We’ve been there (multiple times) and have written in the past on preparing for a long trip, like what to do with your stuff while you travel, what to do with your pets when you go on vacation, preparation lists, and how to sell your things online before leaving.

Over the years, we’ve been asked multiple times what we do with our vehicle when we travel, so we wrote this to give you some ideas and their pros and cons. Just realize that everyone’s situation is unique and what works for us might not be the best for you.

Wondering where to leave your car when on vacation? The first question you have to ask is how long do you plan to be away?

Short term vehicle storage

If you’re only leaving for a few weeks then you can simply leave your car in your garage, driveway or parking lot and get a friend or a taxi to drive you to the airport. You can also leave your vehicle at the airport or, even better, an off the airport lot that provides free shuttle service to the airport. Off-airport parking lots are usually half the price of leaving your vehicle at the airport directly and only cost an extra 15 to 20 minutes.

If your friends don’t have enough space to store your vehicle, you can find short or long term storage using a site like Neighbor. This is a website I recently discovered where you can find indoor and outdoor vehicle storage. See storage on Neighbor here.

Looking for an airport shuttle? Click here to get prices with GO Airport Shuttle now.

If you have a good friend who lives much closer to the airport, leave your vehicle at their place and get a much cheaper taxi ride the rest of the way.

Tip: If your friend doesn’t have a dedicated parking space for you, be careful that long term parking (a few weeks) is allowed on their road and that the neighborhood is safe enough to do so. A broken window or stolen vehicle will cost you a lot more than the price of leaving your car in a secure lot. Depending on your trust level, leaving the keys with your buddy can help alleviate any unforeseen problems and allow them to move it if needed.

Can you leave your car at the airport?

The short answer is yes, you can leave your car at the airport, since most airports have long term parking.

Tip! Generally, it’s cheaper to park at an off-airport lot than at the airport itself, but not always.

Wondering what it costs to park at your airport?

Check out this site – AirportParkingReservations.com – they often have some good deals on airport parking, and cover many airports in Canada and the USA.

Even better, they list off-airport parking lots, and also some local hotels that offer airport parking to non-guests. You can even grab a hotel and parking deal if you need to stay overnight.

See what it costs to leave your car at the airport here.

Two weeks to a few months

If you plan to be away for a few weeks to a few months and can’t leave your vehicle at home, ask about long term rates before leaving your vehicle with any lot. Even those airport shuttle places have better deals for long term travel if you discuss the rates with them before hand.

You might also reconsider leaving your vehicle on the road near a friends’ house for a long period of time. The chance of being towed or broken into rises with each extra day and since vehicles are a bit of an investment (if a declining one) you might not want to leave it so exposed.

Long term vehicle storage

You’ll need a long term storage solution when you’re traveling for at least a few months up until a year and beyond. Unlike short term travelers, you might be renting your place out or putting your things into storage, so leaving your vehicle in the garage isn’t possible.

Contrary to what you might think, you actually have a lot of options for long term vehicle storage, depending on your comfort level, the value of your vehicle and how much you’re willing to spend.

A site like Neighbor is a great place to start looking for long term car or truck storage. Neighbor is website I recently discovered where you can find indoor and outdoor vehicle storage. There’s a huge range of storage here, from heated indoor garages, to covered outdoor storage, to an affordable spot in someone’s driveway. See storage on Neighbor here.

Sell it now

The simplest thing to do might be to sell your vehicle. If you’re planning to be gone six months or more and your vehicle is new enough to still be rapidly declining in value every day, then the best solution might be to get rid of it and buy another vehicle if or when you return.

Not only will you not lose any further depreciation on it but you will also be able to cancel the insurance (which could mean money back if you’ve prepaid for the year) and it won’t cost you anything in storage fees.

Tip:  The money you save in depreciation and insurance should be weighed against the cost to sell your car. Depending on where you live, the taxes you would need to pay (on selling your current vehicle or buying a new one) or the cost of paying out any loans could offset any potential gain. There’s also no guarantee that the replacement car or truck you purchase on your return will be as good as what you had.

This year we decided to sell our car right before leaving and keep our small SUV. The car was paid off and we didn’t expect to need two vehicles when we returned. Though we loved that car, it made more sense to keep the SUV since it was older (and was depreciating slower) and also because it can carry so much more than the car. The car is also a very popular make so there are lots for sale at any time in case we want to buy another one down the road.

Unfortunately, selling isn’t an option for those who lease their vehicles and owe more than it’s worth. For those that want to hold onto their car there are still plenty of choices.

Rural and cheap on the farm storage

Years ago, we left our vehicles at Micki’s parents’ place. They lived far outside the city and had a lot of land. Leaving it there wasn’t a problem and the fact that it didn’t cost us anything was a nice plus. The problem was that they lived hours from the airport and we’ve found that the cost and hassle of renting a car right before flying out and then again when we got back was greater than just storing it somewhere close to the airport.

There was also the issue of mice. Since they lived in a very rural setting, all three times we left a vehicle on the farm we had problems with mice getting in. This might not be a problem where you live, but leaving a vehicle on the grass for extended periods of time in Canada is just asking for trouble. There are a lot of products out there that are designed to help keep mice out of a stored car, but we’ve tried a bunch all to no avail.

That said, leaving your vehicle on a farm, on a large lot or anyplace with cheap or even better, free parking, can be a great deal. If you have friends, family or even know someone who knows someone who has access to a lot of land this can be the cheapest option.

Interior storage

If you’re worried about the elements or rodents, another option might be inside storage. This can range from large facilities that specialize in storage to renting someone’s garage.

When looking into large complexes, we’ve found that the cost for interior storage is around twice the going rate for exterior storage. Some places the temperature and security is constantly monitored, but some places it’s not. Make sure you ask beforehand and keep that in mind when comparing them.

