Anti-theft bags

Meggan, I think they are overkill and in all my years of travel have never used one... plus they are heavy. I just have a normal messenger style bag that has an adjustable wide strap made of nylon web, its strong, its long enough for me to comfortably wear cross body style freeing up my hands, it has a zippered top, with a flap that goes right over the zipper and clicks shut, and inside there is a zippered pocket where i keep valuables. It would be hard to pickpocket as they would have to unclick the flap( its one of those clips that you use two fingers to depress inward) and then either lift the full flap up and somehow get to zipper , unzip, then get inside and unzipper again, it a very unpickpocket friendly purse! Its got a few outside pockets for maps or my small umbrella, and its roomy enough for my Kobe reader ( inside) and a book if one wanted to carry the weight. I love it and it was cheap and wears well, its at least 5 years old and looks new, and I use it at home too. I think those Pacsafe bags are such overkill and btw, I think the slash proof straps are useless and frankly, dangerous. If someone comes up to me suddenly from behind or beside and makes a slask at my strap then what happens if my strap deflects the knife,, where does knife deflect too.. think about it. I think they are unsafe.

I got a small PacSafe bag 5 years ago for a trip but recently it went to Goodwill in a load of other stuff. Although I like the idea of a slash-proof purse, the more I thought about the cut-proof strap the less I liked it. For safety reasons - MY safety, not the safety of my stuff. If somebody grabs at my bag when it's across my body (or more likely, if the bag gets snagged on something), I'd rather the strap break than my shoulder, collarbone or neck. Seriously. If I'm traveling, my passport, credit cards, etc., aren't going to be in my shoulder bag anyway. I'll assume the risk of losing some possessions over being injured. Again, I like the idea of a cut-proof purse itself, but not the superstrong strap which I think is dangerous.

I bought a Pacsafe bag a couple of years ago (hadn't been to Europe in several years and got scared by all the warnings about pickpockets) and really regretted it. First of all, it looks like an anti-theft bag more than it looks like a purse, and it was heavy. A few months ago I bought a messenger bag that works much better for me. Tip: don't keep all your valuables in one place.

I am sure they work but think it is more marketing hype (scare) to promote a product that is rarely needed. Same for the anti-scan holders for passports and credit cards. Save your money. And remember you should really limit carrying any valuables in a loose bag whether it is a pursue or day bag. The greater risk is someone could grab it when you put it down and that is very low.

As the posters above have pointed out, the thing to strive for is not so much "slash-proof" but the inability for a pickpocket to get inside your bag. Using a regular purse is a really bad idea since most just have a clasp or zipper - those are very easy to get into. Also with pac-safe purses, they are only secure if you keep them attached to your body. If you are the type to sling it over a chair or set it down, don't use it for valuables.

I admire those vendors. They have managed to make a fortune "fear mongering" Americans into packing portable safes. And of course lots of "theft" occurs when the purse is left hanging over the back of your chair at a cafe.... Not much "slash proof" will do then. IMHO it's more important to just be aware of your surroundings and use common sense.

Speaking of the straps being dangerous, my daughter had one of those bags when she lived in Sicily. It was a matter of very few months before the thing started fraying and little ouchy metal threads starting poking out and scratching. Do what everyone else has said and save your money.

Thanks for the input everyone!

My pacsafe bag started to fray, too, after a couple of weeks, but I figured that helped ward off potential thieves because it looked like someone had tried to take it and I won.

Since its come up again i confess. i carry the smallest one, about the size of a passport. i wear it over my shoulder and across my chest. its my man-purse. i also have a front pocket wallet. European cities are mostly as safe or safer than major cities in the US but i just feel better taking the extra precaution. Outside of Rome and Paris i don't worry much about puckpockets but whlie at home if i loose everything its no big deal, when traveling to loose a lot can wreck an expensive trip. There is no yes or no. do what makes you the most comfortable.

Since its come up again i confess. i carry the smallest one, about the size of a passport. i wear it over my shoulder and across my chest. its my man-purse. i also have a front pocket wallet. European cities are mostly as safe or safer than major cities in the US but i just feel better taking the extra precaution. Outside of Rome and Paris i don't worry much about puckpockets but whlie at home if i loose everything its no big deal, when traveling to loose a lot can wreck an expensive trip. There is no yes or no. do what makes you the most comfortable.

Since its come up again i confess. i carry the smallest one, about the size of a passport. i wear it over my shoulder and across my chest. its my man-purse. i also have a front pocket wallet. European cities are mostly as safe or safer than major cities in the US but i just feel better taking the extra precaution. Outside of Rome and Paris i don't worry much about puckpockets but whlie at home if i loose everything its no big deal, when traveling to loose a lot can wreck an expensive trip. There is no yes or no. do what makes you the most comfortable.

I had one and it now sits in a bin. I should give it away. It is far too heavy. It is also stiff, so doesn't pack into my main carry on bag when I want to one-bag it. I just use a cross body bag with an internal pocket to hold my working wallet (I use a money belt for big bucks). I use a small size 0 s-biner from Nite-Ize to clip the zipper to the purse hardware. That works pretty well for anti-theft. If you don't want that, a large safety pin works almost as well to clip the zipper closed. http://www.rei.com/product/803106/nite-ize-plastic-s-biner-size-0-package-of-2

What ever you decide, you should also wear a money belt to keep all of your important items in and wear it correctly to keep all of your important things in like your passport, tickets, big money, credit/debit cards, etc.
I have been going to Europe every summer for a month for the last 10 years and would not leave home without my money belt on and filled. aloha charlie