Pacsafe Backpack – Review

I started my indefinite trip about eight months ago in the newly-formed constitutional democracy of Nepal. I met a ton of great people there, a lot of which had gone on a long world trip themselves and had picked Nepal as their last destination before heading home.

Seeing me all wide-eyed and innocent, prompted even the most jaded among them to give me well-meant travel advice and no longer needed travel items. Most of the items they bestowed upon me have proven invaluable. I was handed a universal electrical plug, duct tape, macaroni and a travel clothes-line, all of which have come in handy at some point during my travels. There is one item however, that turned out to be as useless for me as it was for its previous owner. Let’s stare that gift horse straight in the mouth and talk about the pointless travel gadget Pacsafe Exomesh.

Weighing a whopping 1.2 kilo and being quite bulky to boot this wire mesh is not worth its weight.

This is how it works: if you ever find yourself in a situation when you are not able (or willing) to take your backpack you simply pull this stainless steel net over it. You then chain it to a pole somewhere and wander off, without having to worry about your pack being stolen.

It works great in theory. In reality however, potential thieves would still be able to get into your bag and get out the items that fit through the mesh. As the holes are pretty big the only items they wouldn’t be able to get out of my backpack are my hiking boots. Sure, I’ve stopped a burglar from easily taking my pack, but I still wouldn’t happily leave my bag out of sight, even if I had the Exomesh net. If the hypothetical robber happens to own a pair of wire-cutters all I’d find at the scene of the crime is the remains of my “strong, lightweight, flexible, high-tensile, stainless steel, slash proof Exomesh”.

As most places you will stay at will have lockers or someone willing to watch your pack, you will never use this travel gadget. A backpacker’s pack is his life, everything you own in the world is in there. Even locked behind a safe locker I still worry about my pack. I would never chain it to a pole anywhere I wouldn’t be able to see it, let alone wander off without it.

The weird thing is I still find myself strangely drawn to it. Even after eight months of it sitting uselessly in my pack I still believe there might come a time when this thing will prove its worth. It has become a matter of pride now; I refuse to accept that I’ve been burdened by this deadweight for nothing.

It literally has already been dragged around the world once already by a lovely Dutch traveler who never used it. She donated it to me and I am dragging it back around the world again in the opposite direction.

The exomesh is too bulky, too heavy and too useless, but I can’t get myself to discard it. So heed my warning, traveler; do not take the Pacsafe Exomesh, it is not worth its weight.

Review by Bob Sass wh0 is living the dream; travelling, filming and writing around the world. He shares his love for travel by writing various blogs about his adventures abroad.

Have a different opinion about the Pacsafe Exomesh? Please let us know or check it out at Amazon.