floor laughing. Or a young person would probably wonder what the heck that thing is. My daughter opened her chequing account ten years ago just before my son died. And she's never written a cheque yet. All her business is done with debit. If she needs a cheque to be written for something (rarely one for rent) she deposits the cash into my joint savings account and I write it from my chequing account.

Again, I have to assume if you need to make a transaction and don't want to leave a paper trail, something illegal is involved, either the transaction (pot?) or tax evasion. I try to stay on the right side of the law. Where did I put that halo?

[jhjimbo]

Honk, Don't pay rent from your account for your Daughter. She should use her account to help build or maintain her own credit score.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

I’m taking enough for tips and hopefully meat processing, plus a bit extra just in case. I saw the type you bought OHH, but picked up a regular one online. I’ll pull all non essential stuff out of my wallet and keep some pocket cash in it until we get to the lodge. I’ve become use to wearing a belt even for pants that don’t require it, so will have that on at all times anyway, other than airport screening.

I looked at a "conventional" through the pants loops money belt at CAA (= AAA down there). Looked like it would be WAY to bulky with that much cash wedged into it. Did not look like it would be comfortable at all sitting for half a day in a plane. Also clearly would be a genuine pain in the arse getting any tightly folded funds out again. The style I chose was very accessible ... but only for me. All I had to do was go into a stall in the washroom, open my shirt, and rotate the pouch to where I could unzip it and quickly grab what I needed. Bills inside are not folded, just stacked. The conventional style belt would require stripping it from pants, unzipping from the inside, and trying to fish out a folded bill or two without the whole works falling on the floor. Nah, I don't think so!

Airports are notorious for pickpockets, especially in third world countries. Happy Myles strongly recommended the money belt and I'm glad I followed his advice. Keep your passport, cash, and cards glued to your body as tightly as possible.

[fitch270]

Since we’ve derailed jimbo’s post I’ll add that plastic is convenient but cash definitely still rules, at least when bargaining is involved. I missed out on some good opportunities because I didn’t have the funds on me and no ATM in sight. These days I try to be prepared.

With my family getting involved with shooting so much lately I’ve been buying ammo with cash. Not paranoid about it, but just not looking to attract attention that isn’t warranted.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

Honk, Don't pay rent from your account for your Daughter. She should use her account to help build or maintain her own credit score.

She will have no worries about credit scores into the foreseeable future. My/our bank is very anxious to keep me happy.

[PigHunter]

Since we’ve derailed jimbo’s post I’ll add that plastic is convenient but cash definitely still rules, at least when bargaining is involved. I missed out on some good opportunities because I didn’t have the funds on me and no ATM in sight. These days I try to be prepared.

With my family getting involved with shooting so much lately I’ve been buying ammo with cash. Not paranoid about it, but just not looking to attract attention that isn’t warranted.

A very good example of why cash may be better.

This thread got highjacked because of my responses to OHH's bloviating. All, please accept my apology. I should have known better... 😉

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

Since we’ve derailed jimbo’s post I’ll add that plastic is convenient but cash definitely still rules, at least when bargaining is involved. I missed out on some good opportunities because I didn’t have the funds on me and no ATM in sight. These days I try to be prepared.

With my family getting involved with shooting so much lately I’ve been buying ammo with cash. Not paranoid about it, but just not looking to attract attention that isn’t warranted.

Hijacking a thread is not a bad thing if it goes in a direction that is helpful. This qualifies.

None of the vendors at gun shows here have debit. Not possible to get enough phone lines into the venue. But then again I was recently in a locally owned coffee shop that had wifi internet access for their card reader. Pretty slow process but it worked. Guess it won't be long and gun show vendors will have them too. Better than shoppers having to walk around in those crowded situations with a huge wad of cash in their pockets. Or having to leave and find a bank or ATM to get loaded up (meanwhile someone else buys the gun you want). I gotta say there always seems to be no shortage of shady characters running around those shows. I'd be plenty nervous flashing a lot of cash.

[FirstBubba]

Those card scanners ain't cheap. Most small businesses can't afford them. Too big a bite out of the bottom line.

[jhjimbo]

Be careful at ATM's and look the machine over carefully. Crooks can place a device that can read your info and password for later use. You also might feel the end of a barrel in your back so be careful.

[jhjimbo]

Bubba, The Company that clears the transactions provides the reader for little to nothing for using their service. I know, I had one.

I was at a gun show Sat and I estimate about 10 to 15% of Dealers had card readers. They need the connection anyway to call in the purchase info, so it is just a small additional step to get a reader, My car repair guy will give me a 25 to 30% discount and I am sure the Franklins go right into his boats gas tanks. He has about 1,000hp boat. The thing is, every now and then I give him a card to see that the bill is a reasonable so he did not pump up a bill so he can then back it down in lieu of cash.

[99explorer]

When I visit gun shows, I carry about a dozen $100 bills, four in my wallet , four in my leather key case, and four folded in my shirt pocket. More or less.
No big wad of cash the size of a baseball.

[jhjimbo]

'99, I don't know what money you are using but 12 folded U.S. 100's would fit in a credit card holder.