Fanny Packs, Just Say No!

During my travels abroad, I have immersed myself in many different cultures, dined on unique and exquisite foods, enjoyed meeting people of different ethnicities, and shared a global hate for all things to do with fanny packs! Fanny packs are the bane of my existence in the world of travel. In case you’re not familiar with said item, here is the official definition:

Fanny pack: a small zippered pouch suspended from a belt around the waist.

Fanny packs were once acclaimed as a helpful security measure for travelers, offering protection for passports and money. Thieves were deterred because the packs weren’t easy to pull and run off with. (I personally believe thieves were deterred because of their ugliness) Also, travelers found an ease in accessibility for their money or personal items during trips.

Unfortunately, locals were able to spot a tourist from miles away because of their fanny pack fashion choice.

My most memorable experience of fanny pack shunning was in Spain. As I walked down Las Ramblas in Barcelona, a group of teenagers began laughing hilariously at a few old timers walking down the Boulevard. Immediately I knew why: fanny packs. Some of the teens even yelled “riñoneras tontos,” the Spanish words for silly fanny packs, as they pointed to the group of seniors. Luckily the kids weren’t mean spirited and just wanted to poke fun at the silly waist purses. The seniors never noticed, and walked down the Boulevard confident and proud of their fanny packs. After the Spain incident, I decided to learn how to say fanny pack in different languages along with a few other words: silly, ugly, and hideous. Why don’t you take the fanny pack language challenge and learn how to say it in different languages as well? Click here for more information.