Passport & Cards Case Suggestion?
Apr 16, 2012, 10:03 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: many
Posts: 1,437
Passport & Cards Case Suggestion?
Doing a quick search here I did not find any results, and so I'd appreciate some suggestions for a replacement passport / i.d. case.
I need to hold two passports (not just one) and both with an extra page set added to them, the atypical multitude of lounge/airline ff program cards.
This discontinued option looks fairly ideal, but I cannot justify paying $165 for it. http://www.amazon.com/Hartmann-Reser.../dp/B005FM18A4
Any similiar suggestions you all have found successful?
Thank you.
I need to hold two passports (not just one) and both with an extra page set added to them, the atypical multitude of lounge/airline ff program cards.
This discontinued option looks fairly ideal, but I cannot justify paying $165 for it. http://www.amazon.com/Hartmann-Reser.../dp/B005FM18A4
Any similiar suggestions you all have found successful?
Thank you.
Apr 16, 2012, 10:53 am
#2
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
Just about everybody makes a travel wallet, in all price ranges and materials from plastic, nylon, leather, etc.
I personally use the Rawlings leather travel wallet, but I'm not sure if they still make it or not. We have had two passports in it, without extra pages, I'm not sure if it will still be fine with the extra pages or not, but I've stuffed plenty of stuff in it. Love the baseball glove leather feel of it.
It replaced an Eagle Creek Travel Organizer like this one
http://shop.eaglecreek.com/travel-agent/d/1176
that could probably easily hold two passports and cards, etc. It was just a bit larger than I wanted, it did not fit into a back pocket when I wanted to keep it there like the Rawlings one did.
I personally use the Rawlings leather travel wallet, but I'm not sure if they still make it or not. We have had two passports in it, without extra pages, I'm not sure if it will still be fine with the extra pages or not, but I've stuffed plenty of stuff in it. Love the baseball glove leather feel of it.
It replaced an Eagle Creek Travel Organizer like this one
http://shop.eaglecreek.com/travel-agent/d/1176
that could probably easily hold two passports and cards, etc. It was just a bit larger than I wanted, it did not fit into a back pocket when I wanted to keep it there like the Rawlings one did.
Apr 16, 2012, 12:04 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: many
Posts: 1,437
I realize that there are quite a few options, but most do not handle two passports and are designed for one. With the two passports, its imply not realistic for any in-pant pocket carry.
On international trips, I dont yet have a good solution for the two passports and miriad of about 12 or so various "cards" I am carrying.
Without success finding many that work out, I appreciate your suggestions and any other FTs might have.
Apr 16, 2012, 12:11 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: many
Posts: 1,437
Last edited by pcharles; Apr 16, 2012 at 12:28 pm Reason: unavail. link before
Apr 16, 2012, 2:53 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Berlin and Buggenhagen, Germany
Posts: 3,509
There was a thread about that very problem with a travel wallet for two passports (minus the extra pages) in this very forum. Do a search for passport and travel wallet or passport holder.
What I tried to impress on the thread starter then was that it might not be a very smart idea (sorry to be so frank) to carry both of your passports plus a ton of cards in ONE space. I don't think my reasoning got through to him. He just found it so practical.
Well, that's until you lose that thing. You will be grounded because BOTH your passports are gone. And you will be subject to massive identity theft risk because with all this information people can take you for all you're worth.
Moreover, since you will only show a single passport to the immigration officer at any given time, it is sufficient to have a single passport holder. In the US they also ALWAYS ask me to take the passport out of its holder. But maybe that's because mine is RFID-Safe.
So if I were you, I'd get two different color passport holders and I'd only put FF cards and no credit cards or ID cards in there. Get them in different colors so it's easy to differentiate between them.
I also don't know of any passport holder that would be big enough for two oversized passports besides the fact that it's not prudent.
Till
What I tried to impress on the thread starter then was that it might not be a very smart idea (sorry to be so frank) to carry both of your passports plus a ton of cards in ONE space. I don't think my reasoning got through to him. He just found it so practical.
Well, that's until you lose that thing. You will be grounded because BOTH your passports are gone. And you will be subject to massive identity theft risk because with all this information people can take you for all you're worth.
