(Picture by Moyan Brenn on Flickr) Everyone fears being robbed, especially while abroad. This fear is particularly acute because you’re likely to be carrying not just your money and credit cards but expensive electronics and your passport. Losing money and replacing credit cards are a pain, but replacing your passport while out of the country is an enormous hassle that could derail your itinerary. Neither you nor your bag will ever be 100% theft-proof. Your main goal should be to deter petty theft. Don’t be the easiest mark. Read on to see how to keep your bag and valuables safe while traveling. The number one way to deter casual theft is to buy a backpack that locks. This advice may sound obvious, but many travelers neglect even this most basic level of security by buying the wrong type of bag. Do not buy a backpack with drawstring closures. Do buy a bag with lockable zippers. Unfortunately, even locked zippers are not impenetrable. You don’t need to carry Fort Knox on your back.

You just need to not be the easiest to rob. By choosing a bag with lockable zippers, you can secure your most valuable possessions behind a TSA-approved lock. These locks keep your valuables secure while allowing the TSA to open your bag if necessary. If you use a carry-on bag, unsupervised TSA intrusion will be much less of an issue. If you’re concerned about your entire bag being stolen while not in your possession, you have three options:backpack etno Now that your bag is secure, let’s move on to your wallet.von zipper dylan backpack First, keep paper money to a minimum. mbss backpackUse credit cards when you can and only take 1-2 days worth of money from an ATM.nikon s30 backpack

Second, minimize the number of credit cards that you bring. The most you should be carrying is one credit card and one debit card. To minimize the damage of a potential robbery, make copies of all important documents, including your passport, driver’s license, and credit/debit cards. Store these paper copies apart from the physical copies. panda hoodie backpack hot topicIf your wallet is always in your pocket, stash the photocopies in your backpack.navy club backpack 1837 If you were to be mugged, you would still have the copies with all of your important information. deuter h2o backpackYou could then easily contact your credit card company to alert them about the stolen card. Having a copy of your passport will make getting a replacement much easier.

To take this approach to the next level, you can use multiple pockets to store everything. Spread your money and cards out between the various pockets of your pants and jacket. Then, if you were robbed, you may lose some money and a card but not everything. The easiest way to protect your new DSLR camera or Macbook Air is to leave it at home. Just because you’re accustomed to having your full array of gadgets at home doesn’t mean you need them all on the road. You may love your iPhone but can probably survive with just a cheap, prepaid phone bought at your destination. If you do bring your camera, keep it with you. You brought it to document your trip, so keep it in your daypack when you venture out for the day. Not only will it be safe from the transient population of the hostel, but you’ll also avoid worrying about it. At the expense of your packing space, always store your electronics in your main bag. Nothing attracts a thief’s attention like a dedicated camera or laptop bag.

They advertise what you’re carrying and are even easier to steal. Store your valuable electronics in your bag and store them deep. That way, if a thief does get a quick shot at your bag, they’re less likely to find the good stuff. Let’s conclude this guide with a few advanced tips for the extremely paranoid. If you’re really concerned about being mugged, consider carrying a dummy wallet. Stuff it with petty cash and a few fake credit cards. The temporary cards that credit card companies send to entice you to sign up work well for the latter. With a dummy wallet, you can give the mugger something to make him go away without losing anything yourself. When staying in a private room at a sketchy hotel or hostel, consider packing a doorstopper to prevent unwanted entry into your room. Staying in a private room is safer than staying in the dorms, but extra precaution can never hurt. Lastly, if you really want to pack heat, you can bring mace. The TSA allows you to bring one mace or pepper spray container of up to four ounces in your checked luggage, provided it’s equipped with a safety mechanism.

If you’re only packing a carry on, you’ll have to rely on your karate skills. For more safety information, check out Anil’s post on setting up a backpack security system. His article inspired this one. Zen Backpacking also has a great guide to backpack security, including why “slash-proof” bags are not the panacea they may appear to be. If your bag is vulnerable, check out our anti-theft travel backpack, the Tortuga, by clicking the green button below. How else do you stay safe on the road? Share your advice for fellow travelers in the comments.Enjoy Free Shipping on Orders Over $99+Backpacks are great for carrying your essentials on extended multi-leg trips or city sightseeing, but they are risky to use for valuables and important documents in places that are known for pickpockets because you can’t see what’s going on behind you. However, if you can find the best anti theft backpack for travel, you can eliminate the fear of having your things stolen.

There are a few options to look at depending on your needs. Are you looking for a carry on backpack or something smaller to use as a daypack? Do you need it to hold your laptop? Are you concerned about having the RFID blocking feature built into the pockets or do you have a separate RFID wallet? While there are many anti-theft packs to choose from, not all are ideal for travel. Some are only really meant for day to day commute. You also have the option of carrying an anti-theft crossbody bag if you don’t like the backpack style. If you want a style of backpack whose contents you can access without having to remove the bag from your person, consider a theft-proof sling bag. If you’re worried about your wheeled carry on being a target, Pacsafe has a highly rated Toursafe 21″ bag. Want to take a look at all the options available? Here are Amazon’s 4 and 5 star rated anti theft travel backpacks! Assuming that this theft proof backpack needs to carry more than just a laptop and a few accessories to work and back, here are our best picks for travel:

Travelon is a well known travel accessories brand and their anti-theft travel backpack is a simple but very effective option at a very reasonable price. This updated version includes RFID-blocking card and passport slots in the front business organizer pocket. This backpack has all of the other necessary security features too, like slash-proof chain-link construction hidden in the nylon shell, and locking closures for the main and front compartments. It is very versatile, as it can be used as a touring daypack or as a small carry on while flying. It is available in black, stone grey, pewter grey, khaki and midnight blue, measures 13 x 6 x 16 inches and weighs 1.3 lbs. It is large enough to hold a tablet, a change of clothes, a large camera and other odds and ends. There are two side pockets – one is zippered and has an elastic mesh pocket inside. It can hold various small travel items. The other side is a simple drop pocket for a water bottle. Inside the main compartment is a large zippered pocket on the back wall.

