Pacsafe Bags etc

[kazakaza]

I love my bags but also need good security as we will be navigating the hustle and Bustle of new York and also 2 large airports. I have been looking at the Pacsafe Metrosafe 200 Bag and the Pacsafe pouchsafe 200. Has anyone got these items or had experience of this brand in the past, only seen the items online in the UK, this is the only reason I am asking, thanks.......Karen:)

[unberwoob]

I have the Pacsafe Metrosafe 200. Other than being a little small for my big camera, it is great. I normally carry a larger Manhattan bag, but on our recent trip to Europe, especially in Barcelona, I used my Pacsafe with no problems.

[FLACRUISER99]

The best I can do is say I & DW each have Pacsafe pouchsafe 100. http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&_action=detail&id=13

Great product, high quality and I highly recommend.

[wcook]

You are going to New York, not Naples. It's not exactly a hotbed of bag-slashing moped-riding thieves.

 

Don't get me wrong, they are nice bags. And if they give you a bit of piece of mind, so much the better. (Though if that piece of mind makes you careless...not such a good thing.)

 

Anyway, I guess I'm just trying to say you shouldn't feel the *need* to get one. I lived/worked in New York a long time, still visit frequently, and having a slash-resistant bag just isn't something people genearlly worry about.

[FLACRUISER99]

You are going to New York, not Naples. It's not exactly a hotbed of bag-slashing moped-riding thieves.

 

Don't get me wrong, they are nice bags. And if they give you a bit of piece of mind, so much the better. (Though if that piece of mind makes you careless...not such a good thing.)

 

Anyway, I guess I'm just trying to say you shouldn't feel the *need* to get one. I lived/worked in New York a long time, still visit frequently, and having a slash-resistant bag just isn't something people genearlly worry about.

My mom used to tell me when she gave me chicken soup for a cold and I said I wont help "Can't Hurt"

[kazakaza]

Thanks for your comments and glad you all like your Pacsafe bags, I think I will go ahead and purchase the metrosafe as I can use it on future holidays as we willl be visiting Barcelona on our next holiday after this one so it will come in useful then also, thanks again everyone.:)

[kazakaza]

agreeable, cant hurt can it....and just wanted an overall opinion on the bags as I havent actually seen one......happy days

[sippican]

Thanks for your comments and glad you all like your Pacsafe bags, I think I will go ahead and purchase the metrosafe as I can use it on future holidays as we willl be visiting Barcelona on our next holiday after this one so it will come in useful then also, thanks again everyone.:)

 

Am also purchasing the Metrosafe for an upcoming stay in Barcelona ( just can't decide which size). Many also recommend the Travelon products. You may want to take a look at those for comparison.

[LittleMissS]

I used a Pacsafe metrosafe 200 this summer in France and it was great! I was able to fit my camera in the bag (a larger Canon p&s), as well as my wallet, and a ton of other goodies. (Love the side mesh pockets for water bottles) I will definitely be taking it with me to Barcelona this summer.

 

That being said, I have been to NYC many many times. I have never used a slash-proof bag. I honestly never felt the need or felt unsafe by not using one. Like wcook said, it's not really known as being a bag-slashing kind of city. I think that as long as you are aware of your surroundings, and of your bag (whatever type you choose), you will be fine. Use your common sense and you will be fine. Have fun...NYC is a great city! So much to do and see!

[Croozin Soozin]

I bought the pacsafe metrosafe 200 for our transatlantic cruise and I loved it. Was able to fit my camera, iPad, iPod, bottle of water on outside, plus all my ID, passport, etc. Even with all that stuff inside it (basically for travel days) it was very comfortable to carry across my body - it never felt heavy. During tours it held my camera and basic needs, along with two ponchos in their cases. Worked out very well and was the perfect size for my needs. I'll definitely use it whenever we travel.

[marci22]

DH commuted into NYC for years, taking trains, subway, walking many blocks, etc. Never a problem. One day in Naples, and we were on hyper-alert, and our backpack got slashed (and it was carried in front of him). I would buy the Pac-Safe just to feel secure but NY thieves are no match for Europe.

 

The environment is different, too. If you yelled out that you were mugged in NYC, several people would probably go after the thief. I was on a bus in Naples, (a bit frantically) yelling that my kids got cut off from getting on the bus and no one made a sound.