Moreover, since you will only show a single passport to the immigration officer at any given time, it is sufficient to have a single passport holder. In the US they also ALWAYS ask me to take the passport out of its holder. But maybe that's because mine is RFID-Safe.
So if I were you, I'd get two different color passport holders and I'd only put FF cards and no credit cards or ID cards in there. Get them in different colors so it's easy to differentiate between them.
I also don't know of any passport holder that would be big enough for two oversized passports besides the fact that it's not prudent.
Till
Apr 16, 2012, 7:01 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: Once nearly a somebody, now a nobody with United and Marriott
Posts: 145
Apr 16, 2012, 8:29 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Berlin and Buggenhagen, Germany
Posts: 3,509
However, I find it even less prudent to carry your most important documents anywhere else than directly on your person. But to each his.
Till
Apr 16, 2012, 8:53 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Berlin and Buggenhagen, Germany
Posts: 3,509
Apr 16, 2012, 9:58 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: many
Posts: 1,437
I have another travel wallet, but I have reasons to want another that can accommodate both if needed. While I hope to never lose anything or be a victim of theft, I am very careful with my belongings. Years of multiple trips without issue for being diligent and being in some "interesting" places has more than proven to me to be careful. Your points are well taken and I appreciate the concerns raised and they have not gone on deaf ears. 
Apr 16, 2012, 10:25 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: TYO / WAS / NYC
Programs: American Express got a hit man lookin' for me
Posts: 4,596
Here's the system I worked out after some trial and error:
I use a long travel wallet similar in size and shape to the Rawlings one linked above -- though the particular one I use was freebie swag from a law firm, so I don't know where you can buy it. It is too big to carry -- maybe a couple of inches thick -- so it doesn't stay on my person. I carry it in my briefcase (which never leaves my sight) while traveling, and leave it in the hotel safe at my destination.
At some point on each international flight, I take out both the travel wallet and my regular billfold wallet and swap out the contents. Whatever I need at the destination goes in the regular wallet, and the rest goes in the travel wallet.
I have two passports myself, and sometimes have to carry two more if my daughter is traveling with me. When flying I take out the "active" passport and keep it with my boarding pass in an inside jacket pocket. If I need to have a passport with me outside the airport in a particular country, I keep it separately in my safest pocket (sometimes in a pouch under my clothes if I'm particularly nervous about the destination). Otherwise my passports stay in the travel wallet.
Besides that I also have travel insurance policies, credit cards from two countries, ID from two countries, a few kinds of foreign currency sorted into envelopes, and of course a bunch of hotel and FFP cards. These all stay in the travel wallet until I'm going to a place where I need to use them, at which point they move to my billfold. The travel wallet also has a pen holder inside, which comes in handy for filling out C&I documents.
It is bulkier than a single passport holder, but I personally find that non-bulky items are far easier to lose.
In regard to tfar's comment above, I don't think that losing one passport is significantly better than losing two. Assuming it's the passport you used to enter the country, you probably still have to replace it (or at least deal with a bunch of administrative procedures) in order to get out. And depending on your travel pattern you might actually need to show two passports at one time. I had to do this once when arriving in Korea from Japan on a passport that had no Japanese stamps in it; the immigration inspector was flipping through it with a confused look on his face until I showed him the other passport. You might also need to do this at check-in when flying from one country of citizenship to another, as the origin passport wouldn't have a visa for the destination country.
Personally, I have scans of my passports on Dropbox, which is synced to my phone, so I can make a copy of my passport just about anywhere at just about any time. And since I keep a different set of cash and credit cards in each wallet, I am not totally cut off from funding even if I lose one of the wallets. This seems "good enough" from a risk management perspective.
I use a long travel wallet similar in size and shape to the Rawlings one linked above -- though the particular one I use was freebie swag from a law firm, so I don't know where you can buy it. It is too big to carry -- maybe a couple of inches thick -- so it doesn't stay on my person. I carry it in my briefcase (which never leaves my sight) while traveling, and leave it in the hotel safe at my destination.
At some point on each international flight, I take out both the travel wallet and my regular billfold wallet and swap out the contents. Whatever I need at the destination goes in the regular wallet, and the rest goes in the travel wallet.
