Thoughts on Pacsafe backpack to protect agains pickpockets?

I'm considering a pac safe backpack to take on our upcoming trip to Rome.

https://www.amazon.com/Pacsafe-Metrosafe-LS450-Anti-Theft-Backpack/dp/B017BPMUSQ/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1481475026&sr=8-15&keywords=pacsafe

It has a stainless steel mesh to protect against slashing and lockable zippers. The con to me is that it's worn on the back and I can't see/feel potential pickpockets fooling with it. Thoughts ?

With all due respect, I think you are overthinking this. An under clothes "money belt" or similar is going to work just fine.

Just my opinion, but I think the PacSafe products are a waste of money. But, if the PacSafe bag will make you feel safe, go ahead.

Being a woman, I do not go around with a daypack; I use a cross-body bag large enough to carry what I need for a day. I am careful to buy something that doesn't look like a travel bag, but something that a woman would carry everyday. In my 30+ years of international travel, this has served me well.

I guess if you are a man, you are "doomed" to have to carry a daypack if you have to carry anything...

 

I'm considering a pac safe backpack to take on our upcoming trip to Rome.

https://www.amazon.com/Pacsafe-Metrosafe-LS450-Anti-Theft-Backpack/dp/B017BPMUSQ/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1481475026&sr=8-15&keywords=pacsafe

I own it's cousin, the Pacsafe Venturesafe 20L Adventure Day Pack. It's the perfect day pack for use in Europe. I use it on tours when I need to take along more than what will fit in my hidden pouch. I believe its a bit of overkill for just walking around Rome when all you're carrying is cash and credit cards. I use a camera pouch attached to my belt for my photo needs.

 

 

Just my opinion, but I think the PacSafe products are a waste of money.

I respect your opinion, but hearing fellow cruisers relate their experience of having their pack sliced with a razor and losing valuable possessions is enough reason to consider a PacSafe product.

 

For me, a backpack is the easiest type of pack to use and if it's a PacSafe I don't need to worry about it being on my back. It's secure.

 

Agree with the above posts. Those bags scream to me "I am a sacred to death tourist who is spending more time being worried about some unforeseen danger than seeing the sites," and the complete focus on protecting their stuff tells me they are carrying something worth the fear. Either way it tags you as an easy mark, because a true pro won't be deterred.

 

I prefer to carry as little as possible and use a hidden money belt for the things I must carry. In most countries, that does not include my passport unless I am traveling from airport to hotel, from hotel to port, hopping the border from Schengen to non-Schengen for a day, etc.

 

 

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Edited December 11, 2016 by ducklite

I don't feel comfortable walking leisurely with a backpack. The most is a well positioned sling bag. If your intention is merely a protection of valuable items against slashing, maybe you can consider a belt bag positioned in front.

 

 

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Edited December 11, 2016 by easyboy

I am not a fan of Pacsafe products; I feel they mark you out as a tourist. Now surely someone will be along in a few minutes to point out that a "true pickpocket" is never fooled about who's a tourist -- I'm not sure how they can know that, as I assume they have not talked with every single one of them, but I can attest that I have certainly fooled locals from time to time....

 

Of course, if you HAVE to take a daypack of some sort, and it makes you feel secure, then by all means consider them. Most who've reported on using them have felt they were secure (if perhaps a little on the heavy side).

 

My other thought is: have you considered whether you really NEED a daypack --- any way to cut down what you're planning to carry? Does ALL of it need to be secured?

I typically take either a small leather cross body that will hold the basics and lays flat under my coat or sweater. If I must, I use a larger (but still small enough to not need to be checked in any shop, museum, or attraction) nylon crossbody. It's big enough to hold a small umbrella, lightweight sweater or wrap, water bottle, map, pencil and small notebook, Charmin to Go, mini hand cream and lip balm, and that's about it. Any fool who decides they want it can have it. I typically carry €5 or £5 and my Tube/Metro pass in it, so I have easy access for a small purchase. The rest goes in my money belt.

 

I actually love going to Europe in cooler months where a coat or heavier sweater is required, because my coat has deep pockets and two large hidden pockets and I can wear my small cross body under it. :)

 

 

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I own it's cousin, the Pacsafe Venturesafe 20L Adventure Day Pack. It's the perfect day pack for use in Europe. I use it on tours when I need to take along more than what will fit in my hidden pouch. I believe its a bit of overkill for just walking around Rome when all you're carrying is cash and credit cards. I use a camera pouch attached to my belt for my photo needs.

 

I respect your opinion, but hearing fellow cruisers relate their experience of having their pack sliced with a razor and losing valuable possessions is enough reason to consider a PacSafe product.

 

For me, a backpack is the easiest type of pack to use and if it's a PacSafe I don't need to worry about it being on my back. It's secure.