[baggal]

If you want to stick out like a tourist in NYC then go ahead and get the PacSafe and especially wear white sneakers.

 

If you want to blend in and not call attention to yourself get a fashionable yet functional crossbody bag and keep the bag in front of you. Wear any comfortable footwear you want in a dark color. Then you are good to go.

[kazakaza]

Thanks for your replies, I think the Pacsafe will be great to get for all upcoming holidays, I realise now I might not need it for New York and may use one of my more functional Kipling bags instead, but the pacsafe one sounds good anyway and we do the European crusies more than Caribbean so would be great for those, I think I will buy the Pacsafe Pouchsafe anyway so that I can keep the Passports and essentials around my neck or accross body for easy access,

thanks again,

K:)

[LittleMissS]

If you are a tourist in NYC, you're going to stick out. Period. It doesn't matter what you wear or what kind of bag you use.

 

My suggestion is to wear whatever is comfortable, as you will likely be doing a lot of walking. If that consists of white sneakers, than so be it. If it means using a Pacsafe, use it...nobody cares. Nobody is going to stare at you.

 

The dead give away for tourists (in my opinion) are the ones who stop in the middle of the sidewalk to meet up with their group, or look at a map, or take a photo. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with doing these things, just not in the middle of the sidewalk.:)

[KeywestK]

I bought a Pacsafe metrosafe 100 bag for our upcoming Europe trip. I liked the size of it, just large enough for essentials, and still small enough to be unobtrusive. You can buy them online, or at REI or your local AAA store.

[Coralc]

Thanks for your replies, I think the Pacsafe will be great to get for all upcoming holidays, I realise now I might not need it for New York and may use one of my more functional Kipling bags instead, but the pacsafe one sounds good anyway and we do the European crusies more than Caribbean so would be great for those, I think I will buy the Pacsafe Pouchsafe anyway so that I can keep the Passports and essentials around my neck or accross body for easy access,

thanks again,

K:)

 

They're nice. They have a lot of pockets, lots & lots of pockets and zippers, it was a little difficult to find my stuff sometimes. (like a pen) With all the pickpocket paranoia in Rome and Barcelona; nobody even came close or even anywhere near me that even looked remotely scary/shifty?. And I could have had any bag, but of course you never know. The only thing I didn't care for...is that they are heavy purses, even empty. And then if you overstuff it like I do, it is even heavier, I ended up wearing it cross-body.

 

Only thing we heard about, first person (from the person it happened to). A small group from the cruise stopped at an outdoor cafe on Las Ramblas in Barcelona, they had coffee and sodas, and the server put the bill and tray down on their table. The server and thief were approaching at the same time and the thief was faster than the passenger that tried to grab the money back. They had to pay twice. :rolleyes:

[kazakaza]

Thanks again for all you comments much appreciated :)

[Shak]

I would tend to agree if the only security feature of PacSafe items was the slash resistant feature I would not have purchased any of their products either but there are many more security features that will not only reduce the chance of theft but accidental lose as well. I have and use the Metosafe 50 (digi pouch) and the Walletsafe 100 (tri-fold travel wallet).

In the Metrosafe 50 I carry my camera. With this product you can carry it around your neck or attach it to your belt. I like to carry it on my belt. This little bag besides being slash resistant it has 3 other security features. To open this little bag lift up on the Velcro on the flap that makes a loud noise when opening. After you lifted the flap off the Velcro you then have to pull down on the flap to release the flap locking feature only then can unzip it because the zipper is concealed under the flap.

I love to carry the Walletsafe 100 because not only is it theft resistant but since it is tethered to my belt is near to impossible to lose the wallet accidently.

I should have said I have 3 Pacsafe items. I forgot I have the Pacsafe Cashsafe Travel Belt Wallet also. It has a zippered compartment so you store emergency money and or documents. I store some money and a photocopy of my passport and drivers license in it. This item also has a plastic buckle so it won't trigger any metal detectors. For some reason Pacsafe doesn't show it on their web site but I bought mine from Amazon.

Shak

[Happy ks]

We sell Pacsafe in our store and I have to say that although they do have nice security features many people pass on them because of their appearance.

 

If I were going to purchase any of their product, I would go for the citysafe 100 handbag. The 200 is too large and would be bulky and heavy.

