M - Murses y Mochillas


“Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I’m a woman’s man, no time to talk”


Living in Ecuador, especially in Puerto Lopez, requires walking. The question is what to do with the stuff that needs to be carried along.

Mochillas (backpacks) are very commonplace. My wife and I have three different ones depending on what we are carrying, and we refer to them by name:

  • “PacSafe”: Manufactured by a company of the same name, this is our secure backpack. It has multiple anti-theft features: zippers that tuck away, clips for securing it to a chair or pole while seated, and wire mesh sewn into the straps and sides. If one of us is carrying valuable or irreplaceable documents, we use PacSafe.
  • “Yahoo”: This is a standard, three pocket backpack. It is solidly built but does not have any explicit safety features. We use this one for shopping or as a secondary to PacSafe.
  • “Gatorade”: This one came free with a 12-pack of Gatorade bottles. It has fairly cheap construction and one of the zippers needs sewing, but it is great for taking to the beach or as a secondary for shopping. If we are going to lose a backpack, we hope that it is this one.

“Murses” (man purses) are for personal use. The one I use, also purchased from the PacSafe company, is about the size of paperback book. It has a steel cable strap for over the shoulder and a wire-lined compartment. I will use it for carrying my passport, phone, cards and cash (as well as a pen, tissues and a flash drive).

The “shoulder wallet” is the way to go for security. (I think money belts and similar items are too gimmicky and inconvenient to use.) Carrying things in pockets leaves them susceptible to theft, and I have a single inventory point to know if I have remembered everything that I need to have with me.




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