Pacsafe Citysafe CS400 tote

The protection of the pacsafe bag is undeniable. But how many stories have you heard of people having their bags slashed?

More typical is the distraction play. Someone is sitting outdoors at a cafe, bag slung over the chair back or under the table. Suddenly their is a commotion in the yard, a woman yelling at some man and gesturing angrily!! There may even be pushing and shoving. Everyone looks over to see what is going on, transfixed Then its over, the couple is gone, and a minute later someone discovers in all their commotion their bag was taken.

I'm not too worried about the slash and run sort of thing. One good thing about the Pacsafe is that you can lock the strap to a pole, or the leg of your chair or table. May not be worth much, but might be just enough to make a potential thief move on to the next person.

Have to admire the company. They have made a fortune by creating fear

I have gone to Europe at least once a year for years without the need for a safe. And I have done the "fear" locations.

There is no way I would pay for the "safe" feature

And strapping it to something? When I am sitting at a cafe I stick my leg through the handle. Or you could lift up your chair, stick handle through it, sit down. Same effect

Good points, Carol.

I have the pacsafe G something or other 400 and love it. Mine does have the sleeve with zipper on top and bottom but I use a RS convertible bag so that doesn't work for me. We took it to europe with us (my personal item) and I often use it for short trips. When we needed just two days of clothes on our tour they went right into the pacsafe and we left our larger bags on the bus. I did not carry it as a day bag - just too big. I have a large Travelon purse that held both of our tablets, tissues, etc if we wanted those with us. What I did carry everyday was my Travelon slim purse. It holds all I need and keeps me from overloading my bag. The big 400 is very well made and I expect it to last for years and years.

I like to check ebags for sales. I don't remember seeing any pacsafe items there but they do have Travelon and lots and lots of totes and hobos.

They do have Pacsafe at ebags and I've got a coupon because I bought a purse there a month ago. Also that tote can be had for 15% off at Travelsmith if you put in the code PLANETD.

Sandra,
We do not have the pac safe. Just purchased the RS Euro Flight Bag. I'm presently giving it a test on a trip to Florida.

So far so good. I believe that it will be a good personal item as it can hold a few days of spring /summer clothes, pair of shoes and a toiletry kit. Plus guidebooks, quart liquids bag, etc. It's mildly cavernous. Does have a wheelie bag handle sleeve and a few outside pockets. Cost 39.95
Good Luck with your search.
Gene

I have this bag; it is HUGE! I used it as my personal bag for a winter visit to Vienna. It has tons of space and could hold all of my gear, but it was really heavy. You will likely wind up carrying too much stuff ... just because this bag can hold it all.

I later opted for the PacSafe 200 tote for a recent summer trip to Germany; my only complaint about this bag is that while there are pockets on each end for a water bottle and umbrella; however, I found both pockets too small for either.

I also have the SlingSafe 250 which I really like for use at home (i.e., when not traveling!). Prepare to go minimal with this bag.

Traveling with PacSafe products ensures I travel with confidence and will avoid being a pickpocket victim. You only need to be the victim of a pickpocket once to quickly learn you never want to repeat the experience!

A bit off topic, I know, but I have to say I've never understood the logic of these bags. Important items that would be a real pain if lost-bulk cash, credit cards, passport, etc-should not be carried around in a bag. A bit of cash and a card buried in a pocket or what have you, and the rest of it secured in money belt-neck wallet-hotel safe, etc. If ones poncho, snacks and bottle of water are grabbed, no big deal, really.

If a would-be thief approaches my wife with something sharp and attempts to cut her bag loose, I want it to come right off so the thief can leave the area-quickly. It just seems to me that someone is far more likely to be injured either by a knife or from the thief pulling on a bag, and for what?

Pacsafe is pricey and I believe overkill. Security is about knowing your surroundings. I simply used a small backpack with a small luggage lock on the main compartment. I wear a neck pouch under my shirt for important items like credit cards, bulk cash, pass port etc.. If you see a crowd gathering around a street performer - stand back, away from the crowd - so no one can approach you without your knowledge. Stand with your back against a wall. Keep your pack on your lap or with an arm or foot through it at a cafe. I have traveled in "hot spots" like Rome, Guatemala, crowded buses and subways, NYC. I have yet to have a problem other than being approached by beggars. Relax and enjoy your trip.

Another vote for the RS Euro Tote -- back panel holds it on the roller bag handle really well. But it DOES hold a lot, leading to overpacking if you're prone to that. Also has a shoulder strap for carrying separate from roller bag. (Look for sales about twice a year)
Best option would be to pack light enough to be able to do without an additional personal item (but that's easier said than done!)

I also have the RS Euro tote and got back from a trip a couple of weeks ago. Love the bag, and as noted it really does hold a lot and would be easy to pack too much (I didn't). Be aware that the strap designed to hook over the handle of a rolling bag does not fit every handle. It doesn't fit the handle of my IT Luggage World's Lightest Los Angeles 21.9 Inch Carry On . Not a deal breaker at all. Just something to check out in case it is a deal breaker for someone else.

