BootsnAll's Travel Community

What do you use to keep you backpack secure? I've seen these net-like securiy systems by Pac-Safe that seem like they'd do the job of keeping everything contained. You can also lock it to something solid easily enough. But it's fairly bulky (for my standards, anyway) at about the size of a guide book, maybe a little smaller, all folded up. What do you guys use?

"Worry is interest paid in advance on a debt that may never come due."

fliptophead?com

common sense and a lit bit of faith in the human race

I'm gonna have mine dipped in bronze. I figure it'll add about 140 pounds to the weight and I haven't figured out how to access my belongings without using an acetylene torch, but those are just details.

For the less security-conscience, you could try a basic cover to go over your pack when its being stored for transportation. A basic lock on the zippers is also a good idea.

It's impossible to make your bag perfectly tamperproof, but by at least making it semi-difficult, they bad guy will probably decide to move on to the next bag.

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I'm surprised you didn't go for the titanium option skobb!! Why go bronze???

Well...titanium would just be excessive...

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@fliptophead

Well I do not consider these pac safe worth anything.
Watch your gear, if you've got one with zippers maybe add a little padlock... but be aware, next to the fact that backpack material is easy to cut, any kind of small lock (numbers or key) is opened with little practice in almost no time.

The PacSafe makes a pack defently look more interesing than the "average dust covered" one.

I travel light (35ltrs rucksack) so it goes almost everywhere along... inside the bus,...
it sometimes serves as "head rest" (the most secure thing) or at least rests close to me.
as long as possible I try to avoid being parted from it.
If I have to store it on a bus-rooftop then I sometimes use a small chain (bicycle type) to chain it to the mounts... at least this way I ensure that I'm the one who puts it up places it securely and takes it down again.
I've seen rucksacks falling of busroofs... and I was happy it wasn't mine.

btw. the Pac-Safe isn't very save... an average small wire cutter or even your very usual lighter opens it in a short time.
(the lock is held in place by plastic "bumpers".


Daniel

--------------------
"wehrever I may roam; where I lay my head is home"

http://www.ronin.to

Open your Eyes
Live The Moment
From Nothing - Into Nothing

quote:

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Originally posted by skobb:
Well...titanium would just be excessive...

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Ya lightweight...

I looked at pac safes before I went away and, keeping in mind I was travelling with $10,000 in skydiving equipment, I decided that all the pac safe would do is add extra weight and draw attention. I wound up putting my gear in an old military duffle bag with dirt smudges and the odd rip in it and never had any problems.

Just bought a new pacsafe on ebay because it was pretty cheap and I got it yesterday...

within the first 5 minutes I was cursing at how stupid, cumbersome, and confusing it was. It's a little tricky to get it on and I also worry about drawing attention. However, like someone mentioned before, I think a bad guy would go on to the next backpack instead of going to get a wire cutter or something to get into my pack. hopefully. It does look stronger than I expected, though. But I didn't think about the fact that maybe the plastic could be melted.

Even though I haven't used it on the road yet, I don't think I would buy it again if I had the chance.

Tickles,
I still believe that the best ways to protect your gear from thieves are:
- Don't let it look atractive...
- Keep it close to you
- keep your eyes open
- use your mind (eg. don't do silly things...)

For me the four points above have worked out quiet fine... in all my travells, I never has something "sneaked away"... even if in the same train other backpackers afterwards had missing a few things.
I'm not paranoid, but I watch out, and I'm easy to wake, just by getting "too close"...

____________________________
http://www.ronin.to
"wehrever I may roam; where I lay my head is home"

dunedain, I totally agree. But what about the times I leave my big pack in the hostel/hotel and there is no way to stop a maid/evil travellers/garden variety bad guys or whoever from unzipping some pockets. I do like the idea of locks on the zippers but curiousity got me and I bought a pacsafe. I really do think they look hideous and draw tons of attention. We'll see... it's kind of a shame to have bought it and to never use it now.

Hey Tickles,

I've left my pack in hostels, but I make sure I only have stuff in it that has no value. No one in their right mind would want to steal my dirty socks or toothbrush so I don't really worry about it. If my dirty socks go missing, then they are inexpensive to replace. No worries

well, what about this scenerio...

Say you are in a dodgy hotel and the cleaning person decides to open your bag... if they burn off or cut open the pacsafe, I'll know it for sure when I get back and I can make a stink about it... (not that that would allow me to get my possessions back).

But I guess having locks on the zippers would serve the same purpose.

If you're walking with your pack and are worried about pick pockets even something as simple as a twist-tie is enough to foil them. Most won't stick around unwrapping the twist-tie when there's a chance of getting caught. If you're leaving your bag in a hostel/hotel and don't want to carry locks for each of your zippers then you could use a plastic tie-wrap. You'd be able to tell if somebody cut it open. They're small and very light to carry...you have to use a new one everytime though and then cut it off when you want to get into that part of your bag. Just wanted to put some extra ideas on here!

I like the pac safe..when your on a night train its nice to secure it to a fixed pole or bar. Nothing is totally safe and secure, but with a pac safe it makes it more difficult to get into your bag. It tookme a few tries to get the hang of it, but once you do, its not so bad. I've also been seeing more nad more people (at least in Asia) using them.

I used Pac Safe on a backpacking trip a few years ago. Yes, sometimes it was a little bit cumbersome, but overall it worked well, especially when I was in cheap hotels in Africa, which are notorious for having things ripped off out of people's bags. I could leave my camera, money, and other crap and not have to worry about it.

The other good thing about Pac Safe is you can basically lock you bad anywhere, in the middle of the city, to a tree while camping - whatever, and you really don't have to worry about anything, ever.