Tip: When looking into interior storage complexes, look for companies targeting classic car owners and boat storage as they’ll likely have rodent control measures and good security. Depending on where you live, a climate controlled building is probably not required and will save you money.

Personal garages for rent are popular, with owners choosing to make a few extra dollars rather than using the space themselves. We rented a private garage on one of our trips and it worked out well. The downside was that no one was really watching over the garage and we convinced some friends to check it every week for us while we were gone. We also had our belongings in the same garage so that might have added to our extra worry. The price for storing both was far less than other options so it was a good choice regardless of the security concerns. If the owner had lived nearby it wouldn’t have been a concern.

Tip: Personal garages for rent are usually found through a friend or an ad on Craigslist, Kijiji or something similar. Mechanics may also be able to help you find a garage for rent so make sure to ask around.

Another option for inside storage is underground parking. The downside is that not many people list their parking spaces as available to rent. They can also be open to a lot of traffic and the chance of a break in could be higher than the other options..

Tip: With a lot of older people no longer able to drive, their need for a parking spot decreases. Condos, apartments and townhouses designed for the 60 plus age group are a great place to start looking if you want to go this route. If you can talk to the building manager you can probably quickly find out if anyone has a space they don’t need. You can also talk to any friends or family who live in a building with underground parking and see if anything is available there. Even if their parking spot is taken, there might be others available to rent.

Outside long term vehicle storage

These days, we’ve found that in-city long term vehicle storage is the way to go for us. These spaces are usually marketed for RV and boat owners who don’t have the space to park their vehicle for the winter. Because the average car, truck or SUV is much smaller than the typical motorhome or trailer, the price is usually far less as well.

Tip:  We look for a place close enough to the airport that either a taxi ride won’t break the bank or a friend won’t disown us for asking for a ride. We also look for someplace secure that is gated and has secure access. In the past few years we’ve also ensured that the RV storage lot has a gravel or paved lot to minimize rodent issues.

We also ensure that the car is spotlessly clean inside before we leave (again to minimize rodent issues) and we try to wash the vehicle right before we drop it off (to minimize rusting). This year we also unhooked the battery since last year we got back to a dead battery and had to have someone jump start our car. We’ve never bothered to cover our vehicle since I’d rather deal with fading than other issues like a tarp rubbing in the wind. Since we won’t be around to look after it we leave someone in town as the contact point.

Storage insurance

One thing we also do is change our insurance on the vehicle to storage or parking insurance. Storage insurance usually costs only a fraction of our normal insurance and still protects us in case of theft, vandalism or fire. It’s also a must if you can’t have a gap in your insurance (some places will charge a hefty premium if you have a time gap in your insurance coverage) so be mindful that your province/state/country doesn’t have that as well.

Final thoughts

When you leave for an extended trip one of the hardest hurdles is dealing with your things. Sometimes I think people use their stuff as an excuse to put off that big trip they’ve always dreamed about.

Hopefully this post gives you some ideas on what to do with one of your largest things, your vehicle. Whether you sell your home and put your remaining items into storage or rent your place out for the time you’re gone you’ll have to decide what to do with your ride. Depending on who you are, what shape your vehicle is in and your budget, know that there is a solution for you.

In a few week’s time, our family is going to be on the road on an open ended adventure starting in Mexico and Belize and then jumping over to Southern Europe. Exactly how long we’ll be gone is up to debate, however it will probably be six months or longer. We’re tremendously looking forward to it and have a million and one ideas on things to do, places to see and people to visit.

After Mexico, we’re flying into Madrid, Spain and will slowly make our way along the Mediterranean to Portugal, Morocco, Italy, Greece and Turkey. From there we don’t have a clue where we’ll end up but that’s part of the excitement.

Not only is this trip going to provide many great travel tales for this site, but it’s also going to give us our first real opportunity to work in a location free environment. Up to this point we’ve merely dabbled with a virtual workplace and up until a few months ago were still taking regular contracts. Well, that life is officially over!

Now that we have a few websites under our belt and a somewhat steady income coming in, we feel that we’re truly ready to live a life of travel and adventure. Both of the kids are on board and Micki and I are both excited to set out and call the whole world our home.

Of course, this means that right now we’re insanely busy with getting everything set up and ready for our travels. In case you want to know what we have to deal with for a trip such as this, I’ve included a rough list of things we need to take care of. Some of you might be wondering what steps someone with a house, two cars, two kids, a cat and a house full of furniture need to take to make this trip a reality. For those of you interested, read on. The rest of you, look away because it isn’t pretty.

If you think that a life of travel and adventure is effortless, you might be shocked to realize that it takes a lot of work to live a life outside of the box. Of course, in our minds, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Here’s our list.

Give Notice:

• Give notice to our landlord that we’re moving out at the end of the month
• Cancel our gas, electricity, internet, cable and phone services
• Set up and meet with the remote online teacher who will be looking after our sons education while we travel
• Let the school and his teacher know our son is leaving the country
• Call our bank and credit card companies to let them know we’re going to be on the road
• Let healthcare know we’re going to be traveling
• Forward all our mail to a new address

Sell or Give Away to Charity:

• Sell one of our vehicles to limit our storage costs
• Sell our utility trailer, car top carrier and several bulky outdoor items that we don’t want to store
• Sell one set of couches (we have two sets), our kitchen table and chairs (too bulky), a spare bed and a few larger items that we don’t feel like leaving in storage
• Clear out various electronics that we’ve upgraded that still have some life in them
• Go through all our kids clothes and get rid of anything that is too small or will be if/when we return

Buy:

• Buy another laptop and a new travel router so we can both work remotely
• Buy new luggage and repair old ones for clothes storage (this trip we’ve decided to ditch the backpacks in favor of a nice rolling set!)
• Buy our tickets to Mexico and find a place to stay while we’re there
• Research travel insurance companies and decide on the best plan

To Do:

• Get all our taxes sorted out for next April (need all our receipts sorted and entered into a spreadsheet)
• Get eye and teeth exams for the kids before we leave
• Get International Drivers Licenses (since we hope to buy a car to tour Europe)
• Find and rent a large local storage locker for all our belongings
• Rent a U-Haul truck or hire movers to help put our stuff into storage
• Clean the house once all our things are out
• Figure out where to store our vehicle while we’re gone
• Drive eight hours to Calgary to visit friends and family and to drop off our cat Cozzie at Micki’s moms
• Board the plane and have a celebratory glass of wine to making our dreams happen!