I have a pacsafe 200. I like it very much. I have taken it on some travels and do like the ability to lock the zippers, so I don't even have to think about my things being safe. (Secret: I don't always use a money belt). I don't use the locks a lot, but in certain places, I do. What I really like about this bag is that is is wonderfully organized and holds a lot in a pretty compact space. I use it A LOT around town at home. Back to travel, this pacsafe holds as much as larger bags because it is so well organized. I can even fit my DSLR in it with my favorite 50 mm lens. I use the side pockets for umbrella and eye glasses. I don't tend to walk around with water. Also, as I am a woman, most of my clothes do not have decent pockets, so @Dave, the pocket logic doesn't work for me, at least. I am assuming SandraL is a woman. But, I must say, I love the hunt for the perfect bag, and just when I think I've found it, I start looking again!

They have made a fortune by creating fear

I don't recall ever reading in their literature any fear mongering; only statements about their design features.

Cultural anthropologists are going to have a field day in the future
mining all these queries and using them as a proxy for societal
anxiety. Some rich guy on the TripAdvisor Israel forum actually asked
the other day if he should hire an armed guard to accompany him to
Jerusalem for "peace of mind." Insanity.

Being demeaning of other people’s concerns is, I think, a violation of the rules of the forum, and if not, then just plain mean.

The protection of the pacsafe bag is undeniable. But how many stories
have you heard of people having their bags slashed?

But I do know a young lady who had her purse strap slashed by a guy on a scooter in Rome and I have read of similar events on this forum.

I do have one pacsafe I carry my camera in, but mainly because the size was ideal and they are well made; convenient pockets, etc. I recently purchase an old soviet gas mask bag that I think will work better and be lighter. Will try it in a few weeks. I also have a little pacsafe bag about the size of a passport and about an inch deep that I have used for nearly a decade. They don’t make it anymore. But it holds my wallet, passport, cellphone when I travel and it’s comfortable for me to carry. Sort of my man purse. Again, more about the size and quality than the slash proof issues. Prior to going through security i will cram my watch and spare change in it too. Makes passing security a breeze. I have been looking for a better solution for a long time. AND, I travel to a number of countries that require you to carry a passport and while I doubt I will ever be checked, I don’t break laws when I am a guest. I actually worry that someone might try and do a drive by slash and grab and end up ripping off my head because the strap won’t cut. Something to consider.

It’s one thing to say, “I feel comfortable without these things” and its something else to be disrespectful to those that have different risk tolerances or perceptions of personal need. And we ask whey the world is so destructive………

Used pacsafe products for years, and NOT because I am fearful! By years, I mean at 15 years for one of the daypacks that I still use with zero signs of wear. The mesh features also make the bags extremely durable, had smaller not cheap day packs, without the secure features that were other brands, nowhere near as durable. So replaced the latest non-pacsafe bag with the small ,Pacsafe Metrosafe LS350 that I use as my day bag, and also my hiking day bag, it is light and comfortable.
I can use the larger day pack with a combination lock to leave in my accommodation when I am out for the day.
As a woman who has traveled alone to Europe, Mexico, SA, I am very cautious, pay attention to my surroundings, do lots of research prior to the arrival, but I am NOT fearful.
And personally I rather resent the implication that because one purchases a cost-effective (durable), well made product with secure features, that fear is the motivator.

@ Ann: I'm in total agreement with you. I am not afraid either. Pacsafe bags are well organized, durable bags that remain looking nice for years. Wray

My husband was pick pocketed in what I would consider to be a very safe area. We were on the train platform in a town in Tuscany. It was daylight and we were walking toward the exit. It wasn't crowded. My husband realized that the man walking along side had his hand in my husband's front pocket. The man's hand kind of got a little stuck because all he was grabbing at was a 16oz water bottle.

My husband had his valuables in his Pacsafe Venturesafe 150 cross-body bag. The man walked off liked nothing happened. Had my husband carried his wallet in his front pocket as usual it would have been a different story. It would have been a sucky day.

The only thing I keep in my front pockets in Paris are 3 - #8 Treble Hooks.

OP here. I did buy the Pacsafe tote, and I was very happy with it on my recent trip to London. I didn't really use any of the security features, but it was nice to know they were there. I wish the shoulder strap had been a bit more padded and wider, because I ended up holding it over my shoulder in line a bit longer than I'd anticipated.

Yes, you can definitely overstuff this bag if you try!

Overall, I was not worried about security at all in London. I wore my money belt, kept the day's spending in a wallet in my purse etc. Initially, I had read stories about the planes, & about people going through the overhead luggage compartments while everyone slept, but frankly, that seems a bit cloak-and-dagger to me. I was fortunate that I had no seat-mate on my flight to LHR, and on the way back, I sat with a 10-year-old girl and her mother. Not once was I worried, when I went to the bathroom, say, that they were going to go through my carry-on. Good luck to them if they had--I'm the world's worst packer and they would have been digging around quite a bit.