I have two passports myself, and sometimes have to carry two more if my daughter is traveling with me. When flying I take out the "active" passport and keep it with my boarding pass in an inside jacket pocket. If I need to have a passport with me outside the airport in a particular country, I keep it separately in my safest pocket (sometimes in a pouch under my clothes if I'm particularly nervous about the destination). Otherwise my passports stay in the travel wallet.
Besides that I also have travel insurance policies, credit cards from two countries, ID from two countries, a few kinds of foreign currency sorted into envelopes, and of course a bunch of hotel and FFP cards. These all stay in the travel wallet until I'm going to a place where I need to use them, at which point they move to my billfold. The travel wallet also has a pen holder inside, which comes in handy for filling out C&I documents.
It is bulkier than a single passport holder, but I personally find that non-bulky items are far easier to lose.
In regard to tfar's comment above, I don't think that losing one passport is significantly better than losing two. Assuming it's the passport you used to enter the country, you probably still have to replace it (or at least deal with a bunch of administrative procedures) in order to get out. And depending on your travel pattern you might actually need to show two passports at one time. I had to do this once when arriving in Korea from Japan on a passport that had no Japanese stamps in it; the immigration inspector was flipping through it with a confused look on his face until I showed him the other passport. You might also need to do this at check-in when flying from one country of citizenship to another, as the origin passport wouldn't have a visa for the destination country.
Personally, I have scans of my passports on Dropbox, which is synced to my phone, so I can make a copy of my passport just about anywhere at just about any time. And since I keep a different set of cash and credit cards in each wallet, I am not totally cut off from funding even if I lose one of the wallets. This seems "good enough" from a risk management perspective.
Apr 17, 2012, 6:43 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: many
Posts: 1,437
Thank you joejones for the detailed personal experience, I follow most all of the suggestions you recommend. I also have paper copies along with in addition to the phone photo copies.
I am going to check out the Thule travel wallet and see what I think of it before putting it into action. The Victorinox styles looked similiar but their listed dimensions show twice the depth? If I do not like the choice, I can always adjust.
Now, how's this going to fit in a pant pocket?
(Okay, not exactly mine, but pretty close )
Not that I would ever put anything in a backpocket.
I am going to check out the Thule travel wallet and see what I think of it before putting it into action. The Victorinox styles looked similiar but their listed dimensions show twice the depth? If I do not like the choice, I can always adjust.
Now, how's this going to fit in a pant pocket?
(Okay, not exactly mine, but pretty close
)Not that I would ever put anything in a backpocket.
Apr 17, 2012, 6:31 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: North Canton, OH
Posts: 244
There is no single more important item you can carry while abroad is your passport and I take great care in keeping it as safe as possible. I like Pacsafe products as a whole and while at the airport I carry passport in Pacsafe PouchSafe 200 Travel Organizer. The strap has a metal wire so it is slash resistant and the zippers are concealed under the flap and to open the flap you have to pull down on it (see video in zappo.com link). There is a dedicated place to carry a passport but the other compartments are large enough for others.
Another option I use for carrying my passport and emergency wallet is in the secret pocket in my Tilley Pants. Yes Tilley makes more than great hats. The secret pocket is large enough to accommodate a passport. In my emergency wallet I carry a spare credit card, important documents like a copy of my passport, and cash.
Another thing you may want to consider is to sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Once you sign up you can add or delete your travel plans. Because you enter your passport information in the process they can easily help you get a new passport if yours is lost or stolen. The State Department can also get a hold of you in case a crisis arises.
Shak
http://www.ebags.com/product/pacsafe...ganizer/210241
http://ipad.zappos.com/pacsafe-pouch...rganiser-black
http://www.tilley.com/Men-Pants.aspx
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/...tion_4789.html
Another option I use for carrying my passport and emergency wallet is in the secret pocket in my Tilley Pants. Yes Tilley makes more than great hats. The secret pocket is large enough to accommodate a passport. In my emergency wallet I carry a spare credit card, important documents like a copy of my passport, and cash.
Another thing you may want to consider is to sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Once you sign up you can add or delete your travel plans. Because you enter your passport information in the process they can easily help you get a new passport if yours is lost or stolen. The State Department can also get a hold of you in case a crisis arises.
Shak
http://www.ebags.com/product/pacsafe...ganizer/210241
http://ipad.zappos.com/pacsafe-pouch...rganiser-black
http://www.tilley.com/Men-Pants.aspx
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/...tion_4789.html