Securing expensive luggage when unattended
 

Hi All

My first post. I am planning a motorbike trip all the way around Australia. I have 2 smallish hard panniers and a top box. I have bought a pretty expensive Hilleberg tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat, none of which will go in the hard luggage. I was considering getting an Ortlieb Rack Pack to put these items in. The plan was to get a small daypack (35 litres) to use when off the bike.

However, it probably isn't a good idea to leave a couple of thousand dollars worth of kit in a soft bag, unattended on the bike. Do any experienced overlanders have suggestions of how to deal with this issue? ?strap down Rack Pack with steelcore straps (but ?could bag still be slid out, and I guess cut into). Or perhaps leave the bag with hopefully trustworthy! shopkeepers etc for a few hours each time I go exploring off the bike?

An alternative might be to buy an Ortlieb X-Tremer XL, which can be carried like a rucksack, and not get a day pack at all. I'd then just take the tent and sleeping stuff with me whenever I leave the bike. Does anyone have any experience with this type of dry bag.

Thanks for any advice.

Do a search in here (use the box at the top of the page, right hand side) for the terms "pac safe" or "pac-safe".

There will be your salvation.

:welcome: is appropriate now that you have posted!

I've used a PacSafe mesh bag in this exact situation (including the Hilleberg!). It's awkward, but entirely workable. Of course the best answer is to drastically cut the amount of stuff you're hauling, but still....

Beware: the PacSafe will fit lots more than your camping kit. That might make it handy for the times when you use it to store riding jacket, pants and boots while strolling around town, but it'll also tempt you to stuff it more and more into it while touring. That makes for awkward packing and unpacking, with a high center of gravity and none of the advantages of your small panniers. Sometimes it's best to provide secure, hard-sided storage for that $1k Swedish tent.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

You don't want to be lugging your gear about the place. Pacsafe wire mesh advertises there is something worth taking. Hard luggage is easy to break into. Just throw your gear in a rack pack, leave it covered in mud and you'll hopefully be fine. If you are really worried give one of the local kids who invariably show up a few dollars and tell them to guard the bike.

Be more worried about someone robbing your actual bike.

I used ortlieb panniers and pack with no problems. Until I got to the UK and my bike was robbed. With my gear on it.

In my opinion, humble as ever, no thief needs to see a PacSafe bag to gather that you've got something worth stealing; the bike and baggage themselves advertise that much rather loudly.

I've had minor stuff stolen off my bike when not locked in hard panniers or within the pacsafe. But I've never had anyone test my flimsy little locks or cables--not even once, including all the places you hear about where thieves run rampant. Pointing out that the bike itself is easily stolen somewhat misses the point.

I'll add only that discussions on this topic are frequent, often extensive, and sometimes contentious. A site search will turn up more opinions--informed and otherwise--than you'll know what to do with.

Safe journeys!

Mark

And I thought we had outgrown the 'criminal' tag 200 years ago doh silly me:rofl:
Unless you are in the city, very few people would even give your gear a 2nd look in Aus :thumbup1:
Seriously, backpackers are the enemy when it comes to camp gear going missing in camp sites in the remote areas :mad2:

Thanks for all the advice. I like the look of the Pacsafe options. I may opt for the Stuffsafe, or a mesh over an Ortlieb Rack back.

Don't forget the "hide it" options. Bin liner or ex-army canoe sack over the huge dayglo fabric, massively logo'd, price tagged manufacturers bag may convince people to just keep walking by.

When you get to Australia and customs ask if you have a criminal record, be sure to inform them that you didn't think one was still required to be allowed in. They've never heard that one before and will think it massively funny :blushing:

Andy

Take the hide it option one step further- just get a bike cover (just a cheap one off eBay as the rule of thumb seems to be the cheaper they are, the thinner they are, and hence the easier they're to pack)

Sent from my GT-P3110 using Tapatalk

Once you have done a few outback miles on our dusty roads .. anyone who touches it will be marked by the red dust. Most people won't bother due to the dirty motorcycle image. I wash my bike before I do a service or change a tyre. On a trip - leave it dirty.

Your theft worries are when you go shopping in a larger place.. say 3 or more pubs. Smaller places will know who stole it .. if they are a local.

The camping gear is not too much of a worry .. mark it with your name and phone number (cell phone). The things you really want to keep safe are your photos and notes. You cannot replace them no matter how much money/insurance you have.

Small valuables in pacsafe bag, large gear encased in Pacsafe mesh and hide the lot under a cover

In Australia. Noone will even look at your kit. Don't go experience site or Heavy!

Oops. Don't go expensive or heavy.

This is exactly the reason why I love my 10 Dollars tent and 2 Dollars sleeping bag from the flee marked :)

If someone really wants something they are going to get it no matter how hard you try, infact the harder you make it the more mess they will probably make.

ditto the above for small locks etc that will put a casual theif off, any more and they are probably just taking the whole bike.

I've left snowboards and bags with shops and campsites etc, my board I left for a month in Wanaka and it was still there when I returned.

If I go for a long hike and want to ditch some gear ask the friendly shop keeper where you stock up for food before the hike.

If asked most people will help.

I don't think you'll have any bother, enjoy your trip.

a cheap cable lock through a wheel stops people pushing the bike away, I drilled a hole through the stand mount so that when the stand is down i just secure it in place with a cheap padlock. (just remember to undo the lock!!!! before you turn left) as well as security from theft etc it also gave me piece of mind when on ships etc

Seriously, I never leave my bike unattended.
In Marocco there is a whole "guard industry" :clap:
For pennies your bike is guarded honestly.
The real problem are the items people can grab while passing.
so the first thing for me is not to give any offer to steal.
No cups, tools or anything attached openly to my bike.
Klaus warned us about some buggars near Olgi, they where stealing what was easily accesible, Leatherman from the side pocket of the tankbag i.e. would be a nogo for me to stash valuable things I still need.

My ride is over 30 years old, I don´t clean iton travels if not necessary.
When having a break for dinner my bike is in sight.

I ride softbags (Enduristan saddle bags, packroll, and tankbag.
In my opinion you would need more time to cut and fuddle for the content.
In those bags there are only things which aren´t that important. If my 800$ tent will be stolen, I´ll sleep in a cheap one from then on.
But I have a big top case-like Peli case. It´s attached by thick steel wire and padlocks (keyless). The PeliCase itself is locked with padlocks too.
Everything valuable is in there and well locked (i.e. electronic equipement, Carnet de Passage, some 300 €, spare keys, data storage with pichtures of all my documents. Sensitive data such as PINs, Passwords etc are coded (just a reminder what was the Password or PIN as ajpg pichture, so it can´t be picked by trojans and even if stolen, noone can understand whats meant.

And the bike ist locked with a 2m steel cable and massive padlock with number code.

There are 3 rules for me:

- don´t give any motivition to steal by showing fancy stuff on yur bike. The bike and equipement is as dirty as it comes...

-all valuables in the locked Top Case

-never leave the packed and `ready for ride bike` unattended. and lock it to something well fixed to the ground.

Never had any issues.

Some guides/comments

If you cannot afford to loose it, don't take it.

If you put a packsafe mesh on the outside - it says .. here is where my valuables are. A packsafe on the inside of the soft bags?

If there are 3 or less pubs in a town .. fairly safe as everyone knows everyone.

A dirty old bike cover is good ... anyone getting it off will get dirty.

Put your name and licence number on things .. if the cops find them and spot that, they can find you.

The pacsafe 90l goes nicely around a big roll bag, most effective way of securing one in my book. If you are concerned about the mesh bag being a big 'my contents are valuable' flag then throw a bike cover over - best of both worlds.