There’s probably a thousand other small things that we’ll be doing as well, including going on a few small local adventures, replacing some more of our tech devices, buying a few things we’ll need for the road and getting this house and our things straightened out.

Most of it is mundane and I struggled with including it here, however I believe that sometimes you have to show both sides to living on the road. The truth is, sometimes you need to work hard to make it look like you’re hardly working.

If you can think of anything I missed on this list let me know and if you’re planning on taking an extended travel break in the near future I hope it sheds some light on what that involves.

Also, if you’re planning on leaving for an extended trip yourself, check out some of our older posts that discuss where to store your things when you travel, what to do with your pet when you’re on the road, tech we travel with, and finally how to get the most for your things on Kijiji and Craigslist.

If you’re hoping to work while you’re on the road, please check out Micki’s awesome list of 45 great jobs you can do while traveling the world for a bunch of useful ideas to get you started.

Safe travels!

Whether you’re gone a week or six months there are three main options for your pet when you’re on vacation. You can have someone take care of your pet in your house, have your pet go to someone else’s place or take your pet with you. What you do with them depends on how long you’re traveling, how much money you’re willing to spend and how much you trust others to take care of your extended family.

Keep your pet at home when you travel

For us, keeping our cat at home and hiring a pet sitter works well for short trips. We’ve asked a neighbor to watch over him in the past, but as our friends get busier with kids and work, it’s become more of an imposition, so we find it easier to hire someone.

Hire a Professional Pet Sitter

The main disadvantage of hiring a sitter is that it can be a bit costly. $20 per visit is fairly standard, which can add up over longer trips. Professional sitters are generally very dependable (but check references carefully) and they know how to take care of animals. Our pet sitter even has Pet First Aid training and is insured and bonded. Pet sitters generally visit once a day for cats and twice for dogs.

Note – while they’re not necessarily professional, we know a lot of folks who’ve had great luck finding a home and pet sitter with Trusted Housesitters.

Check sitters available on Trusted Housesitters here.

We went the professional pet sitter route for shorter trips before our beloved older kitty passed away. We found a sitter we adored, and it was wonderful to know our senior kitty was in great hands whenwe were away. She would stop by our home a couple of times a day to play with him, feed him, and would even send us texts with photos of how he was doing.

Ask a Neighbor, Friend or Family Member

This is usually the cheapest option, and is especially good if your pet is familiar with their sitter. If you ask a neighbor or a friend who lives nearby, they can probably come more often than a paid professional. The downside is that if your sitter sees it more as a favor than a job, they might not be as responsible as someone that is being paid.

If you want to make their job a little easier, consider getting an automatic water fountain or food dispenser for your pet.

Check prices and info on Amazon for the PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum water fountain

Find a House Sitter

House sitters usually live full time in your house, so your pets theoretically get the same care you would give them. Pets get constant supervision and attention.

Because a house sitter lives in your house while you’re away, you would need to be comfortable with them having full access to your things. This is generally an affordable option, as you’re trading accommodation for pet care, though some pet sitters are paid extra. Probably the most well known and largest place to find house and pet sitters is through Trusted Housesitters.

Check sitters available on Trusted Housesitters here.

Advantages of leaving your pet at home:

• Your pet is in their familiar setting (especially good for cats)
• There’s no danger of damaging other people’s things
• Food, toys, yard, cage, etc. are already set up and your pet already knows the lay of the land
• No other animals to compete or fight with
• Your pets can eat the same foods as usual and can keep up with their daily routine
• The people looking after your pets can also watch the house for you (taking in mail, cleaning walkways, turning on lights, etc.) to give the appearance that someone is home
• You can just leave the keys and go

Disadvantages:

• Animals can get lonely if no one is around all day
• There’s a greater danger of missed feedings or walks
• There’s a greater chance of accidents on the floors
• Animals will always be on the lookout for you, which could lead to stress in some animals
• Unfamiliar care takers may get attacked when arriving – especially true with hamsters and turtles

Have your pet taken care of outside your home

Hire a Professional Pet Sitter

Many pet sitters will also take care of your animal in their own home. A pet sitter usually has a few pets staying with them already, which can provide companionship for your pet. A Pet Sitter will understand the risks of bringing a new animal into their home and typically knows how to care for them. Depending on the size of their business they could have dedicated kennels or live with them as part of their family.

Ask a Neighbor, Friend or Family Member

While we traveled, our cat Cosmo stayed with Micki’s mom. He enjoyed all that Grandma’s cat spa had to offer, including a daily brushing, all the Temptations cat treats he could eat, lounging in the sun and chasing mice through the tall grass. Two words – Cat Heaven. We usually had to beg him to come back home with us. Cosmo passed away a little while ago at age 20, but it was wonderful to know he was in good hands when we were gone.

Because your pet might already be familiar with the place and the person, this can be a great option, especially if your animal already knows your sitter and their pets. Because you already know them, trust shouldn’t be an issue. This may be the cheapest option if you want to have your animal cared for outside your own home.

