Pacsafe® X 25L anti-theft backpack

Bought one of these for commuting to work with my laptop, as I already owned the bigger (35L) VentureSafe backpack and found it good quality. I also own a Vibe 100 Anti-Theft Hip Pack and (a now very old) bum/waist pack (no idea what the model was called).

I appreciate all the security features, however... all of the newer items have the push and click anti-theft locks. These are convenient (if fiddly) but I'm sceptical about how much protection they provide. They may give you a little, but on the back packs especially, it wouldn't be that hard for a professional thief to undo these 'locks' without you noticing. The older waist bag OTOH had a concealed steel ring + hook that you padlocked. A lot less convenient but a proper lock and - this is important - no-one looking at the waist bag could see if or how you'd secured the lock or not. What the newer bags need are little covers, secured with velcro, that go over the locks. That would make it harder for a thief to access the push and click lock and also give you the option of adding a padlock without advertising that you have done so and it would also keep the padlock from moving around as you walk.

Another issue: the bottle pouches on the side aren't fit for purpose. It needs to be properly adjustable to take different sizes of bottles. The little stud that is supposed to allow you to shrink the pouch comes open with only a little pressure. I found I had to stick a zippable bottle holder inside the pouch and secure it to…

I traveled with my two-year-old daughter alone from the USA to Europe, Australia, and Canada for research purposes. In total, we spent 70 days traveling and doing my research, during which I needed a laptop. I had a big diaper bag with a room for change clothes, snacks, children's books, and toys, but it was too big for the travel stroller's (Joolz Aer +) basket. Therefore I used the Pacsafe backpack every day, which I had originally intended only for the days when I go to research sites. We walked a lot in city centers, parks, museums, etc., took subway, trams, trains, and buses. And I don't regret it for a moment - it's a wonderful backpack with not only great safety features, but also super comfortable straps to walk around in different weather conditions. Usually I put my Remarkable paper-like tablet and planner, snacks (apples, Cheerios/Golden fishes in small container, bagels, protein bars, water and cup of milk), extra diapers + wipes, shorts/pants, T-shirt, and sweater for the daughter, a thin sweater / cardigan for myself. A couple of times the bag was full of groceries, and I appreciated how the backpack sat on my shoulders and back. This backpack also unexpectedly served as a check-in bag when flying from Stockholm to Melbourne, and I was able to pack all the things we needed for the long flight.

Although I really like the classic Incase Icon backpack for conferences and working with a computer, a notebook, and few books in cafes or libraries, now that I have a…