Even if you cling to a purse or backpack for dear life, you're still not immune to theft. Thieves can cut bags with a razor blade, and as your cash, credit cards and passport drop to the ground, they'll scoop up the loot before you even know what's happening.

So, it's essential that you keep vital items directly on your person. In the old days, people stuffed passports and cash into socks or bras. Now special products--money pouches, fanny packs and travel vests--provide added security. Whatever your method, keep your most valuable items in an accessible place. Here are some specific ideas:

• Move your wallet to your front pocket to discourage pickpockets.
• If you're traveling with a car, lock valuables in the trunk so they're out of sight, just as you'd do at home.
• If you carry a purse or backpack, don't place cash, jewels, and so forth inside. Keep them on your person.
• For cash, credit cards and important documents like passports or plane tickets, consider a money belt or money pouch. A money belt goes around your waist underneath your clothes (or you can actually purchase a regular belt with a hidden compartment), while a money pouch hangs around your neck and can be concealed beneath your shirt. Both allow you to keep your valuables secure and completely out of sight.
• Travel vests, with their secret pockets and hardy construction, keep valuables hidden and secure.
• Fanny packs scream tourist, but they do permit you to keep valuables zipped up in a single place and always in view. It's a good idea to keep the pouch in front of you, instead of at your back.
• Never travel in an unofficial or unmarked taxi. First of all, you're likely to be overcharged. Second of all, your driver may take you to an ATM to make a big withdrawal--which he plans to keep.