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16 Aug 2011
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Soft Luggage Security ?
Hi
Looking at getting some Wolfman soft luggage for a forthcoming trip to Africa  . I've never travelled with soft luggage before, any tips or advice on how to prevent them or their contents getting stolen ?
Thanks very much 
Neil
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16 Aug 2011
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I think that most people are using a one or more of either a Pacsafe, Lockstrap or something like a Dowco cover alarm.
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16 Aug 2011
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You don't need to... Really !!!!
They're no more vulnerable than those tin cans people dote on..
BUT !! You do need some secure luggage...
Keep your REALLY valuable stuff in a tank bag which follows you everywhere. I have the wolfman trail bag which I keep my camera, papers, Ipod, torch etc.
Your passport and wallet should never be anywhere but next to your chest in a waterproof pouch/bag.
No doubt you will have a waterproof ortlieb type roll bag on the back too. Here you keep your tools, spares and camping equipment in. This is what you keep in a pacsafe as you don't need to get in and out of it very often.
With your soft-bags, only keep stuff in that nobody really wants to steal or that you can cheaply replace. We're talking about clothes, underwear, food, books.
In South America and Africa, I never had anyone even try to nick anything out of my soft-bags nor do I know anyone who has. It's actually very rare that you will leave your bike unattended and loaded up anyway.
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16 Aug 2011
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[QUOTE=*Touring Ted*;345954]
No doubt you will have a waterproof ortlieb type roll bag on the back too. Here you keep your tools, spares and camping equipment in. This is what you keep in a pacsafe as you don't need to get in and out of it very often.
/QUOTE]
but dude.... camping equipment is used every night - well for me 85 nights out of a 100 so that don't work. 
suppose its ok for the credit card brigade 
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16 Aug 2011
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[QUOTE=bugsy;345958]
Quote:
Originally Posted by *Touring Ted*
No doubt you will have a waterproof ortlieb type roll bag on the back too. Here you keep your tools, spares and camping equipment in. This is what you keep in a pacsafe as you don't need to get in and out of it very often.
/QUOTE]
but dude.... camping equipment is used every night - well for me 85 nights out of a 100 so that don't work.
suppose its ok for the credit card brigade |
Well me too.. But by "not very often" I meant once a day.
It's no big deal unpacking your roll bag every night because you'l be throwing it in your tent anyway. (the Ortlieb rack packs are the best btw).. Opening up a pacsafe and ortielb combo just to get your camera is a very different different story.
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16 Aug 2011
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I've never had any security problems with soft luggage in Europe. Tankbag & throwover panniers. I don't put anything of value in them but it wouldn't have mattered if I had. As Ted says keep your wallet & passport (I keep vehicle docs as well) about you in a pocket.
The only theft attempt I've had was a trashed lock on my topbox in Paris, hotel night man chased them away but hard luggage with no lock is a real pain in the arse. Bungeed it up to keep it on the bike. Hard luggage isn't necessarily that secure
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16 Aug 2011
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Im still researching for my first trip but having read lots of posts over the last 12 months or so the general consensus is that generally the level of theft from the bike on a long trip is so rare that wether you have hard or soft luggage makes no real difference. Unless perhaps in your own head you feel more secure with hard luggage.
I have had read lots of posts where people have had relatively minor falls and trashed their expensive hard luggage.
The other advantage of soft is that they may be safer for the legs in a crash.
At this stage having read lots of posts, I'm leaning towards soft.
just dont leave anything you cant afford to loose in your panniers, hard or soft.
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17 Aug 2011
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For years now I've used the Kriega soft luggage system. I have 3 bags on the tail of the bike (totalling 40 litres, but it can be up to 70 litres), a 5 to 20 litre tank bag and a 15 litre rucksack for water and my laptop. I leave this on the bike always. All through Europe, all around the UK. No issues so far.
Not only is it waterproof, very easy to unpack and versatile (as all the bags can easily be swapped for different sizes) but it looks too complex to steal. It's all strapped to the subframe and easy to release if you know how, but it looks complex and can't just be lifted off. The rucksack is just left on the seat usually though and since I'm within sight of the bike at all times, no one has even had a look.
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17 Aug 2011
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Ironically I had my tank bag stolen while on the bike in traffic just near where the picture of the car in this thread was taken in Esfahan, Iran! But there were warnings that I just didn't pickup on.
I road with soft panniers (had things in there that didn't matter if they got stolen) and a locked old top box for more important things. I would definitely do the same again (just attach my tank bag in a better way!!!) I used smaller lightweight waterproof bags to put my stuff in soft bags so just grabbed what I needed for the night from my bike and put an old cover over the rest. No problems at all but I was also in countries that I think are relatively low risk.
