Thailand forum

Hi,
There is this thing you can get called a Pac-Safe, I have used one in countries where theft is a problem, eg Indian sleeper trains and dodgy hostels. Although I never used it Thailand and still have all my belongings.

They are kind of heavy to carry on a long trek and somtimes people wonder what you have in there that is so valuable it needs to be locked away. On the other hand, its nice to get a good nights sleep knowing you pack will still be there in the morning! or not be the bag getting slashed open on the roof of the bus!
Check it out www.pac-safe.com
Happy travels ,
Tim

I concur with murwill16 -- I've always used a thin cable like that -- doesn't weigh much at all and I padlock it to something too big to fit out the window.

That being said I keep my "difficult to replace" stuff (passport, credit cards, photo of pet cat etc) always on my person or in a guesthouse safe.

As far as totally securing your backpack, there's little you can do -- don't leave anything you wouldn't throw away in pockets you can't secure.

The cheapest easier way to secure your pack/bag is to go to your local hardware store and buy a length of simple small chain, a couple of feet long is good. It's very cheap and weighs little. Then buy a cheap combination padlock and you've got good protection from a grab and run type thief who would need some serious chain cutters to get your bag.

Hi calitraveler
Having every security gizmo attatched to your luggage is a sure fire method to indicate that you have stuff worth knocking off. Most security stuff is only a deterrent. If they really want to rip you off they will slash your pack.

Consider ... would you knock off a daggy old backpack or a Louis Vuitton original/knock off.

Sure - have a strong cable to secure your bags to large objects, use common sense. The world is not out to get you ...

Enjoy

Marian

And another thing.............

..............As for the 'latches'; if it's the plastic clips you mean, you could buy a couple of large key rings per clip and thread the rings through the webbing where it attaches to the each part of the clip and lock them together.

It's not fool proof but it's a small deterrent if you need peace of mind.

The other thing you can do, common in central America, is get hold of a large grain sack or similar and put your backpack in that before it goes on the bus roof. It then looks like a locals bag, not a western backpack