Leave them at a Kennel, Boarding Facility or Pet Hotel

A professional service should be knowledgeable about animals and how to take care of them. These services have the facilities and staff already equipped to take good care of your pet. However, your pet may be kept in a cage for longer than you’d like. That said, there are some wonderful boarding facilities out there. Make sure you check references and even consider leaving your pet for a short trial run. There are tons of dog boarding kennels in almost every large center however a lot of them also take cats and other pets.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dog Did What?: 101 Amazing Stories

Have them Stay at your Local Vet

A lot of veterinarians have a boarding service with round the clock animal care. This can be an ideal situation if your pet has medical issues or if you’re concerned for their health care. A lot of vets work out of animal hospitals and have the facilities to take in your pet regardless if it’s a dog, cat, bird or turtle.

Find a Volunteer

Asking a volunteer to help take care of your pet is an affordable option, as you’ll usually only need to cover food and supplies, though a small stipend may also be appreciated. You may be able to find a volunteer to take care of your pet through shelters and the humane society. Volunteers have a definite love of animals and your pet will likely have the companionship of a few other animals in their care.

Advantages of having someone take care of your pet outside your home

• Your pet will most likely be around people and other animals more often
• Dedicated walks and playtime
• New areas to explore to see
• Less chance of loneliness (house sitter excluded)

Disadvantages

• Unfamiliar areas could give your pet stress
• Possible issues with other animals (other cats and alpha dogs especially)
• Your pet could be kept in a cage or area you’re uncomfortable with for long stretches
• You’ll need to drop off and pick the animals up

Take your pet with you

Taking your pet with you may be a good option if you’re traveling by motorhome or car, or if you’re planning to stay in one place for a long time. Be careful with border requirements for pets entering a new country. Some countries, like England, have long quarantine periods for animals entering the country. Other countries are less strict, and only require proof of vaccinations and a certificate of good health from a veterinarian.

Click here to see more about Dog Lover’s Guide to Travel on Amazon

Tips

Make sure you can trust whoever is taking care of your pet. Whether it’s a business or a professional sitter you don’t know, always ask for referrals. If your pet is staying somewhere else, ask to look around the place to get an idea of how clean it is and how well the other pets are being cared for. If possible, take your pet there ahead of time so that they can get used to the place while you can provide reassurance. Bring familiar toys and objects to make their stay more enjoyable. Also make sure they have your emergency contact information, any special needs your pet may have and, if possible, a local contact they can deal with in case you’re unavailable.

In general, cats are most comfortable in their own homes and don’t require the constant attention a dog requires. If your trip is short, it might be best to have someone come in to see them daily and to make sure their litter gets changed. Cats should always have enough food and water to last an extra few days in case your sitter is unexpectedly called away.

Dogs are usually more social than cats and require more constant attention. It’s best to have a dog living with someone, whether in your home or someplace else. Preferably, have your dog stay someplace they’re familiar with. It’s common for dogs that are left at home when their owners travel to spend the better part of the day staring at the door waiting for you to come home. It’s also common for dogs left somewhere else to act out and behave differently, so make sure whoever is taking care of them has their best interests at heart.

Where to Find Professional Sitters or Kennels

• Local Humane Society
• Local Vet’s Office
• Yellow Pages
• Kijiji, Craigslist or online boards (make sure you get referrals and check them)
• Petsmart and a few other large pet stores will also house pets
• National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS – mostly USA)
• Canadian Pet Services at Canada’s Guide to Dogs
• Boarding Kennels.org (UK, Ireland, Canada, USA)

 A Final Note

Animals are usually adaptable to their surroundings and some pets actually enjoy the attention they get when their owners leave for extended periods. Whether they’re staying at the latest chic dog boutique or staying at grandma’s with her four other cats, you might be surprised at how well they’ll do.

Looking for what to do with your vehicle while you travel? Check out this post we wrote here.

What’s the best way to keep your credit cards, cash and passport safe when you travel?

The default is usually a money belt or fanny pack that you wear around your waist, and may tuck away under your clothes. But there are much better options out there for keeping your stuff safe, like neck wallets. This review looks at money belts, neck wallets, leg and wrist wallets, belt wallets, bras and clothes with hidden pockets.

We’ve tried on, used, researched or received recommendations on each of the products we’ve listed. We only recommend products that we would use and would recommend to friends. We don’t accept advertorials or payment for positive reviews.

