Medium Cafe Bag Question

[Frank II]

I sometimes travel in places where pickpockets are known to frequent. I like the medium cafe bag with the buckle flap...however...I wonder...how easy would it be to stick a hand, a small one, into the bag even though the flap is secure? I'm kind of concerned that the main compartment doesn't zipper close and a thief could stick his hand in and take my cellphone, PDA, etc.

Since I can't actually try one, I'm hoping forum members who have this bag can help.

Thanks.

[peregrina]

I would simply have the bag hanging more towards the front of your body. I don't think it would be so easy to do that - it would be easier to simply cut your bag (as I've seen happen).

I lived a year in Barcelona, where there are lots of pickpockets, and always had bags in the same style as the cafe bag and would often not bother closing the zipper inside as long as the flap could be securely fastened. I think the important thing is to have it across your body and hanging more on the front of your body.

There is a compartment on the front with a zipper, by the way. You could put your cellphone, PDA in there and fasten a TB wallet or some bag like that to the inside hoops...

[SethKinast]

There would be no way to get a hand in and into the phone / PDA pockets without you feeling something. The space left after the flap is fastened is too small. There isn't a gap on the side where it would be possible to reach in.

(I have a Large Café, not a Medium, but I assume they are similar.)

[backpack]

I have a Large and Small Cafe Bag

In crowded areas, airports or other mass transit places, I carry them in front of me.


My successive cellphones have always been housed in a Cork Pouch attached by a lanyard to one of the O rings.
(I still use the pouch and have the phones)

I have cheap pens, a small box of band-aids and a pack of tissues in the small pockets.

Everything else is inside Tom Bihn Pouches, impossible to get to and unzip without me noticing.

Tom Bihn straps are made of seatbelts straps fabric of the best quality so you know that a thief knife is not going to cut them.


For added protection inside the Large Cafe Bag, I bough large C clips for the O rings on either side of the main compartment.
And used key rings and TB Key Straps to secure all of my pouches to either the right or left C clip/O ring pair.


Now, Tom Bihn makes Annex Clips, those are supper strength C clips. If your thread key rings or even better binder rings into those clips you can clip your keys on a Tom Bihn 18" Key Strap and 3 Pouches and one side and 4 Pouches on the other side.

Below is the Key Strap link. Click on all 3 pictures and you will see what I mean.
http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/PROD/ACC/TB0513

And a most informative video by Medium Cafe Bag owner, maverick
http://forums.tombihn.com/showthread.php?t=1728