menu facebook twitter instagram pinterest youtube search chevron-down chevron-up
Be My Travel Muse
  • About
    • About
    • Contact Me
    • Press
    • Work With Me
  • Blog
    • Archives
    • Best of BMTM
  • YouTube
  • Solo Female Travel
    • Bucket List
      • The 31 Cheapest Places to Travel in 2025
      • 31 BEST Places in the USA for Solo Female Travelers in 2025
      • 25 Unexpectedly Awesome Destinations for Solo Female Travelers
      • 25 Best Countries to Travel Alone for the First Time
      • 13 Perfect Weekend Trips for Solo Female Travelers in the USA
      • 10 Best Weekend Trips from Phoenix, Arizona
    • Resources
      • How to take the best travel selfies
      • 41 safety tips for solo female travelers
      • The ultimate solo female travel guide
      • Best group tours for solo female travelers
      • Why Every Woman Should Travel Alone
    • All solo female travel blogs
  • Be My Travel Muse
  • Tours
  • Destinations
    • USA
      • Hawaii
      • California
      • Nevada
      • Idaho
      • Arizona
      • Florida
      • Alaska
      • Utah
    • North America
      • Mexico
      • Costa Rica
      • Canada
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Philippines
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Aruba
      • Chile
      • The Galápagos
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
    • All Destinations
  • Trip Planning

The Best Anti-Theft Travel Purse

06/28/2017 by Kristin Addis 8 Comments

Almost everyone with a long history on the road has a story about how they’ve been pick pocketed while traveling.

Here’s mine: I was dancing in the street at a celebration in Berlin when I reached down and realized that my wallet and phone were gone.

I was shocked. I’d had my hand on the bag mere seconds prior, yet there I was, fumbling around in an empty purse. They were faster than my reaction time. That’s how good the pickpockets are in Europe.

Here’s the thing, I had broken my own rule. I hadn’t made it outright impossible to rob me like I normally do.

Often I carry a dummy wallet or don’t bring anything of value out except for a bit of cash, but most of the time I do want my phone and wallet with me.

I keep them safe by I making sure to lock the zippers of my purse, which has an RFID blocker to block credit card data scanners, and is lined with slash-proof material.

I’ve used Pacsafe bags since I started traveling in 2012. My first one was a blue Metrosafe bag that I carried my camera in, followed by a cranberry colored bag that came with me through Africa and Europe, and now a smaller, cherry-red cross body purse (that only costs $35, by the way). For five years of traveling, much of it in places where theft is common, it’s a wonder I’ve only had one pickpocketing incident.

The Best Anti-Theft Travel Purse
Wandering through Aix-en-Provence

Mistakes happen, and if you’re going to travel the world long-term, you already know that and have made peace with it, but it’s still a bummer when things go wrong.

Having a bag that does most of the thinking already for you can help mitigate mistakes like these. Here are a few things to consider:

Is it cross-body?

If a bag can be easily grabbed off of your shoulder as you walk, you’ll be a more attractive target than someone who is wearing a cross-body purse. If you walk with your bag on the side that faces away from the street and it’s a cross-body bag, that makes it a lot harder to rob you while driving by on a motorbike, or to swipe it while running by.

Can it be slashed?

It’s important that the straps and the material itself are strong enough that they’re tough to slash.

Bag thieves, especially in Vietnam and Cambodia, are known for targeting people carrying bags that appear to have a weak strap. They can drive by quickly and just slash it before you have a chance to react.

My bags always have wire running through the strap and are lined with Exomesh, which is in the material used in Pacsafe bags that makes it slash-proof.

Can I lock the zippers?

I have two kinds of locks on my bags. One is a loop that you slide the zipper through so that it’s impossible to open quickly, and one is a clip so that the zipper and the purse are connected. That means anyone trying to rob me needs a lot of time and with all that fidgeting, I’d notice.

Does it have RFID blocking technology?

Some thieves use scanners to steal credit card and even passport information. It’s easy for them to do – they need only bump into you, scan your wallet, and make off with your information. This happens worldwide, but is especially common in South America.

If your wallet and/or purse is equipped with a blocker, then they can’t scan your info, and you can blissfully go about your travels.

The Best Anti-Theft Travel Purse
This is my main purse in Europe

These days, particularly in Europe, I’m a lot more careful and always lock the zipper when I’m out and about. I don’t want a pickpocketing repeat.

I like that I can just wander and not worry about someone getting into my purse. In the words of Forest Gump, ‘it’s one less thing.’

Read Next: The Best Travel Purses for Women

*This post was brought to you in collaboration with Pacsafe, whom I’ve loved since the beginning. All thoughts are my own. 

Get the guidebook for solo female travelers!

About Kristin Addis

Kristin Addis is the founder and CEO of Be My Travel Muse, a resource for female travelers all around the world since 2012. She's traveled solo to over 65 countries and has brought over 150 women on her all-female adventure tours from Botswana to the Alaskan tundra.

« Koh Chang: The Perfect Thai Island For Solo Travelers
How do You Know Whether to Plan Ahead or Wing It? »

Hello There!

headshot

Welcome to Be My Travel Muse, one of the top female travel blogs in the world, welcoming over 5 million readers annually.

I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

Click here!

Get the Solo Female Travel Guidebook

Popular Posts

I am currently in:

The USA!

Check it out on Instagram Stories!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Allyson says

    06/29/2017 at 6:16 pm

    How perfect that you posted this just as I was looking to purchase a theft-proof bag! Thanks for all of the informative thoughts.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      07/04/2017 at 8:16 am

      Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Erica Lindeman says

    06/30/2017 at 2:12 am

    My mom recently bought a traveller bag as well for our trip to Italy this July. I made sure she knows how to lock the zippers together. Better safe than sorry.

    Reply
  3. Hans says

    06/30/2017 at 7:30 am

    I had one guy try and pickpocket me a while ago in South Africa … I reacted just fast enough to foil him, but you’re right, it happens so fast!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      07/04/2017 at 7:58 am

      Whoa often there it involves a knife so it’s good you didn’t get hurt!

      Reply
  4. Jean says

    07/01/2017 at 11:21 pm

    Oh this bag looks so cute. I’m in the market for a new one before heading off ot Sth America. Perfect timing~

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      07/04/2017 at 7:53 am

      I love the color 🙂

      Reply
  5. Denise Semrow says

    09/17/2023 at 8:46 am

    Hi I am newly widow and want very much to travel. You blog has been an inspiration.
    Thank you so much
    Denise

    Reply

Stay Connected

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Archives
  • Privacy Policy and Disclaimer

© 2025 · Be My Travel Muse. All Rights Reserved

footer-icon