 

 

Other than the anecdotal stories of slicing on various websites, I have no first, second, or third-hand knowledge of this action. So, I go with what I and my friends have experienced. If you know someone who has had this happen, it would color your perception. So we all have different opinions ;)

 

I've been walking down a street in Rome and Florence and have had American tourists stop me, and ask if I speak English, for directions. So, I must be doing something to distinguish myself (how I dress, how I carry myself, etc.) ;)

 

Like I said, a woman has more choices in how to carry stuff than a man. One of my cross-body bags (yes, a Sherpani) has enough room for me to carry my DSLR with an umbrella, water bottle, tablet, wallet, little bag with lip balm, TP... If I'm going "minimal" for the day/night, I have a smaller bag I take with me to hold less items. Other than a little "curb cash", the rest is stashed elsewhere. As for the passport - I also have had to take it with me when I'm going to the SIM stores for a SIM for my tablet.

 

If you do wear a backpack, make sure you put it on BOTH shoulders and clip the chest strap (if no chest strap, don't buy)- there are anecdotal stories out there that guys drive by on Vespas and rip packs off the shoulders - I've seen someone say they saw it happen on La Rambla in Barcelona...

Edited December 12, 2016 by slidergirl

I have a Pacsafe handbag, for the primary reason that it has so many zips and catches. I have to work to get into the thing, and it's my bag! Surely it would slow down a pickpocket enough to make them decide I'm too much trouble, and go elsewhere.

 

When I did get my purse dipped into, on a bus in Bologna, the girl waited until the bus was full enough that there were people standing as well as sitting. Then she gave me a big shove from the back. I had to take my hand off the top of my bag, where it was resting, in order to catch myself and not fall onto the seated passengers. In just that few seconds, she was into the purse, and took out only the Euros, leaving the Sterling and my passport, which were all in the same little slot together.

 

So I don't really care if the Pacsafe bag marks me as a tourist. I know I don't look anything like an Italian anyway, regardless of my handbag. When I carry my very nice leather, Italian-made, dressy handbag, and speak to waiters or shopkeepers in Italian, they answer me in German. :o. I'm certain that pickpockets are also going to peg me as non-Italian, so I might as well carry my Pacsafe bag and feel more secure!

 

...there are anecdotal stories out there that guys drive by on Vespas and rip packs off the shoulders...

My DW and I were walking along the Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli in Florence a few years ago behind a couple of young ladies when a creep on a Vespa yanked a purse off one of their shoulders and sped away. What a helpless feeling as you watch your former possessions fade off into the distance.

 

Count me among the fans of Pacsafe. I own two crossbody bags which i wear in front; one small for short outings, the other larger, to carry a small umbrella, water bottle,camera, etc. (items not easy to fit under a coat).

They have seen many miles of travel through cruising and land trips.

As another poster stated, I really don't care if I'm being marked as a tourist, I'm sure an observer can figure that out without the bag! Someone tried to rip my watch (a cheap Timex) right off my wrist in Barcelona. Heck, I would have given that away!

As naive as it might be, I feel a greater sense of security, not needing to be conscious of having my hand on the bag every second when I want to focus my attention on the sights and attractions. That does not mean that we do not remain ever-vigilant and aware of our surroundings.

 

Some may find these articles interesting:

http://thesavvybackpacker.com/pickpockets-europe/

https://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/safety-tips/which-purses-pickpockets-love-to-pick/

Take the advice with a grain of salt, and do what makes you feel the most comfortable.

...- there are anecdotal stories out there that guys drive by on Vespas and rip packs off the shoulders - I've seen someone say they saw it happen on La Rambla in Barcelona...

 

 

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I've seen it attempted in Naples - I was walking with a young friend, if I had been more gentlemanly I would have been walking curbside, but wasn't. Scooter came by, guy tried to rip off her bag, she held on, I held her as she started to fall, the guy gave up. It does happen.

 

 

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A backpack in Rome (or Barcelona, etc) would make me nervous in general. For that reason when in a European city I generally do not use my camera backpack. I do take my camera and replace the camera strap with a slash proof strap and use a cross body pacsafe bag.

We have long suggested that personal security is best enhanced by your state of mind. One should always be altert, aware of your surroundings, and constantly using lots of common and travel sense :). One you have your brain in gear, then you can give some consideration of how and when to carry valuables. For example, a slash proof back pack is fine, but you will probably find that most backpack robberies happen when a person puts down their backpack and has it snatched. It is the same with women's purses (or a man purse). Folks worry about a person coming buy and slashing their strap to grab a purse. But most thefts happen when a person puts their purse down (we once watched a guy grab a ladies purse that she had put under her chair at a cafe)...of just pulls it off a woman's shoulder because she is not wearing it "cross shoulder."