	Money Belt Like the maligned fanny pack, the money belt suffers from a bit of an image problem. Money belts are usually associated with dopey Western tourists in plaid shorts and white socks with sandals. That said, money belts can be a practical choice. Money belts hidden under the clothes can hide your stash from pickpockets, but they’re not much of a defense against getting held up. One of the first things a robber will look for is the classic money belt around your waist. It can also be a little awkward removing money if you keep your money belt tucked under your pants. You may want to find an inconspicuous place to pull the belt out, rather than reaching into your pants at the till. If you get a money belt, make sure you get one with an adjustable waist that is comfortable against your skin. Silk is a great choice, as it’s soft, durable and washable. This highly rated Rayix RFID Blocking Money Belt gets great reviews if you’re in the market for one. Check prices here.
	Money Belts for Women Personally, I don’t like money belts. On my first overseas trip to Amsterdam, I used a waist travel pouch. I’m a smallish woman, and, even with only a passport, two cards, and a little cash inside, the money belt was just too big to hide under my clothes. I spent my whole trip looking like I was wearing a colostomy bag. On top of this, the money belt was made of a rough linen-like fabric, and rubbed against my skin the whole time. The elasticized waist strap was also hot and uncomfortable. Very irritating. That said, I may have been better off using a smaller waist wallet designed for runners. I’ve been using the small but extremely stretchy original SPIbelt Sports / Running Belt off and on for the year, and it’s a much better alternative to bigger money belts for me. It will easily hold an iPhone 6 or Galaxy phone, but squeezing in a smartphone, a passport, and a bit of cash is a challenge. When the SPIBelt is full, it’s difficult to get items out again without spilling all of the contents. See it on Amazon here.
	Fanny Pack There’s no escaping that a fanny pack is generally considered to be one of the dorkiest things you can wear (with the possible exception of pants hiked up to your chin). That said, if you’re willing to brave social ostracism, a fanny pack is pretty practical. They come in some reasonably cool new designs, and they hold a lot. You can even slap a water bottle on the side of some of these suckers. Manufacturers are getting wise to the uncool factor, and have started branding these as kangaroo or lumbar packs. A lot of the newer fanny packs can also be worn across the body; either on the back or front. The feature-packed YUOTO Outdoor Fanny Pack and the SAVFY fanny pack both get great reviews and are available from Amazon. Click here to check YUOTO prices. See SAVFY prices here.
	Fanny Pack (Security) The major problem with fanny packs is that your valuables are not hidden, like they’d be with a neck wallet or money belt. This not only tells crooks the location of your stash, but opens you up to pickpockets sliding open the zipper. Some of the more expensive fanny packs like the Pacsafe Vibe 4 liter Anti-Theft Hip Pack have smart RFID -blocking pocket that help protect personal data on passports and credit cards, plus slash proof straps. The Pacsafe fanny packs also are lined with a slash-proof metal mesh, and can be locked. See prices here. Pacsafe also makes a anti-theft waist wallet/money belt that gets great reviews. It’s the Pacsafe Coversafe X100 Anti-Theft RFID Blocking Waist Wallet. See prices on Amazon here. A word of advice: When talking to a British person, don’t use the word fanny. In England, the word fanny has an entirely different meaning. In the UK, the word fanny is slang for a woman’s privates, making for some interesting interpretations of “Could you grab my fanny?”. Fanny packs are called bum packs or bum bags in the UK.
	Neck Wallet Admittedly, a neck travel wallet is still not extremely cool, but at least it’s not a fanny pack. And travel wallets are cheap. Charles and I used a neck wallet extensively in the past. It has room for passports, credit cards, money and the like. It’s small enough that you can wear it under your shirt and no one can see it. The most secure way to wear a neck wallet is like a gun holster; over your neck, with one strap under one arm. If you wear it only around your neck, it’s easy for someone to rip off. The only downside is that it’s a bit embarrassing to have to lift up your shirt to access your wallet if it’s slung under your shoulder. Keep it slung in front of your body. You can easily convert a neck wallet into a money belt by strapping it around your waist and tightening the straps. Try hanging a money belt around your neck – it just won’t work. There are always downsides. Neck wallets can sometimes pull against your neck and become uncomfortable. They can also be bulky under clothes if you’re carrying a lot of stuff. My nephew was accused in Amsterdam of being an undercover cop when someone spotted the black strap for his neck pouch under his shirt. A soft fabric on the back that feels good against the skin is a good choice for a neck wallet, along with one that’s durable, washable and lightweight. I wore a neck wallet like the Zero Grid RFID Undercover Neck Wallet almost every day for a year. It was lightweight, thin, and comfortable, though I did have to sew the straps back on after about nine months. Click to see prices here. The Venture 4th security travel neck wallet, gets a four and a half star rating from over 3,000 people on Amazon, so it may be a good alternative if the Zero Grid isn’t your thing. Click to see prices on Amazon.
		Tips for Using a Neck Wallet Black is a good color for a neck wallet or money belt, as it hides dirt well. My first neck wallet was beige silk, and after wearing it every day for a month, I noticed it had changed to a funny off-dirt color. Even after washing, it didn’t return to it’s original color. Keep some day to day cash in your pocket so that you don’t need to go digging into your pack to buy a bottle of water or a quick bite to eat. The idea is to keep it hidden if possible. You may have to sew the strap on the neck wallet to make sure it’s the perfect size. The neck wallets I tried on were far too long, and hung down past my waist – not exactly inconspicuous. Check periodically to make sure that the straps holding the wallet are secure. Over time, my wallets have begun to fray, and I’ve had to sew the straps back on. Some neck wallets have sliders that allow you to adjust the size. This is a great idea in theory, but some of the sliders can pinch and rub your skin, and also show through your clothing. Some of Eagle Creek’s neck wallets have these types of sliders. When we bought an Eagle Creek neck wallet, I simply slid the slider off the strap, and sewed the straps to be shorter. You don’t need to buy the kind with a clear cover over your passport. You’ll need to take your ID out of the holder at the airport anyway. Women, wear the neck pouch under your breasts, as it’s much less visible. If you can help it, don’t overload the neck wallet, making it heavy and uncomfortable, and bulky under clothes. Waterproof neck wallets can be clammy and uncomfortable against your skin. Instead of buying a waterproof neck pouch, use a sandwich size Ziploc bag to waterproof your valuables, and put the Ziploc inside your neck wallet. Pacsafe has a neck wallet with slashproof straps, the Pacsafe Coversafe X75 Anti-Theft RFID Blocking Neck Pouch. We haven’t tested this out personally, but it gets good Amazon reviews. Check prices here.
	Belt Wallet Belt wallets are simply a hidden pocket along the inside of a belt. They’re very secure, but usually best for men, as they’re a bit over-sized for women and don’t come in a wide range of styles and colors. Some belt wallets can trigger the metal detector alarm in airports because of a metal zipper. The Jasgood Security Belt – Hidden Money Anti-Theft Travel Belt was designed by a fellow backpacker, and has a  hidden zippered security pocket to hold your valuables, with a hidden zipper and enough room to store a bit of cash. See prices here.
	Bra Stash Ladies, this one’s just for you. One variation of these is like the Pacsafe Secret Bra Pouch that loops over the center of your bra. There are also variations that tuck into your bra itself. See prices here. These sound like a great idea, but the one I tried on made me look like the three breasted alien from Total Recall. This isn’t the greatest choice for a bulky passport or a lot of stuff, but can be useful to stash an emergency $100 USD, your driver’s license and a credit card.
	Leg Wallet You can get wallets that attach to your leg or ankle. These would definitely work to hide your stuff from thieves and pickpockets, but you’ll need to store the stuff you’ll need on a daily basis elsewhere. If this is your only stash, you’ll need to take your pants off every time you pay for something. This could make for some interesting transactions. Some leg wallets can snag pantyhose, and rub against the sensitive skin on your thighs. I tried one on (hoping that it would make me feel like Lara Croft in Tomb Raider). It felt uncomfortable, and just too large, though I may have been able to adjust to it after wearing it for a while. Next time, I’m going to suck it up and try the shockingly, unabashedly, ugly Raine Gear Tactical ankle wallet. It claims to be able to hide cellphone, cash, credit cards, I.D., lipstick, keys, and a passport. Get prices now. The Enroute Deluxe Travel Leg Wallet rates well is well rated, and seems to hold a lot. It looks fairly bulky, and would probably be a better fit for a larger person. See prices here.
	Wrist Wallet Wrist travel wallets are usually not large enough to hold a passport. Since these are usually visible, they don’t do a great job of hiding your stash, though they’re useful for preventing pickpockets. A wrist wallet is a great alternative if you’re going on a quick run. Some will even hold your iPod or iPhone. None of the wrist wallets I researched had stellar ratings, but it’s worth noting the unisex Clöudz Wrist Wallet, which also offers RFID protection. Get it on Amazon here.
	Shoe Wallet Shoe wallets have a loop that tie around your laces, and they sit on the front top of your shoe . The main problem with shoe wallets is that they’re only large enough for a little cash, and maybe a credit card or a key. Some brands, like Chums, are known for zippers coming undone or sliding around on your shoe. The AmphiPod Shoe Wallet is available at Amazon. Find out more.
	Clothes With Hidden Pockets These are clever in theory, but unless you’re going to wear the same shirt of pants every day, not too practical. That said, we’ve been hearing good things lately about Clever Travel Companion underwear with hidden pockets. They come in T-shirts, Stashitware women’s boy short underwear, men’s boxers, unisex tank tops, and even long john thermal underwear. We haven’t tried them ourselves, but they get pretty decent ratings on Amazon. The only downside may be needing to sneak somewhere private to fish your passport out from your skivvies. Find prices and info on here.

