Pacsafe Metrosafe 200 GII Shoulder Bag, Black

I like this bag a lot.Pros:1. Safety features. The strap is cut proof. It is a wide enough so as not to be uncomfortable. I wear it cross body as I like to be hands free. I like that I can attach the bag to a non moveable fixture if needed. I like that the bag is part slash proof. However I do wish they would have extended it through the WHOLE bag. Not just the bottom half. More on this in cons.2. Size. This bag is not too big or small. Its a good size on me. I am petite and I don't feel it overwhelms me. Plenty of room for what I carry with me with some room to spare. I can easily fit a 7 inch tablet inside the main compartment of this bag. however a 10 inch iPad is very snug and barely fits.3. Good quality. The bag feels sturdy, well made and it should last me for a good long time.4. Locking zippers. The zippers lock in place to keep pick pockets out. Or at least slow them down. :) The zippers on this bag seem well made and slide easily. They are heaver duty. Seems they will last.5. Good organization. Plenty of pockets in this bag. There are one on each side of the bag, that extend out with a snap, They fit a Dasani water bottle just fine. A little snug. But it works. However I would have preferred a zipper instead of a snap. Plenty of pockets elsewhere. I would have liked to see a mesh pocket in the main compartment, on the opposite side to where the pocket is as well. No Biggy.Cons:1. The slash proof does not go through the whole bag. If you are going to bother with that at all WHY stop half way up?? I hope the manufacturer takes note of this as I have seen many people ask this question. It may be true that most would cut the bottom of the bag but many do not. They will cut anywhere they can. Better safe than sorry. Should they redesign this I would by that one.2. There is a curve in the bottom of the bag in the front. This causes me to loose space in the inside of the bag. It also causes the bag not to stand upright on its own. Its always tipping over when I set it down. I have to be sure to lean it on something.3. The locking zippers can be a bit of a challenge to use. Especially the one on the side. If I were to have a water bottle or something else in the pocket it is difficult to access. The latch does not pull out. It stays in place. I would be easier if it would extend a little so to be more accessible.4. Style. This bag is shall we say almost ugly. I do wish they made them more stylish. Although I suppose that's kind of the idea. Make them to where they don't really stand out to much so as not to get every ones attention. HUMM. I suppose that could either be a pro or a con depending how one would look at it.5. Not very water proof.Overall I like this bag. I hope it last me a long time. Its a good quality bag that has some really nice features.

The Metrosafe 200 is large enough to fit my iPad, 3DS, compact camera, games, headphones, and battery chargers with no problems. I took this on a recent trip to a few of Southern California's theme parks. The bag performed very well - it was always comfortable, and I still had room in it to fit a few snacks and drinks I bought along the way.DesignThis bag is designed to carry tablets, point-and-shoot cameras, portable gaming consoles, and other small electronics (not laptops, or full sized DSLR cameras). While padding is minimal, it is enough to keep your devices protected. There are two main pockets - one for a tablet device, and a smaller pocket for smaller electronics. The smaller of the two pockets is further protected by a flap that is secured by a pair of Velcro pads along the sides. There is an additional zipper pocket that placed maps in as well. Along the sides, there are two pouches for water bottles.Build QualityOverall, the materials of the Metrosafe 200 are rugged and yet not overly rough. The stitching is strong and yet refined - no fraying of stitching can be seen anywhere. The zippers are designed into a interesting shape - so that gripping them is easier at almost any angle. The straps are hefty and give you confidence that even with a heavy load, they will be up to the task. The styling is purely utilitarian - so that it can pass for a good "man-purse."SecurityThis bag stands apart from other bags because it employs some unique security measures. First and foremost is that the zippers lock so that no one can open any of the pockets. One of the inside pockets is lined with RFID blocking material so that would-be-thieves can't scan your bank cards for information. There's even an anti-slash material around the straps and pockets to prevent someone from cutting into the bag.Airplane TravelIn addition to my 21" Carry On bag, I brought the Metrosafe 200 as my "personal bag" (also called "personal item" by the TSA) which is allowed to be stored underneath the seat in front of me. It is so slim it easily fit under the seat with more room to spare. During the flight, it was easily accessible because I could grab the strap and pull it up. I could easily access my electronic devices or have a quick snack.Walking aroundThe Metrosafe's strap is broad so that it won't dig into your shoulder like other bags. I do wish however, that there was some sort of strap-pad like some of the messenger bags I've used. If you fill this bag up, it can get heavy and any sort of padding would always help. Still, the bag was comfortable to wear as I walked around the various them parks I visited. One of features I've come to like is the two water bottle pouches at either side of the bag. I placed a 500ml water bottle in one of the pouches everytime we visited a theme park. It held that water bottle firmly and never did it slip out.Final thoughtsIf you need a small bag to hold your iPad and/or other electronics as you travel - the Metrosafe 200 is one of the best choices you can make. It's rugged, has security, easy to wear, has lots of pockets, and it easily fits under airplane seats.

