DC on 4th...?

[thequintessentialman]

I am traveling to Washington DC over the 4th and have been cautioned by others on the trip to take precautions against pick-pockets and other thieves. I am not overly accustomed to this and was wondering what precautions I should take regarding wallet, ID, and gear. My gear bag is an old army backpack (draw string w/ cinch straps) augmented with a really large zippered fanny pack; for me they both require both hands and a bit of determination to get into, I don't know about a pick-pocket. I am having difficulty drawing the line between prudence and paranoia on this one...

Thanks
John

[CaptainTom]

A backpack is not as safe as you think.
My CC (constant companion) had her billfold stolen from inside the inside of her backpack in a museum in Paris.
I have no idea how they did it, but it was gone. We reported it to security and they wrote our info down.
They actually found the billfold in the trash, and sent it (empty) to us in the U.S.

An inside money belt is about as close to secure as you'll get, but it's not impervious. Make it difficult and they'll pick an easier target.
Don't take valuables with you if you can help it.