Packing Documents advice

Looking for the thread I saw here about how to pack your important documents to keep them safe and easily available. I thought it was excellent advice, and have been travelling mucho for 10 years.

I've done searches on passports, packing, documents and still can't find it. Anyone know the thread I'm talking about? It even had pictures.

[Jesus]

nope, but my advise is to scan all your documents in high-resolution and e-mail them to yourself (Yahoo, Google Mail, Hotmail, etc). and if you happen to loose something it would be easier to get a duplicate of you passport, ID, etc.

[denisea]

Originally Posted by Jesus

nope, but my advise is to scan all your documents in high-resolution and e-mail them to yourself (Yahoo, Google Mail, Hotmail, etc). and if you happen to loose something it would be easier to get a duplicate of you passport, ID, etc.

That's what I do with our documents. We each also carry a set of photocopies inside a ziploc plastic bag. Our carry-ons (since that's all we ever use) have linings that can be unzipped... that's where we typically keep them stashed away (between the lining and the outside of the bag) so they're not visible if someone were to open up your suitcase.

[Seakony]

I use a zipper bank bag to keep my stuff in. In fact, It is sitting here on my desk and I already have my docs, tickets, rental reservation, hotel reservation, Sam's Card, Map, and anything else I may print off from the forum to put in it. Only thing left is our ID's. I keep my money in a separate place. I guess I should scan my stuff.. just in case.

I never thought of emailing the copies to myself! Great tip. What about those body wallets or whatever they're called? I heard there is something you can wear that's like a wallet below your clothes (especially for men). My husband insists on having his wallet in his back pocket, and I keep telling him it's not a smart idea.

[Jesus]

He can put the wallet in the back pocket, no problem, as long as he put the important doucuments in the front one. And also some of the money.

In travel book I always read (but seldom do) that a safe way to carry your money is to divide it in several small groups and store them in different places: group 1 in you pant's pocket; group 2 in your vest; group 3 in a fanny pack; group 4 in your suitcase; etc.
So if you happen to loose part of your clothing or luggage, you won't be lossing everything at once, except when you loose every item at the same time, hehe.

[Nerak936]

Also good idea to put a copy of your itinerary in your suitcase. In case it gets lost by the airlines and the tags are removed. That way you stand a better chance of having it find you in Playa, rather than later on at home.

[Anna]

Carrying your wallet in your back pocket is a pretty bad idea - it's an open invitation for pickpockets. You think you'll feel someone taking it, but hey, that's what pickpockets do best. Also, take out things that have no value for others, but would be a hassle for you to replace if you lost it. Bring only some cash, a photo ID and a credit card. If you have more than one CC, keep them in separate places so you don't get stranded for cash in case you do lose one.

[Life_N_Cancun]

While I don’t carry around near as much money as a tourist I DO keep my wallet in my back pocket. Before I came I went shopping for pants that had Velcro or buttons so I could know that nothing would fall out or be really easy to take out. After being here a while, 99 percent of the time I don’t worry about the wallet. That other 1 percent is when I am standing in the aisle of a bus or standing in a crowd of people. During those times I just casually stick my thumb in my back pocket so I can feel the top of my wallet. It seems to me that unless you have really deep and tight front pockets that it would be no harder for a skilled pickpocket to take from you. I made the decision a long time ago to not carry my original license in the wallet. I have only a color copy cut to size sitting in the see through area. That probably not good if the cops harass you for some ID, but since I rarely drive its not a big issue for me. I also have a photocopy of my passport folded up, so if push come to shove they will just have to call in the numbers to verify I am who I say. Of’ course this only applies to me, since I live here. Going through the airport or using your credit cards (carefully I hope) requires “real” ID.

[Ginger]

We were a little worried about our passports and where to keep them. We were staying (or planning to stay) longer-term, and so our condo we rented wouldn't/didn't have a safe. We ended up just keeping John and I's passports hidden separately from the kids'. We had our other ID in even a different spot. And we left the kids' full birth certificates at home (in Canada you can get regular ones and full-sized ones) in case of emergency so they could just be fedexed to us. And we only carried photocopies of our driver's licenses in the vehicle in case we got pulled over while out and about.

[ranchhand1024]

I carry an expired drivers license for ID use. You're supposed to turn them in when renewing, but I just told them it was lost and hung onto it. If the Mexican cops want to keep it, no problem!