Firstly a brief description of the bag.The bag has two main compartments. At the front under a velcro secured flap is the area to store your cards and cash. The flap is merely a cover for the compartment which has two zips to open and close it .Security is provided by attaching these zips to a clip rendering it pretty well impossible to pickpocket. If a thief attempts to slash the bag there is a slash proof mesh in the material so that if the bag is slashed the contents will not fall out. In this compartment there are pockets to hold cards and cash etc and one of these has been designed to protect cards and passports from devices that might steal personal information from the chips embedded in them.The second compartment is where you can store your other stuff . It opens from the top and is again protected by the zip/clip method and has ample space to take all the items mentioned below. On the back side of this compartment there is another zipped pocket . This does not appear to be as secure as the other pockets as the zip cannot be secured and I do not know if there is antislash mesh in this area.On the sides of the bag are two pockets designed for a collapsible umbrella or water bottle .There is a popper at the top of these which means they can be folded flat against the side of the bag when not in use. This is the only area that I have some concerns about. It is clear that these pockets are not intended to take valuable items but they are handy pockets and it is tempting to put things like glasses in them. However as the tops cannot be closed objects in them could and in my case did ,fall out.The bag is designed for over the shoulder use and the strap is fixed at one end and attached to a lockable swivel at the other. The strap is steel reinforced to prevent cutting and yet using the bag is comfortable.So why buy this bag ? Well not wishing to be robbed I have used a Pacsafe waist bag for many years ; for credit cards,cash, driving licence etc it is great and after 10 years + of use still in good condition. However my requirements have changed, life has become more complex and in common with most people I have a lot more "stuff" that I like to carry with me. Any old bag could be used but I wanted one that would provide a secure environment for all of my "stuff" [spare glasses, smart phone, tablet, GPS device etc ] whilst at the same time protecting my cards and cash . So when looking for such a bag I looked at Pacsafe again and this bag offered the solution. In addition it looks so smart that on seeing it my wife suggested I get one for her !

I bought the bag for going away on holiday. However, I have carried it ever since I bought it: not only is practical with plenty of space but it also looks smart. It is also light as the metal protection is cleverly integrated within the bag. I haven't yet tested the side-pockets for carrying water (I suspect the bottle will have to be little) but it easily takes a small, fold-away umbrella.I was advised to buy a Pacsafe bag from a fellow tourist on holiday in India. She never went abroad without her Pacsafe backpack after a very unpleasant encounter with a bag thief in Istanbul. He had slashed her bag from her shoulder, cutting her jaw in the process. With the metal strips in the very comfortable shoulder/body strap I feel confident that no thief will be able to take this bag away from me. The other safety devices also make it far more secure than usual bags.Having seen my bag and seen how smart it looks, someone else I know has since bought one - so the word is spreading.

The good - I bought this for some piece of mind when I was doing some international travel. Great to keep all the necessary stuff in a safe travel bag. I've bought a few items from Pacsafe and they all seem to be well made with reasonable security features. Not too heavy to carry all day.The less good - expensive, and there is a temptation to cram a lot of stuff into it. There are a couple of expandable pockets on either end which are too small for anything useful e.g. water bottle.Some travellers think that these security bags make you a bigger target to thieves and certainly won't stop you getting mugged. Should make life more awkward for casual pickpockets.

This is the second I've bought. The only fault I found with the first was due to misuse on my part. The front pocket is secured with a secured double zip fastener.- this is a very good idea for keeping valuable documents safe. I overfilled this section during months of heavy daily use and the zip fasteners broke.I bought a second bag because it is suitable as a 'manbag'. It has built in safety features and three separate sections for documents etc. it is weatherproof and the shoulder strap is adjustable. The only improvement I would be the addition of loops to allow the bag to be attached via a normal belt to the body.

I needed a bag that I could take with me when visiting places such a London or holidaying abroad where I could carry a few items that I might need and not have to worry about pickpockets. I was originally going to purchase the smaller 100 bag but after reading other reviews I decided to go for the larger 200.The bag is very well made with two wires running through the shoulder strap, this should prevent anyone from cutting the strap and running off with your bag. The main compartment of the bag has a wire mesh built into the material to stop someone slashing the bag with a knife to get to its contents.There is a compartment that you can put your passport or a small wallet in that is lined with a material to unable people to read the details of electronic chips if that have a hand held scanner. All of the main zips have secure fasteners and one end of the strap is detachable so that you can secure it to a table if you are having lunch. The bag is large enough to put my 7 inch tablet in with room for a camera, A-Z of London, an iPod (there is a hole in bag to allow you to thread your headphone cable through), keys and a variety of other that you might need.Well worth the money for peace of mind.