What is a money belt? Well, they come in many different types and styles, but majority of the time it's a belt with an attached pocket which is worn under a shirt to protect your travel necessities. There are other forms which can be a normal looking belt while having interior pockets to hide your things. These money belts are worn to safeguard our valuables, you know, things such as our passports, travel tickets, license, credit cards, cash or even jewelry. Travelers and tourist primarily wear them. Why you may ask? Well, as much fun as traveling can be, seeing new things and experiencing new cultures. There is the big problem of scammers, pickpockets and thieves being out there to do their worst. Now, don't let this scare you off from wanting to have that amazing adventure wherever that may be. Just know that you're one step ahead and you have your essential travel items save. Hey, we're not all Indiana Jones parachuting from a plane with a raft and finding ourselves out of every situation possible, but we are people that can practice safe traveling by always wearing protection, with a money belt.

Here's a true story about a traveler:

On my way back from Tikal, Guatemala I stopped a few nights to stay on the Rio Dulce (sweet river). Its beautiful scenery with it's hotels tucked away in the jungle along the river was a perfect place to relax. For a day trip I went to Livingston by boat, in fact that's the only way to get there. After paying the hotel I was running low on cash but was told I could pull money out in Livingston. I went to the cash machine and guess what. Yup, declined. The friend I met on the trip had the same problem. She just gave the remaining of her money to a little boy demanding money after offering to take a picture with her. While we searched for every cash machine in the city I saw the little boy walking out of the candy store with a sucker in his mouth and a plastic bag full of gummy worms! That a' boy, make that money!

Time was running low as the last boat was leaving in an hour and we had no money to pay for it. Desperate times called for desperate measures. We offered to take a picture for one of the only tourist there. I took the picture and before giving their camera back I insisted they paid me $20 (just enough money for my friend and I to get back to the hotel). Holding the camera over the river as my hostage the women screamed while the man grudgingly handed me the equivalent of $20. The real awkward part was we had to sit next to them on the 45 minute boat ride back...

OK, well that part where I took someones camera hostage never really happened. We just simply had to explain our circumstances to the first tourist we saw and she was more than happy to help us out. She gave us $20 and her contact information just in case we wanted to pay her back. We gratefully accepted and paypaled her the money a few days later. No matter where you are you're never alone, and people are a lot more giving and helpful than many believe. Especially fellow travelers.

Is it fun to be in that kind of situation? Well, there's a bit of a thrill in thinking you're screwed, but it gets tiring. Better to be well prepared. Call your bank and tell them where you're going before the trip, like we did. Then have a backup plan - Buy a money belt!

Before you make your next travel plans you might want to consider picking yourself up a money belt. It might be worth your while.