Just Use a Small Daypack

Another alternative is to use a small daypack to hold your valuables. Even better is a small bag that you can sling in front of your body, making it harder for pickpockets to access. Keep your wallet, passport, and essentials in the daybag, but have a small stash of cash in a pocket for incidentals so you won’t have to pull out your wallet for every transaction. We bought an Eagle Creek daypack in 2003 (it came as a zip on addition to a large backpack).

I kid you not, that Eagle Creek daypack was probably the best purchase I’ve ever made. We used it everyday on our year-long trip in 2003, on a six month trip in 2012, and on a three month trip to the Philippines and Hong Kong. It’s been slammed around in airplanes, ferries and Thai longboats, shoved on the top of shared vans, and dropped into the luggage compartment of trains. It’s traveled through over 20 countries.

I also used it almost every day for a few years just as a bag to carry my odds and ends to work and back. I’ve never had to do anything other than wipe it off occasionally. Not a stitch or repair.

It finally tore in the bottom and on the shoulder on our trip to Ecuador and Mexico in 2017, after 14 years of hard use.

These days, we’re trying out a top-loading Pacsafe anti-theft adventure backpack. This new backpack is a thing of beauty. It’s surprisingly lightweight, has a padded tablet sleeve, a wealth of pockets and locking zippers I’m still deciphering, and anti-theft Slashguard stainless steel wire mesh embedded into it. At 18 inches high and 9 inches wide, it’s small enough to use as a personal item with most airlines, and it hold a LOT.

We haven’t used it for much more than day use on a few hikes, but it’s been very comfortable for a couple of hours on the trails. It seems to be well made, and like it will last a long time.

Find out more here.

Do It Old School

The most old fashioned, and probably the most secure, way to protect your stuff is to sew an extra pocket into the inside of your shirt or pants, and store some emergency money and a credit card there. If you’re not a seamstress, you can use a safety pin to attach a few dollars to the inside of your clothes.

Sliding a $100 into your shoe also works, though it’s easy to lose, and can end up smelling like dirty cheese. Women can even slip a little cash inside the lining of a bra.

Keeping Your Stuff Safe

Probably the best defense against getting robbed or pick pocketed is how you act.

• Don’t flash cash, jewelry, electronics or anything expensive and keep out of dangerous areas, especially at night.
• Don’t put everything in one place. Keep a second stash stash of money in your pocket or somewhere else easily accessible. That way, you don’t have to fumble with your hidden stash when you pay for something. It also acts as a lure for pickpockets – they’ll go for the easy $$ and leave the neck wallet alone.
• If you do get held up, just hand over your wallet and money. It’s not worth getting killed over material things that can be replaced.

The Bottom Line

Overall, we found that a neck wallet is a good combination of security, accessibility and comfort.

