Pacsafe was one of those products that made immediate sense to us. We met founders Rob Schlipper and Magnus McGlashan at their first Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City in 1998, when the backpack protector was still their only product.
The basic idea was simple: build the security into the bag instead of asking travelers to add locks, cables, and separate gadgets after the fact. Pacsafe put slash-resistant material, locking zippers, secure straps, and hidden storage directly into backpacks, sling bags, wallets, and portable safes.
We have watched Pacsafe grow from a specialty product for hardcore international travelers into a well-known travel brand. The products have changed over the years, but the original idea still holds up: make it harder for a thief to get into your bag or walk away with it.
Where Pacsafe Helps
Most travel theft is quick and opportunistic. A crowded train, busy airport, packed market, or distracted moment is often all it takes. Pacsafe gear does not replace common sense, but it adds useful protection where ordinary bags are easiest to open, cut, or grab.
For more general travel-safety ideas, see our Travel Tips Guide .
What Pacsafe Builds Into Its Gear
- Slash-resistant panels inside the fabric
- Cut-resistant anchor straps
- Lockable zipper systems
- Puncture-resistant zipper coils
- RFID-blocking pockets for passports and credit cards
- Hidden internal storage pockets
Pacsafe Product Categories
Pacsafe makes anti-theft backpacks, sling bags, wallets, document organizers, and portable safes. The line covers everything from a small sightseeing bag to a carry-on backpack for a longer trip.
- Anti-theft carry-on backpacks
- Crossbody and sling bags
- RFID-blocking wallets and passport holders
- Laptop backpacks
- Portable travel safes
- Secure daypacks
Recommended Pacsafe Products
- Pacsafe EXP28 Anti-Theft Carry-On Backpack →
- Pacsafe Vibe 325 Anti-Theft Sling Pack →
- Pacsafe RFIDsafe V150 Anti-Theft Passport Wallet →
- Pacsafe Travelsafe GII 5L Portable Travel Safe →
Who Pacsafe Is For
Pacsafe is worth a look for international travelers, solo travelers, cruise passengers, business travelers, and anyone carrying a passport, phone, tablet, laptop, or other valuables through crowded places.
Traveling with electronics also means keeping them charged. See our Electrical & Voltage Advice Guide before packing chargers and adapters.
Why Walkabout Still Highlights Pacsafe
We carried Pacsafe because it solved a real travel problem, and that is still why we highlight it today. It is practical gear with a clear purpose, not security theater.
After following the brand since 1998, we still see Pacsafe as one of the strongest names in anti-theft travel gear.
Blast from the Past: Walkabout and Pacsafe
Walkabout Travel Gear was there when Pacsafe introduced its original backpack protector.
Pacsafe founders Rob Schlipper and Magnus McGlashan introduced their original backpack protectors at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City in 1998. Walkabout had been founded in Salt Lake City and had only started attending the show the year before, so meeting them there was a lucky break for both young companies.
At the time, the backpack protector was their only product: a stainless-steel mesh cage that wrapped around a backpack or soft-sided bag and locked to a fixed object.
Walkabout was already selling travel gear online, and we became one of the first online retailers to carry Pacsafe. We may have been the first, but I have not found enough proof to claim that.
Those original backpack protectors came in several sizes, and Pacsafe still sells versions of them today alongside its anti-theft backpacks, sling bags, wallets, and portable safes.
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