Fashionable B100 Laptop Backpack from Pacsafe

With the Meshsafe B100 laptop backpack from Pacsafe, you can walk around town with the confidence that your valuables are secure.

I was just in Mexico City for 10 days and after having it drilled into my head that it was a dangerous city, I thought I should play it safe with the backpack holding my computer. I have a very small laptop from Fujitsu though, in a size that would now be called a netbook. So I don't need something really large like the Daysafe 200 (with removable "safe") that I reviewed this past summer.

This B100 is a lot slimmer and, I must say, quite a bit more striking. I fit right in with the hipsters at Condesa DF Hotel in Mexico City and with a glow strip on the side, the nutso drivers could see me crossing the street at night.

As with most Pacsafe products though, it's what's going on behind the scenes that sets them apart. Anybody can make a fashionable laptop bag, but can they make it slashproof, snatchproof, and tamperproof? No, I don't think so.

This laptop daypack really is all that, so you can waltz through a crowded market with no worries about someone slashing the bottom of your bag open. the heavy-duty zippers can be clamped shut with a hook. You can clip a hook to a piece of clothing for more security. Plus there's a cool outside pocket for your cell phone that has a hidden cinch strap under the flap. If someone just tries to yank the flap, they can't get to the phone. (This feature makes the strap look a little dorky because the phone is right by your head, but it's removable and at least this way you do hear the phone ring.)

It's not just tough fabric making the bag slashproof. There is stainless steel wire embedded in the shoulder straps and steel wire mesh between layers of fabric in the bag itself.

I also like the practical side of this bag. It has a squishy and comfortable handle on the top (which you can see in the top photo) so you can just carry the thing easily when your shoulder gets tired or you're carrying several bags. Plus when you set it on the ground, it sits there upright. It doesn't fall over. Two simple things, but they make your travel life much easier.

The Pacsafe B100 fits laptops up to 13 inches. It's got all the gizmo, gadget, and pen pockets you would expect, plus a zip-out water bottle holder on one side and an umbrella holder on the other. Its slim profile means you can't stuff it with five books and a wad of magazines. but you can easily fit in enough to get you through a couple flights or a day of sightseeing. See the full specs at the Pacsafe site.


Check prices for Pacsafe at laptop backpacks at eBags.com