Dianne47

I've travelled to 50+ countries, mostly as a solo woman. I own a number of Pacsafe products including wallets, purses, totes, and backpacks. I once purchased a Travelon purse at ebags.com. The lining of that bag ripped the very first time I gently put my hand inside the purse to test the depth of the pocket. I returned that bag and cannot recall if I received a refund or store credit. I will not purchase that brand again as I feel the quality of their products is poor.

I always take precautions when traveling by holding my bag crossbody and closely under my arm, being very aware of surroundings, avoiding subway and bus travel in peak crowded hours, not wearing a non-secure backpack, etc. My opinion, based on many years of travel, is that Pacsafe currently is the most secure and best quality brand for RFID products and bags or backpacks in general. I don't travel to large cities without my Pacsafe products. I think they are worth the money, as long as purchases are made when items are on sale. As mentioned above, a bag could be slashed and have to be replaced, but that is far far better than actually losing the contents.

In all my years of travel I have never been pickpocketed or had items stolen. When I was young I accidentally left a camera in a Bangkok taxi, that only happened once. Security for one's personal items is a combination of alertness, avoiding risky situations, walking with confidence, and the right combination of under-clothing wallets and secure purse, backpack, or daily carry bag. I also believe a reason I've never been a pickpocket or slasher victim is I never place a bag over the back of a chair or leave a phone lying on a dining or cafe table. I take security very seriously, it helps me be safe. One cannot be carefree and unaware, unless one wants to be a victim.

Jeannietx

I still have a couple of Packsafe and Travelon bags, but I have grown accustomed to using messenger bags.

tcl

I've found Pacsafe bags useful whilst in transit and in busy offices. My laptop and phone can be locked in the bag and the bag locked to my seat or desk whilst I am in the loo, up stretching my legs or in a meeting. I've had a few attempts on the zippers with a pen but the zippers on most Pacsafes are tamper resistant. So far, I've been lucky that inflight or office theft has not been of the slashing variety.

Anti-theft bags tend to be heavier and have less usable interior space because the exterior walls have that stainless netting which makes them thicker and stiffer. The straps have steel cable in them and can be uncomfortable depending on the width of the strap and weight of its contents. The Pacsafe Metrosafe LS100 is the perfect everyday carry size for me but I find the straps too thin as I can feel the cable digging in my shoulder after a while. The next size up, LS250, post #13 above, has a thicker strap with a removable padded sock that I find quite comfortable, but the bag has much more capacity than I need for EDC and won't fit a laptop. I have and use the LS350 backpack that does fit a small laptop. The backpack straps are padded enough for a laptop, minimum accessories and everyday carry items. I would have liked the LS350 as a vertical crossbody messenger for added security as the top of the bags around the zippers do not have that slash-resistant mesh.

If you're looking at Pacsafe, their bags generally only have that protective mesh on the front, bottom and sides. The side against the body will not have mesh so depending on how one carries their bag, a vertical bag will be safer than a horizontal bag. Pacsafe also offers a few newer, more fashionable collections that somehow do not have their full classic security features. The sides are only partially covered, especially if there is a seam up the middle of the side panel. They also have more travel photography options now too.

Travelon is much much lighter than Pacsafe being made lighter fabrics and hardware. Internally, they usually feature panels that are essentially built-in wallets but lack the heavy sewn-in padded electronics sleeves that the Pacsafe Metrosafe collection has.

Hope this helps.

radiowell

Thanks fo the detailed review!

There is LS200 that is in between LS100 and LS250. I picked one up precisely because of the reasons you stated above (namely, LS250 is a tad too big)...

DutchessPDX

I use PacSafe and have love them, I have a metro safe and one of their messenger bag styles and we use them all over without issue. I'm curious, how could you tell there was an attempt at the zipper?

tcl

I left out the LS200 because it has a flap and the other 2 don't.


There was ballpoint pen ink on the fabric part of the zipper that wasn't there previously.

stan1162

I have a Pacsafe Slingsafe 100 (black). I feel very secure with it. Mainly because of the zipper lock. No, its not pickpocket proof, but I think its more of a deterrent. Move on to someone else whose purse has no zipper lock on it. I like the idea so much, I've purchased very small lobster claws and use them on my backpack zipper pulls. Its an Eddie Bauer with no zipper locks.

The Slingsafe 100 is almost too big sometimes. I end up just carrying junk. I would like to carry a smaller one. I don't need anything big. I still use an Iphone 5, so thats small. Carry a credit card, cash, room key.

DragonSoul

I have an older model PacSafe tote and a Travelon small crossbody bag, which is just large enough for my passport, ID card, phones, credit cards, keys, cash (everything on my body in case of emergency). I have these for peace of mind, as deterrents, especially when I'm travelling solo in a strange airport/place where I might look like an easy mark.

Calliopeflyer

In reading these responses since the thread has been revived, it seems there's a lot of travelers (I'm guessing most are women) who talk about feeling more confident or secure with these products, and I think that's a key --- I don't feel unsafe or that I look like "an easy mark" when I travel, so I haven't felt the need to improve my security with respect to pickpockets or theft. I'm not saying people shouldn't feel that way; on the contrary, I think it's great that these products help with that. It's just a common theme I'm noticing, at least with the 2018 posts.

stan1162

There has to be a line of steps in security, I suppose. Steps we're willing to take. I've seen plenty of tourists on my travels (mostly women) who are carrying purses for "looks", with no thought on security. For pete's sake, I could have pickpocket them. Lands-End canvas totes even. I take public transportation, buses, trams, subways places like Italy, Montenegro, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Spain and have never felt like a "target". But, I think that confident look, comes with the combination of the actual product I'm using ( locking zippered cross body) and my natural way of carrying myself pretty confidently.

SWcrester

Another pacsafe fan here, I use the smaller ls100 as my everyday purse I am adding to the conversation my use of a Scotte vest, with multiple internal and external zippered pockets. My other half uses a Scotte jacket but I wanted something I could wear during all weather.

tdredi

i have this https://www.pacsafe.com/metrosafe-ls...s-body#start=1 and have taken it with me when I was in BCN 1 1/2 years ago. No probelms at all and looks nothing like it's out of the norm....I had my sony nex-5 camera, cell phone and media cards in there....travelled to Bracelona, Girona, and even Montserrat.

OneHourPhoto

Anyone have any familiarity with Loctote anti-theft bags? We vacationed a few weeks in Europe and many museums that we visited did not allow backpacks (plus I don't carry one during the day anyways while on vacation). I had a cheap draw-string bag that use for Yoga that I threw just a few basics in ie:a rain-jacket, camera, phone/charger, tickets, etc in and it worked nicely as it was permitted inside everywhere I went.

I had been looking for a more "professional" one, and came across the Loctote Anti-Theft Flack Sacks.

TheMadBrewer

After I saw my cousin's LocTote on a recent trip I ordered one and it arrived today. He is very happy with it but I don't if he used it as anything other than a backpack.

His was the original, mine is the new Flack II -- I think it uses a newer version of the fabric which is supposed to be stronger but also seems to be stiffer. It doesn't "flop" as much as my cousin's did -- or even the ones in unboxing videos I've seen (of the original model). I bring this up only because it might not be perceived as a drawstring bag for those places that allow them but restrict backpacks. I am hoping it will loosen up as I use it. I plan to also "smoosh" it up a bit while watching TV

I got the "Stealth Black" one -- supposed to be a limited edition color -- seems a tad more "professional" but I'm not sure that word really applies to drawstring bag

oldpenny16