Lockable / Securable backpacks?

[swbluto]

Hello, I have a comfortable backpack that I use to carry a battery in but it's a pain in the butt to take inside the store and walking around with 12 pounds of cargo, plus it makes me feel like a second class citizen whom the staff seem to always suspect of theft. The solution is simple right? Lock it to the vehicle! But, being a regular backpack, it doesn't really seem 'lockable' due to the zippers and stuff.

What does anyone do about this?

Oh wait, I think I remembered, someone had the idea of using a metal net that you put around the bag and lock down. So, if someone really wanted access to the bag, they'd have to cut through the metal net. Now I have to find portable metal nets... I'm not sure if they're that portable.

I was also kind of wondering if there were any "lockable" backpacks out there?

 

[amberwolf]

I have seen a number of them in thrift stores. Most are more like those rolling luggage cases in design, but without wheels or carry handle (just regular backpack straps), so that you can't just rip it open at the seams to get into it, it takes a tiny bit more work. But since a knife or razor blade will open any cloth bag in less than a second, it doesn't really matter if you have a lock on it or not.

You could alter one to make it more lockable, by replacing the cardboard inserts with thin aluminum, and then at least a knife wouldn't cut thru as easily, since they'd hit the metal when slashing it and maybe be thwarted by thinking that the whole thing is reinforced that way. But they might also think "hey, what's in this metal box inside the bag?" and go to town on it. :lol:

 

[REdiculous]

Around here your backpack has to be left just inside the door of most stores..I figure the cameras inside should be enough deterrent 99% of the time and I've never known someone to lose a bag.

Lockable backpack..hmm...

 

[swbluto]

Hey, that sounds like a good idea. I could just secure the valuables (The battery, mainly) inside their own container inside the backpack, like putting the battery inside a securable "box", and then lock to the box and the backpack up. That way if the backpack is breached (easy task, really), it won't matter because then the box also has to be breached. And I'll lock the backpack up such that cutting through the backpack in order to take it would render the backpack valueless.

I don't know if my pelican case is inherently securable though; the plastic handle seems like the obvious thing to lock to, but I'd imagine the plastic handle is easily breakable if desired.

I was looking at the wire mesh made by pacsafe that's collapsible and portable. Here's a link.

http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&_action=detail&id=50

It seems like a good idea, but they say it "takes a few minutes" to secure a bag. Uhhhh... what? I'm not going to spend minutes securing a bag. So I looked into the possibility of leaving it on and it seems there's a few that do that and I think I could get casual access to the charging and discharge connects doing that. But it also seems like it could also be a pain to work with.

I was wondering if there was a "secure collapsible" bag that one could easily tote around? Like a lock bag that I could pull out and put my backpack in and then lock the lock bag to something.


EDIT: I'm looking at my pelican and it appears there's holes for locking the case, but not necessarily for locking the case to a fixture. I'm wondering if I could get a small padlock and then loop the "big lock" through the small padlock and that'd be a way to secure the pelican case to a fixture? Obviously, the small padlock would be the weak link but I'm not planning on encountering "real thieves" since I'm only in the store for a few minutes, so I think it would work. Now I just need to find a good padlock. Those youtube videos of defeating master locks and padlocks using modified soda cans and pen caps make me a little wary.

Where else but to look for padlock recommendations from a lockpicking forum? hehe.. http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=31157

It appears they recommend ABUS padlocks.