The present disclosure provides systems and methods for a truly passive trigger in a hands-free device, e.g. an RFID system. Specifically, the present invention includes a passive trigger antenna, an RFID reader system, and an associated passive triggering method. The passive trigger antenna may include any type of antenna solely for the purpose of reverse power detection, i.e. the passive trigger antenna is another antenna associated with the RFID reader system solely for detecting near field obstructions. The present invention utilizes detected near field obstructions as a passive trigger thereby eliminating manual activation of the system. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a passive trigger for a hands-free RFID system, such as a wearable RFID device. Advantageously, the passive trigger overcomes a requirement for a user to manually trigger a button or other activation mechanism for RFID reading thereby making the RFID system truly passive and hands-free.