What you choose also depends on how much stuff you have. For us, the days of traveling with a single passport, a credit card, and a little cash are gone for now. We now have more essentials to carry wherever we go, including four passports, wet wipes, Kid’s Tylenol, lollipops for air pressure changes in airplanes, travel insurance information, boarding passes and so on.

We shove all of the non-essential stuff in a small backpack, and the passports, credit cards and cash in a neck wallet worn under our clothes. The backpack acts as a pretty good lure for pickpockets and thieves. If the backpack’s lost or stolen, it’s a hassle, but nothing’s too hard to replace.

Type	Rank	Hides Valuables?	Ease of Access	Discourage Pickpockets?	Big Enough for Passport?	Comfort	Best for Men or Women?
Neck Wallet	1		Medium			High	Men and Women
Money Belt	2		Medium			Medium	Men
Belt Wallet	3		Low			High	Men
Small Daypack	4		High			High	Men and Women
Fanny Pack	5		High			High	Men and Women
Leg Wallet	6		Low			Medium	Men
Clothes with Hidden Pockets	7		High			High	Men and Women
Bra Stash	8		Low			Medium	Women
Wrist Wallet	9		High			Medium	Men and Women
Shoe Wallet	10		High			High	Men and Women

*We do earn a small commission if you purchase a product on Amazon however it doesn’t cost you anything. These sales help pay for the time it takes to research and write thorough reviews as well as provide upkeep for the rest of the site.

As much as Charles and I would like to go whipping about the globe at a moment’s notice, the reality of it is a bit different. Exactly two kids, a cat and a house full of stuff different.

The kids? Easy. They come with us. The cat? A eight hour drive and he’s rolling in catnip on Grandma’s floor.

But, our stuff is a bigger problem. What on earth do we do with all our stuff when we’re on an extended trip? We’ve got some great tips for long term travel storage that have worked for us in the past.

Give it away 

Give it all away or sell it. This may work if we didn’t plan to return, or if we didn’t have anything with sentimental value or worth keeping. We just have too much stuff right now. It would be way too much expense and bother to replace everything in six months or a year when we come back. We do try to get rid of unnecessary stuff before we leave, to minimize what we have to store. For bigger items like furniture, we put ads on Craigslist or Kijiji. Smaller stuff sells really well at a garage sale. It’s amazing what people will buy at a garage sale.

Let’s not move a darn thing, and rent out our place fully furnished

Tempting, but there are a few problems. We still need to find storage for our personal stuff and anything especially valuable. There’s also always a danger a renter will trash our furniture. A rental agreement also locks us into a specific return date. We like to be able to return when we want. Sometimes life throws curve balls at us (like a couple of vicious bouts of e. coli in the Philippines) and we come back earlier than planned. Being without our stuff while we’re travelling isn’t a big deal, but being a block away from home and having to rent another place while our stuff is being used by someone would be a hassle.

Hey buddy, do you have room in your basement?

The problem with asking our friends is that they have as much crap as we do. Everyone has too much stuff. Not only do our friends not have room for our crap, they barely have enough room for their own. We’ve done this in the past and have even tried sharing the load between several friends. It usually only cost us a nice bottle of alcohol or a 24 of beer, but these days it’s not really an option. There are advantages to being young and poor.

If your friends don’t have enough space to store your stuff, you could look for long term storage using a site like Neighbor. This is a website I recently discovered where you can find garages, sheds, basements and all kinds of spare spaces to rent.

See storage on Neighbor here.

Umm… Dad… Can we use your garage?

Advantage:  Cheap.

Disadvantage:  Irritated parents.

Believe it or not, hogging Dad’s garage for a couple of years started to wear on the man. Who knew? Plus, now that we’ve moved across the country, Dad’s garage is a 24 hour drive away. Not so convenient.

Let’s just rent our garage!

We’ve done this in the past and it had its pluses. We rented the garage in back of the house we were staying at the time. A couple of beers later, we and a few friends had moved everything out of the house and into the garage. The owner  was thrilled to be making a couple of extra bucks on rent and we didn’t have to hire a moving company, rent a U-Haul or even a trailer.

That stint turned out fine for us in the end except that we had to nearly trash the garage door to get it to open the following winter. We also decided at the last moment to leave our more expensive items at a friends.

The biggest negatives were a constant worry about potential problems with security, rodents, bugs and water damage. That brings us to professional storage lockers for long term travel storage.

Storage lockers. Safe and secure.

It currently runs about $220 a month to store all of our stuff in an indoor, heated place. We have enough stuff to fill a small three bedroom house, so if you have less, it’d be cheaper. It definitely hurts to pay over $1,300 for six months of storage. Overall, though, the advantages outweigh the cost. In the past we had fewer things and got away lucky paying around the $40 per month.

Disadvantages:  Storage lockers cost money. We have to arrange to schlep our stuff from our house back and forth to the storage. We can’t store food, or any dangerous items like fireworks in a storage locker. We have to arrange for a new place to rent when we come back. There’s a slight danger of theft, bugs, flooding or rodents for extended travel storage.

Advantages:  We can come back anytime. Since we use an excellent, secure, indoor storage facility, our stuff is fairly safe from rodents and bugs. Our family and friends still talk to us when we return, since we haven’t worn out our welcome by storing our crap at their place for the past year.

Look for a self storage rental here.

Tip! If you use a reputable storage company, you can even store your stuff in a climate-controlled climate. You don’t have to worry if your stuff is safe and secure. You can even easily extend your storage period if you decide to travel longer, or pull your stuff out of storage quickly if you need to.

Once you find your ideal storage rental, consult this storage unit size guide to find out which unit size is ideal for your needs

Car storage. Field, barn or a lot of gravel

We’ve always stored our vehicles outside when we travel. Twice we returned home to find our car a bit chewed up by mice, and with mouse turds here and there.

