Travel Technology - Where do you keep your SIM when traveling?

I'm starting to a bit more international travel these days. When I was in Thailand last year, I utilized a local SIM card on my unlocked GSM phone - it worked out great. I'm getting ready to go to Italy for about a week or so & was thinking about possibly getting a pre-paid SIM there instead of paying the $1.29/min that AT&T charges for Int'l Roaming.

A quick question for those of you who travel a lot & use pre-paid SIMs - where do keep your regular SIM card when your using the local country SIM? When I was in BKK, I kept it in a little plastic bag in my wallet - but I was always afraid it'd get crushed or my credit card magnetic stripe would screw it up somehow - any suggestions?

I have a Samsonite travel wallet for my passports, tickets, FF cards etc. It has a small zipped compartment in which I put my SIM cards and any CCs I don't need. Why bring stuff out in your wallet that you don't need when it could be stolen/lost?

I have a portfolio that also holds all my Frequent-whatever cards, biz cards, and a pad of paper. I keep 'em there.

I usually a small denomination paper currency to carefully wrap the SIM. So for a Thai 1-2-Call SIM I wrap it in a 20 Baht note, then I store that in a small plastic bag with other currency from that country.

In the camera case with the additional memory cards for the camera.

In an old PCMCIA carrying case.

I keep mine in one of those clear plastic boxes that CompactFlash cards come in.

I think most people worried that will lose the SIM due to the small size, here is a solution that has work well for me:

Do not throw away the credit size plastic card that the SIM comes in, After you pop the SIM out, put a piece of tape over the spot vacated by the SIM, making sure that the tape is not on the side with the circuit. Now you can place your old SIM onto the tape, and carry it anywhere you store your credit cards while traveling.

When done traveling, pop the original SIM out, and replace the foreign country SIM onto the tape, viola, your foreign SIM is back where it belongs.

Use care when placing the SIM onto the tape, make sure that it is flat relative to the card. The SIM will be well protected. I have found that the best tape to use is the clear packaging tape, instead of standard scotch tape.

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I use the CompactFlash container as well. It holds a dozen cards pretty easily (yes, we're geeks, and you figure two sim cards for several different countries.... :)

I work with large numbers of CF cards and literally have boxes of empty holders; I'll bring some to CO meet in April if anyone's interested.

Steve

I use a clear plastic container from an SD memory card. I keep that in a UA international business class amenity kit
container or a small drawstring bag with memory cards Juice adapters and other small electronic related accessories.

Ii bought a cheap memory card holder at Target. It offers decent protection and is large enough not to get lost in the shuffle of my laptop backpack.

Camera case with spare SD card

Do not throw away the credit size plastic card that the SIM comes in, After you pop the SIM out, put a piece of tape over the spot vacated by the SIM

Very good idea,,,,,tho I've since thrown all of the plastic cards away!! :D I simply use a matchstick box, which can carry inumberable SIMS and then place it inside a small baggy with my carryon stuff..

Best wishes, Dave

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When I bought my phone and roaming sim card the company sent me a plastic holder which holds about 5 sim cards. It works great I carry the sim cards in an old bussiness class ammenity kit along with my US cell phone and charger. The plastic cases is a great idea. ^

One can easily hold the Sim in the plastic card that contained the one that you are currently using in the phone with a piece of tape.

In many cases, my Sim cards usually have residual time/value so I can easily locate the Sim when I return to that country and it helps to remember which Sim went with which prepaid program.

I keep mine in my etymotic earphone case. I never travel without my DAP and earphones so that is where it stays.

I ordered a Czech SIM card from telestial.com a while back... when I got it it came with a nifty little SIM-Card-Holder that holds 4 of them in a wallet-sized card with slots.

My cousin in Italy carries a wallet that has two SIMcard slots in it. Not my type of wallet (kind of college/younger type), but great idea.

I've probably had 15 sims from various countries over the last couple years and I always seem to keep them loose in my front pocket. I sometimes carry 2 phones though, so if I'm in one country one phone has my local sim and the other has my US Tmobile sim card.

Haven't lost one yet, but I'm sure that will happen now that I've typed this.

The little plastic sleeves that Sony memory sticks come in are great - they hold three each! (The soft cases, not the hard plastic ones that slide open)

i've been looking around for the same thing! I've even asked shops in different countries (in those big electronic / cell phone / computer malls) whether they had a SIM card holder and they had no idea what I was talking about.

I have 8 SIM cards that I actively use, so it is a pain. Right now I put it in my passport wallet with my other credit cards / FF cards, etc.... wish they would make a dedicated SIM card holder that is nice and slim.

I don't like the idea of using the original credit card size thing that the SIM card comes in. That is like carrying around 7 extra credit cards.

make sure the material that you use does not generate too much ESD (static) or else you might fry the SIM and lose all the information.

I have a dual SIM card back on my phone. When I get to my destination, I just flip the switch to the appropriate (UK/US) setting and off I go.

Charles

I want one of those! A SIM card holder would have made a great CeBIT giveaway for all of us travelers. Note to self: inform all SIM card vendors/wireless carriers for next year's event...

Fduvall

I ordered a Czech SIM card from telestial.com a while back... when I got it it came with a nifty little SIM-Card-Holder that holds 4 of them in a wallet-sized card with slots.