Cheers
Adastra
Ride Pray Laugh....... the not so MiddleEast Adventures (now)
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17 Aug 2011
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That's something I hadn't considered, but it is another reason why magnetic tank bags aren't a good idea. Top tip for soft luggage: Kriega packs are waterproof already, but take liners anyway to separate stuff.
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17 Aug 2011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adastra
Ironically I had my tank bag stolen while on the bike in traffic just near where the picture of the car in this thread was taken in Esfahan, Iran! But there were warnings that I just didn't pickup on.
I road with soft panniers (had things in there that didn't matter if they got stolen) and a locked old top box for more important things. I would definitely do the same again (just attach my tank bag in a better way!!!) I used smaller lightweight waterproof bags to put my stuff in soft bags so just grabbed what I needed for the night from my bike and put an old cover over the rest. No problems at all but I was also in countries that I think are relatively low risk.
Cheers
Adastra
Ride Pray Laugh....... the not so MiddleEast Adventures (now)
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Sorry to hear that. Iran is in general an extremely safe country, although bad luck may happen to all of us. We actually "adopted" one British guy who got robbed (knife at hand at 4am in Tehran; passport, cash, Ipod, etc) so he could save a bunch in transport and others. Very rare case, though. Hope you enjoyed it anyway (and still have nice souvenir of Esfahan).
Pacsafe had a tankbag with a steel cable lockable to the front.
Quote:
Originally Posted by houltmac
Not only is it waterproof, very easy to unpack and versatile (as all the bags can easily be swapped for different sizes) but it looks too complex to steal.
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Don't count on that complexness in Spanish cities on the Mediterranean coast, I am sorry/ashamed to say  . In my hometown, Seville, they may last less than 5 min unattended (not exaggerating); we locals get robbed as well! Your Kriegas, they may look fancier, nice looking, so straps cut (no more complexness); and when profis show up, your lock nicely opened overnight in the place of your bike meaning "find something more difficult to open, pls". Sad to say: always attach to a solid anchor, vans are big enough for bikes sometimes... 
Anywhere else (where robbery is not fierce), as Ted said: crap looking (and some common sense) is a great "deterrent".
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14 Feb 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by estebangc
Sorry to hear that. Iran is in general an extremely safe country, although bad luck may happen to all of us. We actually "adopted" one British guy who got robbed (knife at hand at 4am in Tehran; passport, cash, Ipod, etc) so he could save a bunch in transport and others. Very rare case, though. Hope you enjoyed it anyway (and still have nice souvenir of Esfahan).
Pacsafe had a tankbag with a steel cable lockable to the front.
Don't count on that complexness in Spanish cities on the Mediterranean coast, I am sorry/ashamed to say . In my hometown, Seville, they may last less than 5 min unattended (not exaggerating); we locals get robbed as well! Your Kriegas, they may look fancier, nice looking, so straps cut (no more complexness); and when profis show up, your lock nicely opened overnight in the place of your bike meaning "find something more difficult to open, pls". Sad to say: always attach to a solid anchor, vans are big enough for bikes sometimes...
Anywhere else (where robbery is not fierce), as Ted said: crap looking (and some common sense) is a great "deterrent". |
I also was rubbed in Iran ( pasdaran???) and I had a nasty experience with the police when reporting the rubbery. i still dont understand why there is so much effort in saying tha Iran is safe whe it is clearly not ( you just can check in the foro people that has been rubbed ) rgs
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14 Feb 2015
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I actually sent back my pacsafe from Iran because it was just a PITA and of no use at all...
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16 Feb 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AntonioVdE
I actually sent back my pacsafe from Iran because it was just a PITA and of no use at all...
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Pacsafes are like that. They can be a pain if you use them all day, everyday.
But when you need one. You need one !
I suppose it depends on your trip. If you're staying in communal dorms or you're in a situation where you have to leave valuable luggage around then they are great. And I've used mine A LOT when backpacking in rougher places. They're also great if you're leaving luggage in storage while doing day trips or stashing your gear in the back room of a dubious hotel.
If you're camping, staying in hotels or travelling in a group where you usually have someone to watch over your bike/stuff, then I agree that they are more of a hindrance than help.
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29 Jun 2015
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Wanted to start a new thread but it seems this one will fit 
I'm contemplating whether to get pacsafes to lock the camping gear on the bike. I have hard cases and then couple of drybags strapped on top of each of them with nothing but camping gear. Now getting pacsafe mesh for both of them is not cheap, so I'm wondering whats the common wisdom, should I bother? It just looks so appealing to steal as you only need to undo 2 straps and thats it. Maybe there are other (cheaper) options in my case?
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