We discovered the mouse turds the last time when Jordan asked why there were chocolate sprinkles on her car seat. Eww! We need to either pony up for indoor storage or invest in some mousetraps. Lots of mousetraps.

We spread mothballs around the car (instead of inside where the smell tends to linger long after you’ve taken them out) but that had no effect.  We were smart enough to remove all the food from the car, but I think that just angered the mice. They decided to nibble on any places our hands rested, including our turn signals and window controls. Now, we wash everything in our car before we go.

You may be able to find vehicle storage through the Neighbor website. Look for vehicle storage near you now.

If you’re in a tizzy about what to do with your vehicle, we’ve gone into a lot more detail about your options in this post.

Insurance issues and why it could matter

Wherever we keep our stuff, we make sure that we have some sort of insurance on it. Since we already have tenant’s insurance (or home insurance, when we owned a house), we just arrange to continue coverage. Our insurance companies have never had a problem changing the location of our tenant’s insurance to a friend or family member’s place.

There are often clauses in insurance policies that prohibit storage in separate garages (we had to keep insurance on the entire property when we rented the garage). Storing stuff in different locations can leave some belongings either uninsured or insured under a friend or relative’s insurance policy. The safest way to find out is to ask your insurance agent. RATESDOTCA (formerly Kanetix) is a great tool for comparing a few quick quotes on insurance.

Keeping it safe

On top of insurance, we always try to think about things like rodents, bugs, heat or cold, and water damage.

Off the floor and wick no more

Water damage is especially bad. Always store your stuff off the floor, either on shelves, or propped up on top of some boards. If there’s a water leak or flooding, your belongings will probably be safer a few inches off the ground. We learned the hard way. The humidity level at our cabin was so high that condensation formed on our cold cement floor in the garage and wicked up into some of our boxes. Not only was some of our stuff ruined, but we had to deal with mold (nasty stuff!).

Storage boxes or boxes for, well, storage

Another option is to always put your plastic containers at the bottom with everything on top of them. We’ve done this several times without problems. The year we left our stuff in the garage we waited for a great sale on large plastic containers (we bought a dozen 18 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck storage boxes) and put all our clothes and odds and ends in them. With only so much room in the garage we placed these on the ground and loaded stuff on top of them. As long as the box is full it’s very sturdy and if you have to stack you can easily put 4 on top of each other. You can usually find good deals on these type of containers and we usually grab a few here and there as we go. The nice part about them is that they also stack great when they’re empty!

Cold. It is Canada after all

Since we live in Canada, we have to worry about our stuff freezing in the winter. The trick is to find affordable temperature-controlled storage. Possible cold damage could include glue going brittle on furniture, de-lamination on certain tables (we had this happen with some Ikea tables), electronics failing (probably more a humidity issue than cold), anything with a liquid in it (children’s toys like chew toys, toys with a liquid in them, canned food, liquid detergents, soda and drinks including beer, wine and anything with a low alcohol content). In the past, we’ve managed to bring a few boxes loaded with food and drinks to friends places. One time we came back and for some reason our alcohol box was a lot lighter. Perhaps that should be added to the negatives of storing with friends or relatives.

Heat. It’s not just an Al Pacino movie

Though we wish we had the fortune of living in such a warm climate as to worry about excessive storage heat, we’ve never had that as a possible issue. It would seem logical that a lot of the pieces affected by extreme cold would also be affected by heat. In extremely hot climates, heat can warp and melt. Heat can also dry out items. Brittle fabric and carpet, shrunken or melted plastics and even fire are possible in high heat, low air circulation areas.

Are those critters included in the rent?

Another issue we worry about is rodents or bugs. Both bugs and rodents look for nice places to hide during cold winter months. While you’re off gallivanting having the time of your life, you need to keep the critters from having the time of their lives in your belongings.

Keeping stuff off the floor and in storage boxes definitely helps, but we’ve found the main attraction for bugs and other critters is food. We make sure any opened food goes in the garbage before we leave (it would probably go bad before we get back anyway), and that non-perishable food is in an airtight container. We always make sure that sugar, flour or any dried pasta get sealed in their own containers and then packed into a large plastic storage container with a lid on it. We’ll often ensure that something heavy goes on top of it just in case the lid opens. Most storage places will insist that no food is stored in your container, which is probably for the best.

We’ve found that cedar planks or chips stored with your clothes keep them smelling nice and help keep moths away. Making sure that there are no unnecessary openings for mice or bugs to get into your storage area is wise as well. A 2×4 or plank of wood across the front of a garage door sill will help seal it off. We always unplug anything in the garage, and block windows off with wood (or at least covering them with something) to keep any direct sunlight or peaking eyes from ruining our stuff. Covering mattresses and furniture with plastic help keep dust and dirt off.

Knock on wood

Over the years we’ve heard a few horror stories related to long term travel storage problems. Thankfully, we haven’t run into many ourselves. Besides for the odd furniture scratch while moving, the container with a liquid we forgot about, the spoiled food that should have been tossed to begin with, the few boxes that got a little too much moisture under and a few bite marks on our turning signal switch in the truck, we’ve done well. We’ve stored our stuff in almost every type of place or container and had minimal damage.

It is just stuff and stuff we can often live without

Is your stuff getting in the way of your next great adventure?  Some of our greatest travels have been with the sole idea of getting away from it all. And stuff is definitely included in that all.

If that won’t do it, consider that you’re about to travel for months on end with just a backpack or a suitcase. You’re obviously willing (and perhaps eager) to leave it all behind. I can guarantee you one thing in that scenario. The minute your stuff is packed away and you’ve jumped on your plane, train, bus or boat you’re going to wonder why you needed all of it in the first place.

Happy travels!