How to Protect Your Backpack From Pickpockets Whilst Travelling

When you're excited about exploring a new place, it's easy to let your guard down. That's exactly what pickpockets and other opportunistic thieves are counting on. You'll find them everywhere, from airports and train stations to popular tourist attractions, waiting for the right moment to target distracted travellers.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to protect your backpack from pickpockets with practical tips you can use throughout your trip. Start by choosing a secure backpack before you leave. Then learn how to keep your belongings safe in crowded public places, helping you travel with greater confidence.

Learn how to make your bag pickpocket proof.

The Risk of Pickpocketing When Travelling to Major Cities

Before our first trip to Europe, nearly everyone gave us the same advice: "Be careful, or you'll get pickpocketed." At first, it sounded like one of those warnings every traveller hears before visiting a new place. But the reality is more nuanced.

Pickpocketing is rarely about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. More often, it happens during ordinary moments when your attention is somewhere else.

VA, our Production Merchandiser, had her belongings taken from an outer pocket of her jumper whilst travelling in Rome.

Several of our friends and families also have similar stories. One even had their purse snatched away from thieves running a mororbike passing by. Anyone can be caught off guard, and small details in how we carry our belongings can make a difference.

How to Protect Your Backpack From Pickpockets

Looking back, VA’s advice is simple: “Don’t make it easy.” The more effort it takes to access your valuables, the less attractive your bag becomes to someone looking for a quick opportunity.

When it comes to protecting your backpack from petty thieves, we've found that the right backpack and a few smart travel habits can make a huge difference. The idea isn't to make your bag impossible to steal. It's simply to make it a much less tempting target.

Choosing A Pickpocket-Resistant Backpack

When choosing a travel backpack, security is not about finding a bag that makes theft impossible. No backpack can completely remove risk. The goal is to choose one that helps protect your belongings by making quick access more difficult.

If you're wondering how to protect your backpack from theft, choosing the right backpack is one of the best places to start.

• A reliable travel backpack keeps the main compartment close to your back, with zip openings that aren't easy to reach whilst you're wearing it.

• Internal compartments and zipped pockets also give you a better place to organise important items like passports, wallets and travel documents.

• Lockable zips are another feature we always recommend, especially if you're travelling through busy cities.

• Some backpacks also include RFID-blocking pockets for passports and bank cards.

Secure Your Zippers

A simple lock can bring so much peace of mind.

If you've ever asked yourself how to make a secure backpack without buying a new one, start with the zippers.

Most pickpockets aren't looking for a challenge. They're looking for a bag they can open in seconds without being noticed. That's why it's a good idea to add one small obstacle between them and your valuables.

When we're flying, we usually secure the main compartment with a small TSA-approved luggage lock. 

They are more durable than a simple safety pin or a mini carabiner. Plus, the authorisation can open the lock without damaging the lock itself.

Be Mindful of Your Surroundings

A big part of how to protect your backpack from pickpockets is simply paying attention to what’s happening around you.

One thing we've picked up from travelling is that pickpockets rarely look the way you'd expect. They could be a well-dressed office worker, an elderly person with a walking stick, or even a group of children running around. Some work alone, whilst others work together. The point is, there's no single "pickpocket look", so try not to judge people by appearances.

Instead, get into the habit of noticing the people nearby. We always pay a little more attention when we're on a train, walking through a busy market, or using a cash machine.

If someone suddenly stands a bit too close, tries to cut into the line, or starts asking questions for no obvious reason, it's worth taking a second look. Most of the time it's nothing, but staying aware never hurts.

Use the Lost & Found ID Tag

When people think about how to get a secure backpack, they often focus on locks and hidden zips.

But there's another feature that's just as reassuring: a Lost & Found ID tag. No matter how organised you are, it only takes a moment to leave a backpack behind, whether it's hanging on the back of a café chair, sitting beside you at the airport, or tucked into an overhead rack as you're rushing off a train.

A Lost & Found ID tag won't stop that from happening, but it gives anyone who finds your backpack a simple way to help it come back to you.

Every CabinZero backpack comes with a unique ID tag. Once you register it through OKOBAN or TSID, the tag is securely linked to your contact details.

If someone finds your backpack, they can enter the unique ID online, and the system will let you know where it has been found without revealing any of your personal information.

Protect Your Backpack Before and During Your Flight

Store your valuables close to your body.

Knowing how to protect your backpack when flying starts before you even arrive at the airport. Whenever we can, we travel with just one carry-on backpack. We've found it gives us one less thing to worry about. There's no waiting at the baggage carousel, no checked baggage fees, and everything we need stays with us throughout the journey.

For smaller essentials that you need to reach often, a crossbody or shoulder bag can be a useful companion. Keeping your passport, phone, wallet or travel documents within sight means you do not need to repeatedly open your main backpack in crowded areas.

The key is to find a balance. Your backpack can carry the bulk of your travel gear, whilst a smaller bag keeps your everyday essentials organised and easy to access. When moving through busy airports or boarding a flight, having everything in its place helps you spend less time searching and more time enjoying the journey.

Backpack Habits to Avoid When Travelling

Mastering how to keep your backpack safe when travelling isn't just about buying anti-theft gear. The little habits you pick up along the way matter just as much. Here are a few mistakes we've learnt to avoid whenever we travel.

• Wearing your backpack on your back in crowded places. On a packed bus, in a lift, at a local market, or even on the back of a motorbike, your backpack is completely out of your sight. If you're walking through a crowd, wear it on your front instead. It might feel a little unusual at first, but you'll always know exactly where your belongings are.

• Leaving your backpack unattended. It might seem harmless to leave your backpack on a chair whilst you grab a coffee or use the toilet, but we'd never recommend it. It only takes a few seconds for a backpack to disappear.

• Storing your valuables in outside pockets. Your passport, wallet, phone, and bank cards are much safer inside your backpack, ideally in a hidden compartment that's harder to reach. It's a small change, but it's an essential part of protecting your backpack from theft.

• Packing more than you really need. Travelling light solves more problems than you might expect. The less you carry, the easier it is to keep your backpack close and the less chance there is of leaving it behind when you're hurrying for a train or bus.

• Drawing attention with expensive items. A luxury watch, designer sunglasses, or costly jewellery might be part of your everyday style, but they can also attract the wrong kind of attention when you're out and about. We usually leave anything we'd hate to lose at home and keep things as simple as possible.

• Spending your whole walk looking at your phone. We've all been guilty of this. It's tempting to check directions or post a quick photo whilst you're exploring a new city, but that's often when you stop staying aware of your surroundings. Whenever you can, put your phone away and enjoy the place you're visiting instead. 

Always keep a close eye on your backpack.

Conclusion

We hope this guide has given you a few useful ideas on how to protect your backpack from pickpockets. Even if it does occur, don't be too hard on yourself. Even experienced travellers get caught out from time to time. In many cases, it's not about being careless. A backpack with easy-to-open zips or exposed pockets simply gives skilled thieves an effortless opportunity.

The truth is, choosing the right bag, picking up a few smart habits, and paying a little more attention to what's going on around you can go a long way towards keeping your belongings safe.

That's also how we think about designing every CabinZero backpack. We like to keep things simple, with lightweight carry-on-friendly designs, durable materials, and a built-in Lost & Found ID tag that can come in handy if your bag ever goes missing. They're small details, but they can make travelling feel a lot more relaxed.

Quyen Pham