Travelon Anti Theft Active Backpack

Travelon Anti Theft Active Daypack Review

By Michael Andrews

The Travelon Anti Theft Active Daypack is a small yet feature packed backpack that is designed to significantly reduce the risk of your belongings being stolen or pickpocketed whilst you are travelling, but still be agile enough to be practical as a day to day travel exploration pack or a small carry on backpack.

As a backpack the Travelon Anti Theft Active Daypack works extremely well. Make no mistake this is a functional daypack first, anti theft pack second.The pack itself is 20 litres and is small enough to squash down and fit neatly inside my larger 45 litre pack under the stuff sacks and packing cubes when not needed, and large enough to pull out and carry everything you need for the day when it is needed.Essentially this is a great quality little day pack.

The roomy main compartment is large enough to carry anything you need around with you during the day, and even a spare change of clothes and your main valuables if you want to use it as a carry on.

It is supplemented by a standard front section with a hidden zippered pocket and an organisational sleeve inside, a further outside pocket at the front which is deep enough to fit a good folded up map inside, a small zippered pocket on one side perfect for any earphones or rolled up charger cables and a sleeve on the other side which I think is supposed to be for water bottles but to be honest when I tried to use it for my refillable bottle there was no way it was fitting in and I can’t see any other bottle doing so either, which I found a little strange.

The laptop sleeve fits any laptop up to the size of 15.68. It is internal to the main compartment and not in its own section which does mean it will be sharing space with whatever else you carry in there, but since this is a daypack and not a larger, dedicated laptop pack this is pretty forgivable. The sleeve itself is basic and is lined with a soft fleece material. I don’t know how much I would trust it to protect a laptop on it’s own as it is not that padded, but by using a separate laptop sleeve as well as the pack sleeve that should be more than adequate for everyday use.

The Travelon Active Daypack is comfortable enough to wear for long periods of exploring a new destination too, whether that is exploring a city or using it for a day hike to a jungle waterfall. Being only a 20 litre pack it generally feels lightweight anyway, but it also has a feel of solid quality to it as well, thanks in part to the thick, air mesh padding on the back and on the straps as well.

These actually work really well and are strategically placed to try and maximise the air flow between your back and the pack itself. When you are carrying any pack around in the tropics, every little bit helps! The straps themselves are the increasingly standard S shape which are far more comfortable than the straight straps some packs do still have, and just as importantly they are well padded too which is great if you are wearing it all day. There is also a sternum strap for stability if you are using this pack on a day hike, and a fixed strap across the back for attaching to standard wheeled luggage. Personally

I had no call to use this at all as I only travel with backpacks, but for those who like a wheeled suitcase for whatever reason, this just adds to the versatility of the pack.

The material of the Travelon Active Daypack is water resistant and the front zip has an extra waterproof barrier for a little extra security. This resistance held up really well when I got caught it a short but heavy downpour. The outside of the pack was definitely wet but my belongings stayed safe and dry inside. I honestly don’t think I would trust the resistance enough to test it with a serious soaking or a downpour over a long, sustained period – especially if I was carrying electronics inside – but with a couple of waterproof stuff sacks or even a waterproof backpack cover you shouldn’t have a problem.

This is where the Travelon brand shines, and where the Travelon Anti Theft Active Daypack really comes into its own.The pack itself has slash resistant mesh panels under the already tough material, which means thieves can’t use that age old trick of cutting the bottom of your pack open and grabbing whatever falls out.

The interior pocket has RFID blocking technology which makes it impossible for tech savvy thieves to swipe your personal details with a chip and pin scanner. Personally I wouldn’t keep my cards in the backpack anyway but it is still a good feature if you want to. All of the external zips have locking hardware, which means that when they are closed the zips themselves have a small caribiner style function which can attach to small D rings sown onto the pack, making it much more difficult for anyone to open the pockets without you noticing.

In short if you are looking for a good, small daypack to keep your valuables and necessities with you as you explore or even a smaller back up bag to your carry on only backpack, then this is a solid, comfortable and quality choice. The decent security and anti pickpocket features are an extra bonus that add extra layers of security to your own travel safety measures and reduce your risk of being robbed or pickpocketed.