 

Our best seller is the smallest backpack http://pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&_action=detail&id=22

 

We don't sell a lot of the metrosafe as they are so flat...that's the main complaint when people look at them. People want a day bag that will hold a water bottle.

[marci22]

Our best seller is the smallest backpack http://pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&_action=detail&id=22

 

At $149, the bag might be worth it to protect expensive camera equipment. We used an old backpack that did get slashed, but they didn't get anything of value. It mostly contained water, snacks, Kleenex, maps and a compass. I carried money and ID in a belt under my clothing.

 

Think about what you really need to bring with you and then decide how you will carry it. If you set a bag down and forget it, it's just as bad.

[Mysticks1]

I have the TourSafe Sling/Backpack and love it for travel. I got it for a 2 week Mediterranean trip and it was perfect for carrying the essentials. I really like this one because it can convert from a cross body bag into a backpack so that you can change the way you carry it and that helped me. Mine is black so my husband felt comfortable carrying it as well.

[kazakaza]

Thanks to all your comments I bought the Pacsafe Metrosafe 200 and look forward to using it, on my upcoming holiday in the US and Virgin Islands and also in Europe.....thanks once again....x

[The Viking]

Had a 200, which I forgot on a RCCL ship and was reimbursed by the insurance I had through RCCL.

 

Then I found the 250 which is much more practical then the 200 for about $ 20 more. We use it whenever we do sightseeing and need water, camera, umbrella and more.

 

It is NOT bulky as someone mentioned.

 

It has more padding than the 200 and has interior room for delicate items such as Ipad yet with plenty of room to spare.

 

The outside bottle holders seem to be a little larger than those on the 200 so it is easier to get bottles in and out of the pouch.

 

All in all, I am happy I forgot my 200.

[Happy ks]

Had a 200, which I forgot on a RCCL ship and was reimbursed by the insurance I had through RCCL.

 

Then I found the 250 which is much more practical then the 200 for about $ 20 more. We use it whenever we do sightseeing and need water, camera, umbrella and more.

 

It is NOT bulky as someone mentioned.

 

It has more padding than the 200 and has interior room for delicate items such as Ipad yet with plenty of room to spare.

 

The outside bottle holders seem to be a little larger than those on the 200 so it is easier to get bottles in and out of the pouch.

 

All in all, I am happy I forgot my 200.

 

 

You do have to consider which product it is before deciding what is too bulky. The Metrosafe is a rather flat bag, while the Citysafe is a purse and the Daysafe is a backpack. There are a whole lot of other types of bags in the line, going from a small pouch all the way to an adventure backpack.

 

The bulky bag I mentioned is the purse style. I'd rather not carry a large purse while touring. I want something just large enough to carry whatever papers I need, my reading glasses/sunglasses and a bottle of water. The 100 is plenty large enough, the 200 is way too large for that.

 

I think you have the Metrosafe style? Those are the flatter bags that are cross-body or shoulder strap and can be carried by a man or a woman. This type of bag is not bulky due to the shape unlike other products in this line.

 

I'm not fond of hauling around a lot of stuff and advise people when they purchase to consider weight when packed. Most people don't want a too large bag as they find they will fill it, a smaller bag forces you to take less "stuff" and be more comfortable throughout the day.

[kazakaza]

I have looked at most of the item in each line and decided the Metrosafe was the one for us as my husband could also use it and not feel uneasy, : )

 

You do have to consider which product it is before deciding what is too bulky. The Metrosafe is a rather flat bag, while the Citysafe is a purse and the Daysafe is a backpack. There are a whole lot of other types of bags in the line, going from a small pouch all the way to an adventure backpack.

 

The bulky bag I mentioned is the purse style. I'd rather not carry a large purse while touring. I want something just large enough to carry whatever papers I need, my reading glasses/sunglasses and a bottle of water. The 100 is plenty large enough, the 200 is way too large for that.

 

I think you have the Metrosafe style? Those are the flatter bags that are cross-body or shoulder strap and can be carried by a man or a woman. This type of bag is not bulky due to the shape unlike other products in this line.

 

I'm not fond of hauling around a lot of stuff and advise people when they purchase to consider weight when packed. Most people don't want a too large bag as they find they will fill it, a smaller bag forces you to take less "stuff" and be more comfortable throughout the day.