Backpack vs Shoulder Bag

My concern about backpacks is that you can't tell when someone's in it. I forget and leave zippers open all the time and never notice until I get home. So I got myself a messenger back that I can carry in front of me with one hand on it.

Laura, my husband and I take both. I take a small Eagle Creek guide bag, the hubby takes the daypack. That way we have space for book, etc and for shopping.

We use a money belt for money, credit cards and passports, the camera is in the daypack, my shoulder bag holds chapstick, guide book, rail tickets, etc - the small stuff.

I keep one hand on my bag when in crowded areas, otherwise, there's no worry.

I've never seen a thief run up and try to steal a daypack or shoulder bag..you are more likely to get pickpocketed in a subway car, or in a crowd on the street in bigger cities.

Just be aware, and keep an eye on each other. It is nice to have a larger bag to use during the day to carry water, lunch, and stuff you buy. Let her take her daypack...just don't a huge one!

Never use a back pack as I feel they are way too open to someone tampering with it without your knowledge. I like to carry a purse over my body or shoulder and keep a hand on it at all times. This gives me some sense of security. Maybe this is all perception and not reality but I have never had a problem in all the travelling I have done. There is no way I would put anything important in a back pack - make me far too nervous. I know seem like the odd one out, but I never carry my passport or travel documents with me. I leave them locked in the safe in my hotel. All I carry is a credit card and some cash for the day. If I need more cash I use an ATM. I know this is not full proof but I personally think it's more secure.

You might want to check out this earlier discussion about backpacks vs. handbags.

http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/441/handbag-or-backpack.html

I generally use a small backpack, and lock the zippers. We travel in the fall, and need to be able to carry a jacket and umbrella when we leave for the day, so a purse wouldn't work. Besides, a balanced load is far more comfortable and better for the back.

I've used both. I use my backpack when traveling between locations and on the plane (as a second carry-on), and always put important items my "secret" compartment on the bottom of the bag. I'm just not a fan of the money belt but I have plenty of friends that will not leave home with out it. I also have a purse that goes across my chest that has plenty of room for my camera, water bottle, and other essentials. It is black and has flap over it. Zappos has a similar bag which is smaller than Rick's bag (which is great my friend owns it). The backpack is convenient and great if you have a young fam and need lots of things. Personally I would go with a smaller over the chest purse :)

last time I used a camera backpack which is half camera and half regular backpack as I have a digital slr with lens' so I need soemthing to carry the gear. It worked fine but there were times when I thought I would like to have something over the shoulder but all that gear I think would get uncomfortable.
I have been looking at getting a shoulder style camera bag but they only will hold the camera gear nothing else...so I have am not sure what the best is.
But I always make sure when I am in a metro or unsafe area that the backpack is locked with small travel locks just to give myself a bit more peace of mind.

Camera Bag: There is a brand called "Crumpler" thats veru cool - and doesnt look like a Camera bag, but is designed as one. They have funny names, like " Million Dollar House" - various sizes - but they look like regular shoulder-book bags and lots of padding. Check it out at your camera store or online!

I prefer backpacks for my big items- clothing etc.I think backpacks are easier on your back. I take a smaller bag- shoulder-style - for daytime travel around the city etc. I also use a safety pin to secure zippers. It's easy to detect someone trying to fiddle with them.

laura,
my mother and i each had a SMALL backpack on our trip to london/scotland/wales. we never had any issues and if we hit an area we deemed as "iffy" we put the backpacks on our backs with the zippers and such against our backs instead of towards the public...it did work. we never hit too bad of an area though. just my 2 cents:)

Just got back from touring Italy. I used the Civita bag; my sister carried a purse that was roughly the same size as the bag. (Both of us also wore neck pouches with our money and passports in them.) Even though I didn't pack it full, I appreciated the roominess of the backpack and its various compartments, so I could keep my sandwich separate from my hat and my binoculars, etc. and not get anything smooshed. I carried the pack on one shoulder, but with the bag in front of me, tucked under my arm--no more theft-prone than a purse would have been.

One consideration is that at many museums, if you walk in with a backpack they'll require that you check it at the cloakroom--even if it's smaller than some purses, and half-empty, to boot. The same museums will not allow you to check a purse--they don't want to be responsible for valuables.

I use a small back pack for camera gear, picnic fixins, umbrella, etc. We are off the beaten track travelers so are rarely in the larger cities other than arriving and departing. We do spend a day or two in Rome each trip and then I zip the zippers all the way around to the bottom (rather than let them meet at the top) and use a safty pin or tiny carrabeener to keep them closed.

I like a cross-shoulder messenger bag for travelling. It allows me to carry anything I may purchase as well as my essentials, while keeping it in front of me where I can see what is going on. On public transportation, I move it directly in front of me and keep an arm over it. There is no outside pocket and the flap covers the zipper. I got it for my first trip to Europe when friends made me paranoid about pickpockets, but I found I liked the convenience and have continued to use the bag or one like it since! My bag came from Eddie Bauer .