Locking the old-style Western Flyer (with cord pulls, not zipper taps)

[callida]

Hello All

I bought my Western Flyer a few months ago, just before the current model was released. I plan to take it - and it only - on a six week trip to Europe. Wish me luck!

I did some pretty careful research before buying it, but still didn't realise that at that time it came with cord pulls rather than metal zipper tabs. I bought a lock with a thin cable (this one:http://www.paddypallin.com.au/defaul...=641&Group=408) which I thought would fit through the two sliders (or whatever one calls the bits to which the cord pull is attached), but it is just slightly too large to fit. Plastic cable ties would probably fit and would provide a modicum of security, but I'd prefer to use something that can't be cut quite so easily.

So my question is: has anyone found an effective way of locking the Western Flyer, or any of the other Tom Bihn bags which come with cord pulls, which they could share with me?

Many thanks for any suggestions.

[GaryS]

Go here and scroll down to Luggage and Security.

[RedBeard]

Go here and scroll down to Luggage and Security.

Ha! I was going to say the same thing.

I was explaining this to my wife the other day. If you are carrying your luggage, you can keep an eye on it and shouldn't need to lock it. If you are flying in the U.S. and check your bag, you need a TSA approved and accessible lock on your bag. This means the baggage handlers can unlock it for inspection. Since these are the people who are going to steal your stuff anyway, putting a lock on the bag just announces that there is something valuable inside. If you need to travel with something truly valuable, it should be kept on your person.

To me, the only reason to lock a bag is to keep it from flying open during transit. Thanks to the quality zippers on Tom Bihn bags, I don't have to worry about that. I have flown with an Aeronaut and Tri-Star as carry-on and checked. I've never seen the zippers budge out of place let alone burst open.

[callida]

Thanks very much for your replies.

Yes, I've already read that page and understand the point you and Doug Dyment are making. Security isn't a major issue for me because I'm travelling carry-on only and don't intend to leave anything 'valuable' (passport, credit cards etc) in the bag when it's out of my control. The purpose of locking it would just be to try to prevent casual pilferage as mentioned on that page, particularly in the following situations:
- carrying the bag on my back, when someone could potentially open the zips without my realising (esp on crowded public transport etc)
- leaving the bag in my hotel room
- sleeping on an overnight train

Plastic cable ties, or even just locking the cord pulls together, might be enough of a minor deterrent to serve my purpose, and would at least enable me to know if the bag had been opened, but I just thought there might be a better option. I won't be in the US at all, so the TSA is not an issue for me.

As I say, it's not a major issue and not something I'm hugely worried about or anything - it's unlikely that I'll have a problem and hardly the end of the world even if I do - but it seems sensible to take that kind of minor precaution if I can.