(photos attached)
Hi all! I’ve been biking and taking public transit across the US and have been in Mexico for about a week. In Northern Mexico, I’ve just been gifted this old cycling vest from the guy I’m staying with that he used on his tour across Mexico. It’s definitely worn and not in the best condition, but I really love the look and it would definitely help me blend in a bit more.
However, up until this point, my whole look has been about standing out, mainly to be visible to cars, as I spend lots of time on major roads. Because of this, I wear a bright yellow construction vest and use a money purse for my valuables.
If I were to take this vest, the guy I’m staying with recommended ditching the money purse and storing valuables in the vest. The cycling vest would also replace my bright yellow construction one.
One setup clearly stands out more than the other, the question is which one to go with. I want to be highly visible but I also want to look as in-place as possible. I personally like the aesthetic of the cycling vest more, but I’d take safety over aesthetics. I could also wear the old cycling vest and the money bag? What are y’all’s thoughts? I’m currently on a Pan-American so this is going to go much beyond Mexico.
by M45t3r_M1nd
3 Comments
If you’re gonna be stealth camping definitely the green vest
There are tradeoffs both ways. Calling yourself out as a foreigner says you probably have ID worth stealing, at minimum. If you’ve got people coming up to you saying “Hello, my friend”, you probably do stick out, and it’s worth trying to blend in more. Mexico is actually pretty diverse so it is possible to blend in.
However, yes, traffic is rough in Mexico. It’s chingar o ser chingado as some say. They’re not looking to run over a human but you can bet they won’t stop to assist you if they do.
Personally, I’d use the gift in towns but switch to fluorescent while biking in the city, or if it’s cloudy. I don’t think you have to pick one over the other.
Northern Mexico is not a region you want to stick out in.