Make Your Travel Backpack Lockable Tip I have used many methods of the years to lock my backpack; however, I stumbled upon a way make a backpack lockable anywhere on the planet. In my estimation, this tip is needed by 99 percent of the travel backpackers on the planet.
This is the zipper slider you should be buying, this is called an YKK Hasp Slider, there is also a more normal type called a Padlock Slider.
However, when it finally hits you that you purchased a bag that is impossible to lock up, here is a simple solution you can do anywhere on the planet, while on your trip, all the parts are easy to purchase.
What you need? 1. Wire Ties 2. Tape, best is Duct Tape, but about any type would work. 3. Fingernail Clippers, Knife, or something to cut the wire ties.
This is what it looks like after you are finished.
Ok, you cannot stop a true criminal from cutting open your bag, or just stealing the bag. What is the goal of a locking backpack, it to remove the temptation theft by people who are walking by it. Whether the housekeeper, the taxi driver, or on some train in India while you are sleeping. Whatever the case, you do not want people to just open the bag and steal valuable items.
A wire tie cannot be broken easy; you make a small loop that will allow you to use a normal padlock. Then you tape the wire tie to keep the loop from becoming smaller.
For an even better explanation, watch this video on making locking backpacks.
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Note, Craig of Travelvice.com made a similar setup in the USA, and would also work, however not so easy to do anywhere on the planet.
The real solution is to buy a backpack with either padlock or hasp zipper slider pull. Do not buy a hiking backpack, to go traveling the planet, you are buying the wrong bag.
this is a great tip. my small bag was not lockable, my solution was to tie together the pull-chords attached to the zip sliders in many knots. Again, no match for a knife or even someone with a few minutes, but at least stops theft while the bag is on my back unless they slash it.Annoyingly, I had a couple cable ties and some duck tape with me, so I could have done this if I had thought to!
hi andy, still loving your regular and interesting scribbles..Just saying I disagree with your anti-hiking pack stance.. My hiking backpack has only one entrance which has a drawstring which is already premade for me to thread a padlock loop into and lock shut with no modifications.. The best lock for zippers Ive seen are the simple and cheap keyrings that protect against quick opportunists..Good luck with project windmill..Kris
I am not writing or talking about Hiking bags, other to say a person should buy locking backpacks, not bags with a lot of pockets on the outside.I know many many many people who have been robbed, I guess I want it to stop, silly robbery, just because they purchased a hiking bag to go travel.I used to use the key rings for many things, until one day I realized the ones outside the USA are often soft steel and very easy to bend.
