I have lost sleep on this one... I am on a 10 month rtw. I carry one and havent used it yet. So far i am in softcore travel mode in US/Fiji/Oz etc... So i havent really needed it and i think it would be more of a 'steal me' beacon then a help.

That said, as others noted, I think when i get to sketchier areas like transiberian train, india, nepal, etc it will really come in handy, so i havent ditched it yet. I have a pack rain fly so i think i'll use that to cover my pack when its pacsafe'd so it doesnt attract as much attention.

I have to say that I agree that it seems too much like sticking a label on your bag saying "EXPENSIVE AND NICE STUFF INSIDE!" Not quite as bad as those people you sometime see carrying a huge brand-named camera bag about with them, though... I appreciate that some people want/need to take a lot of expensive photographic stuff with them, but surely it would be better to put a bit of tape over the giant "Leica" logo on the bag first?!

my friend and his buddy were on an overnight bus in brazil and the bus was held up by gunpoint. the thieves went through everyone's bags (they were stored under the bus) looking for wallets, electronics, etc. he had the pacsafe so they just took his whole pack. his passport and documents were in there so he got kinda screwed ...

Has anyone ever used one of those mini pacsafe things, like this - http://www.pac-safe.com/product.aspx?pId=64 - while travelling? I have one of the bigger ones in my car when I'm working - it's locked to a bolt in the boot for when I have to leave valuable/confidential stuff in the car. I have wondered about taking it travelling to lock non-essential valuables (e.g. camera and iPod rather than passport/cards) up in hostels/beach huts, as a sort of portable locker chained to the bed or whatever, but I'm not sure it's worth the extra weight. If anyone's used one, did you find it useful or just a dead weight in your pack?

someone mentioned a drawstring (top loading) backpack earlier...anyone have ideas on how to safeguard it while theyre left in rooms or tops of buses?

ive had mine for over three years now and dont want to buy another because it was very difficult to find and it fits me perfectly (im petite).

Snowboard cable lock should work fine.

okay, i know i live in north carolina and all, but how come i dont know what da hell a pakmansafe or whaterver you call it is? can somebody please share a link with teh less-cool kids like me?

an ignorant but curious
zopa

2 minutes later.
opps, my bad...i follwed the above link. i think i would use that product under these conditions

1. i was carrying something worth more than the product itself
2. i was carrying something lllegal such as 1000 cubic inches of cocaine, a nuclear warhead or hand grenades.

If you can find other uses for it...such as...

Fashion it into a fishtrap on the beach?

A fashion statement?

Wash clothes in a stream with it? (nothing lost downstream this way!)

One thing I always strive for with an item of gear is decide many uses can I find for it!

Okay, like many of you I had a pacsafe, but never used it. That being said, I bought one again for my upcoming trip. I will not use it on the road, it is just for leaving my camera gear at the hotel or hostel.

I hope it will be a deterant for someone sneaking in and going for the quick score. DO NOT THINK FOR ONE MOMENT THAT YOUR UNMARKED PACK will deter a thieving employee from checking it out. To the contrary, if it's easy to get into, it will be the first place they look. Then they will check every other easy place you might stash things in the room. I worked in hotels long enough to know this as fact - not conjecture.

In hotels that have safes, I'll leave my gear with the desk, but there are many inexpensive places that don't have a any or ones big enough for my setup.

Since I don't want to carry my gear 24/7 (do that, been there), unless someone has a better idea, I can't think of anything better than a pacsafe. Plus the extra weight on my back, helps me to lose the extra weight on my ass/arse.

been using the little one for valueables for about a month now... pretty solid, lighter then the full safe and easily attaches to most beds etc...

Im a fan and use it every night. never used the full pacsafe even once...

quote:

been using the little one for valueables

AG, what do you mean by the little one. Can you send me a link. I thought that I bought the smallest size for my pack, but it still weighs 3lbs.

Here is the link: http://www.pac-safe.com/product.aspx?pId=646

This little guys is pretty sweet. I use it every day as standard travel procedure... Ipod, passport, etc all go in there. Its not 100% secure (I thought of a small hack into it but am not going to broadcast that - PM) but I think it will deter most casual guesthouse thieves.

I try to usually secure it to the bed and then rest my pack against it so that its out of site.

In a sense I think its much more secure then the full pacsafe because the full one doesnt seem to get used - i never used mine - whereas i use this all the time.

Good luck!

I read the following on Thorntree. Proof positive that the PacSafe is good idea for the hotelroom.

quote:

The 3 of us had our packs & their 2 cameras stolen last month in Laos. From a locked hotel room while we were at dinner. "Has never happened before" said the owner.
Items in PacSafes & cable/padlocked to furniture didn't get touched.

Friends are about to try to claim on insurance, but the only thing with a receipt is the cameras; all else will be denied.
I'm not even going to try; that stuff cost me well over $100. But 5 visits over 3 days to the 'tourist police' to get a police report was just too much: then they finally wrote 'camera' on the report; all else is in Lao.
I could've claimed on many insurances over the years, but have never bothered. The companies are hoping it's just too much trouble

We have been seeing a few pacsafes here and there in the past 8 months. We cannot help but giggle at them. They look so silly.

I really want to steal one of these bags just to see what is in them.

Hey I travel around a lot., I am a photographer., and I had no problems until I went to se asia., and stuck around a couple days longer than I usually do when I travel., with camera gear., you are a target., no matter what kind of camouflage you have to hide the gear., they are always watching you., well., I lost all my equipment., even tho all my luggage was locked., but not to anything., I don't dress like I have stuff., man., I am traveling and leaving all my crap behind., shoes., t-shirts., etc (disposable clothing) If you got sh-t that is worth anything., better safe than sorry., and man., who wants their backpack slashed anyways!!! Its my stuff not yours!