 

As to men, we still notice plenty of guys who carry their bulging wallet in a back pocket. This is like putting a big target on your back and saying, "I double dog dare you." So go ahead and buy that "secure" backpack if it makes you feel better, but remember to always keep your brain in gear. The number one weapon of pick pockets is distraction....not slashing. And finally give some consideration to the fact that the valuables you leave in a secure safe will be fine. Do not carry valuables that you do not need. Go to the beach with an expensive smart phone, cameras, etc. then you must figure out how to keep that stuff safe if you want to go in the water. Just common sense.

 

Hank

Edited December 27, 2016 by Hlitner

I think you have to be willing to lose whatever you carry around out of sight, i.e. on your back. Books, umbrella, shawl, jacket, etc. are fine in a backpack, but valuables should be somewhere that you are able to lay your eyes and hands on immediately, if needed, as well as someplace you are conscious of. Lack of awareness is one of your greatest enemies, and the opportunity a petty thief looks for.

 

Backpacks are most in danger in crowds, so if you are going to places that you can assume will be wall to wall people, they are not a great choice. That includes buses and subways as well.

 

I used to carry a backpack across Manhattan and back every day and I always took it off and carried it in front of me (not comfortable!) if I wound up in a crowd (every afternoon if I walked through Times Square) or got on a bus or subway, or any time I was standing still (waiting to cross a street, for example).

Edited December 27, 2016 by euro cruiser

I think of the "security" bags with tourists the same way I think of 4-wheel drive SUVs in the winter with tourists. They rent the SUV for driving in nasty winter conditions and believe that the 4-wheel drive alone makes them safe. At least twice a week I see some rental SUV off the side of the road or down the ditch on the way to work (you can tell they are rentals by the license plate). 4x4 does not mean you won't skid or will stop on ice or snow packed roads. Just because you have something "safe" does not mean you get to not be mindful of your situation and surrounding.

I NEVER put down my bag on the table or floor or under the seat. If I'm sitting at a bar or a table, the bag strap goes over one of my legs and I sit on part of that strap. I even do this at home, so it is second nature to me. The bag is right in front of me and someone would have to do some interesting maneuvers to get to it :eek:

I have a Pacsafe handbag, for the primary reason that it has so many zips and catches. I have to work to get into the thing, and it's my bag! Surely it would slow down a pickpocket enough to make them decide I'm too much trouble, and go elsewhere.

 

When I did get my purse dipped into, on a bus in Bologna, the girl waited until the bus was full enough that there were people standing as well as sitting. Then she gave me a big shove from the back. I had to take my hand off the top of my bag, where it was resting, in order to catch myself and not fall onto the seated passengers. In just that few seconds, she was into the purse, and took out only the Euros, leaving the Sterling and my passport, which were all in the same little slot together.

 

So what is the point of carrying a PacSafe if you are not going to lock the zipper?

So what is the point of carrying a PacSafe if you are not going to lock the zipper?

 

Sorry, I wasn't very clear on that. The incident with the pickpocket was before I had a Pacsafe bag. Back then I just had a small shoulder bag with a magnetic catch.

 

I guess my resolution for 2017 should be to write more clearly! :o

Edited January 1, 2017 by lisiamc

Sorry, I wasn't very clear on that. The incident with the pickpocket was before I had a Pacsafe bag. Back then I just had a small shoulder bag with a magnetic catch.

 

I guess my resolution for 2017 should be to write more clearly! :o

 

Oops. At least now you know to never use a bag that does not have a zipper closure.

 

On my bags, I use a little carabiner to easily "lock" my zipper pull to the rings of the shoulder strap. Depending on where I'm going, I can use one that is spring-loaded or one that actually screws shut. An easy security feature I can add to any bag I own.

My small cross body requires plastic snaps, Velcro, and a zipper to get into the main compartment, and another zipper to get into the smaller compartment where I carry anything valuable (passport and credit cards are always in a money belt under my clothing). It would be pretty much impossible to get anything but some tissues, a water bottle, a small umbrella, and a guidebook without me noticing.

 

The way I see it, a pro is going to get the bag if they really want it. Period.

 

 

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[quote name=slidergirl;51875295

On my bags' date=' I use a little carabiner to easily "lock" my zipper pull to the rings of the shoulder strap. Depending on where I'm going, I can use one that is spring-loaded or one that actually screws shut. An easy security feature I can add to any bag I own.[/quote]

 

That's my method too. I like the small double S type carabiners.

The way I see it, a pro is going to get the bag if they really want it. Period.

 

Yes, but security measures (locked bags, etc) will slow them down. Most thieves pick the easy marks and leave the more difficult ones alone.

IMHO any kind of packpack is a thief magnet. Far safer to have a cross body bag, but more than anything pay attention to your surroundings.

That's my method too. I like the small double S type carabiners.

 

Carabiners are really a "wonderful thing" for many travelers. They seem to have all kinds of uses and we never leave home without at least 2 or 3 attached to our carry-on.

 

Hank:p