This pocket is lined with steel mesh and holds smaller zippered and drop pockets for cards, phone, pens, cash and loose change. There is another smaller zippered pocket and elastic mesh pocket on the front of the main section. The inside of the bag’s flap holds another zippered pocket and an audio port for earbud cords. The flap has a carabiner lock that can snap onto the metal loop on the front of the bag or any loop on a stationary object. A front compartment also has a locking zipper for other valuables. The only potential drawback with this choice is that the top opening of the backpack is a bit small. Pacsafe is well known for making good RFID blocking travel bags and accessories along with other security features. This 20L PacSafe Slingsafe Lx300 Anti-Theft Backpack is their newest one for travel and it is available in some very nice colors, like black, chili red and tweed grey to appeal to women. This pack measures 5.6 x 17.4 x 11.5 inches and weighs a very light 1 pound and 1 ounce.

The high density polyester fabric with PU is water resistant. There are two lockable zippered compartments on this bag. The main compartment has a padded laptop sleeve (15″ Macbook compatible) and a tablet sleeve with plenty of space for other items. The front compartment is an RFID blocking pocket with key fob for your passport, cards, pens and cords. The security features include zippers that can be locked either with luggage locks or by the discreet security hooks, RFID blocking mesh lining at key locations, like the credit card pocket, shoulder straps and bottom half of the bag, and partly detachable shoulder straps that can be locked to a stationary object with turn and lock hooks to prevent the bag from being stolen. The well padded shoulder straps are also made of a special slashguard material. While this bag is not designed to be more than an overnight backpack that can fit nicely under an airplane seat, it can hold quite a lot and is perfect for keeping your electronics, cards and documents safe while you enjoy touring a place.

Add some toiletries and a change of clothes and you’ll cover all the essentials! The only possible negative is that there is no external pocket for a water bottle. Amazon UK has this pack too. If you’re going to be traveling with your laptop in crowded trains or walking through busy thoroughfares or using it as your carry on bag, you may want a backpack that’s built for securing a laptop and other valuables. The Pacsafe Ultimatesafe 22l Anti Theft Backpack is slightly pricey but perfect for women backpacking from one place to the next and needs top class security for her belongings. It is only available in black but is light enough to be good for most women to carry. This award winning carry on theft proof backpack measures 6.3 x 20.5 x 13.8 inches and weighs just under 3 pounds. Even if it is fully loaded, it is comfortable to carry because of the padded back support and shoulder and waist straps. This pack has a barely noticeable exo-mesh cage system running all through.

It also comes with a removable slashproof lock and leave Travelsafe™ 12L insert, slashproof shoulder straps, lock and hide zippers and an RFID pocket for your cards and passport. You can clip a shoulder strap to a stationary object to ensure no one can stealthily grab the bag and run. Two side compression straps keeps the bag compact, easy to carry and provide an added security feature. If you want more free space in the main compartment, you can remove the safe bag. The travel safe can also be used to store all your valuables in your hotel room while you take the backpack with you for the day. Just lock the safe to any permanent feature in the room and you’re the only one with the key! Inside the large zippered main compartment is a removable padded laptop and tablet sleeve that can hold a 15.4″ laptop as well as a tablet. There are two zippered front compartments holding a padded pocket, two drop pockets, a key fob and loops for pens. The padded waist strap contains a small pocket for an MP3 player or phone and two side pockets can hold water bottles or a travel umbrella.

The Pacsafe Ultimatesafe Anti-Theft Backpack 22 Litres is also available to UK visitors. If you’re looking for the same security features as the Ultimatesafe shown above, but only want to use it as a daypack at your travel destination, the Pacsafe Luggage Venture Safe 25L GII is a good and more affordable choice. It is also a better option for petite women, as it measures 19.7″ x 11.4″ x 7.9″ and weighs 1 lb 8 oz. It is available in grey, black and ocean blue. It also features exo-mesh slash guard, slash proof straps, an RFID-blocking pocket and smart-locking zippers, but there is no removable travelsafe like in the larger Ultimatesafe. There is also a padded laptop sleeve in the main compartment but it is not removable. There is a turn and lock security hook to attach the bag to a table or chair leg. In addition to the double zipper pull main compartment, there is one single zippered organizer front compartment with an RFID pocket. The waist strap also has a small pocket and there are two side water bottle pockets.

Two side cinching straps keep the bag compact and the foam molded back panel makes the pack comfortable to carry. UK visitors can get the Pacsafe Venturesafe 25L on Amazon UK. If you don’t need to carry valuables around with you and need to instead keep them safe in your hotel room without depending on an in-room safe, consider getting a portable safe that you can pack in your luggage but tether to any permanent object in the room. If you’re looking for the best secure backpack to use mainly on European metros, the Pacsafe Luggage Metrosafe 350 GII Daypack is compact yet can hold a small laptop or tablet along with other day tripping essentials. It is the cheapest, smallest and lightest of the travel anti-theft backpacks from Pacsafe that can accommodate a small laptop up to 13″, measuring 16.5″ x 12.6″ x 5.1″ and weighing 1 lb 6 oz. It is available in black and jungle or khaki green. There is no waist strap but everything else, like the security features and organizational compartments, is the same as that of the Pacsafe Venturesafe that is described above.