How to Keep Your Backpack Safe
Scarcely a week goes by that I don’t receive a glossy full-color travel gear catalog in the mail. Do you get these? The ones that sell disposable underwear, dual voltage travel coffee makers, and electronic translators?
According to my catalogs, there is an international epidemic of bag-slashing! I know this because chief among their offerings are “slashproof” backpacks, purses, and totes. These bags have braided steel cables in the straps, slash-proof steel mesh panels, and tamper-proof zippers.
Frankly they sound a little heavy.
Now, I like to hang onto my backpack as much as the next girl, but if someone is actually trying to cut it off my body? With a knife? They can have it.
Luckily for me, it hasn’t come to that. There’s no denying that backpacks (well, daypacks really) are a necessary evil when traveling with children. Here’s how I keep mine (and its contents) secure when we travel.
Choose the right pack
Forget the packs that zip completely open (disgorging your wallet and passport on the biohazardous floor of some skanky train station in the process). You want the kind that zips open on the top only. Multiple compartments sound convenient, but aren’t unless you really love playing hide and seek with your stuff.
Keep the zipper tucked low
When you close your pack, keep the zipper tucked as low as possible. That way you can reach under your arm easily to check that it’s still closed and secure from time to time.
As you can see from this photo, not everyone subscribes to the “keep the zipper tucked low” school of thought. My husband is a little contra-suggestive about stuff like this.
Snap on a mini-carabiner
Locking my backpack zipper closed with a carabiner doesn’t make it 100% pilfer-proof, but it gives me tremendous peace of mind. I can take it off easily when we need to get something, but it’s one more obstacle to a pickpocket.
Put the good stuff deep inside
Finally a reason to be glad that you are carrying 10 tons of child-related crap! Woo hoo!
I put my wallet and camera at the very bottom of my backpack. Then I pile the following on top of them: a bottle of water, a bag of 3-year-old Power Bars, our 650-page guidebook, some dogeared maps, 1 ziploc bag of Pokemon cards and action figures, and 1 ziploc bag of Polly Pockets. Trust me, it’s virtually impregnable.
Have someone watch your back in a crowd
The adult wearing the backpack walks in front. The other adult keeps lookout behind. When there is no other adult available, sling the backpack under your arm like a purse. If you have a lot of self-confidence, you can even wear your backpack in front. Personally, I usually look like enough of an idiot in foreign countries without resorting to such drastic measures.
Et tu? How do you keep your stuff safe without looking like an idiot?
Wrong way backpack photo courtesy of Nomadic Matt.
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November 10th, 2008 | by Jamie Pearson 16 comments
1. burt on November 10th, 2008
seguro que albondigas
2. Kristy Hall on November 11th, 2008
During our six month world travel adventure, a carabiner saved our camera from a very lithe child-pickpocket in Ho Chi Minh. Through the whole trip, my husband kept our Canon Elph camera in his pocket clipped with a carabiner to his belt loop so when the cute little guy snuck up and reached for the camera it didn’t go far.
Passports and travel docs were trickier but if we felt uncomfortable we would put them in the hotel safe. Luckily in Vietnam and other parts of Asia, the hotel front desk makes you turn in your passport while you stay there. (I know, very disconcerting but secure!)
3. Beth Blair on November 11th, 2008
Yikes, people are running around with knives. Creepy!
Great tips though and smart move clipping the camera to the belt loop. I’m also a big fan of the hotel safe but can get totally paranoid when venturing out (especially now).
4. Mara on November 11th, 2008
After reading this, I’m realizing that I’ve failed on every count except for the piling the cr*p on top one. Not that I can take credit for that – it’s just what happens. A pickpocket reaching into my backpack would be likely to end up with a bag full of carrot sticks some broken Hot Wheels cars.
Nice post.
5. Kim@Galavanting on November 11th, 2008
Great tips, I love how you say “Here’s how I keep mine…” Then there’s a photo of it on your husband. Hehe.
I agree with keeping valuables at the bottom. Mostly I got with a messenger type bag that hangs under one arm, makes me feel more in control. Wonder if there are bags that convert from backpack to messenger style?
6. soultravelers3 on November 11th, 2008
After almost 3 years traveling the world, often with a small backpack on husband’s back, usually with a laptop or two, we have never had a problem.
(We did recently lose a camera on our recent visit to the US when we left it in the rental car in our jet lagged daze).
I never even heard of a carabiner! Husband’s zippers have ties on the end that we use.
Good tips. We definitely keep a close eye on things as I think awareness is the biggest key. We would never put our wallet in a backpack though and always use money belts ( daily cash in zippered and velcro pants pocket.
I usually have my camera in my hand or in my pocket. We bought one of those top of the line slash proof purses, but I ended up only using it the first few months. ;)
7. Travel Gear Backpack on November 13th, 2008
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8. NCV on January 8th, 2009
Be careful about storing your valuables on the bottom. My friend’s grandmother had her pocket book slashed from the bottom – (yes, while she was wearing it on her arm to the side/front. Never even aware it happened) Unfortunately for the would-be low-life thief, she didn’t carry anything more valuable than her hairbrush and favorite lipstick! But had her “valuables” been on the bottom, that would’ve been the first thing they got . . . just a thought . . . .
9. How to Keep Your Backpack Safe Travel Savvy Mom | Outdoor Ceiling Fans on May 31st, 2009
[...] How to Keep Your Backpack Safe Travel Savvy Mom Posted by root 1 hour 53 minutes ago (http://www.travelsavvymom.com) After almost 3 years traveling the world often with a small backpack on husband back leave a comment name required email will not be published required on the go with amy middot outdoor baby middot parent hacks middot soultravelers3 savvy mom powered by w Discuss | Bury | News | How to Keep Your Backpack Safe Travel Savvy Mom [...]
10. Are slash-proof/tamperproof backpacks a smart idea for traveling? | Bags for travel on June 23rd, 2009
[...] How to Keep Your Backpack SafeI know this because chief among their offerings are “slashproof” backpacks, purses, and totes. These bags have braided steel cables in the straps, slash-proof steel mesh panels, and tamper-proof zippers. Frankly they sound a little heavy. [...]
11. mike on October 18th, 2009
“et tu?” should actually be “et toi?” in correct french, or if you were going for spanish, it would be “y tu?”. :D
12. Jamie Pearson on October 19th, 2009
Hi Mike,
Actually I was going for Latin, and the reference was “Et tu, Brute?”. But I’d be the first to admit that’s a little obscure on a travel blog.
Jamie
13. madr on March 5th, 2010
“Locking my backpack zipper closed with a carabiner ”
Good idea but I think binder rings will work better than carabiners. Carabiners can be opened with one hand with little force. Binder rings (new) are stiff to open, requires both hands and a bit of force to pull them apart. That makes the pickpocket more noticeable by you and others around you.
14. Stacy Loughney on January 13th, 2011
Hands down, this site always has the most reliable and informative information. The content is always fresh and keeps you wanting to read and dig deeper into the site. I go to this site first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening.
15. Anyameten on August 28th, 2011
Nice article!I do enjoy the way you have framed this concern.
16. Ripi on November 25th, 2011
“I put my wallet and camera at the very bottom of my backpack. Then I pile the following on top of them: a bottle of water…. Trust me, it’s virtually impregnable.”
Not so. A friend who did that had his bag slashed from the bottom of his backpack. His camera and wallet fell out and was snatched away.
I think if his wallet was kept in a small bag hung inside the backpack he wouldn’t have lost it that way.
16 Responses to “How to Keep Your Backpack Safe”