Inspired by @HK_User's post in another thread, I found a method to make your own cut resistance strap. This is a great idea that one could also do with backpack straps, thread wire through them. Has anyone fortified their BOB straps? I am unsure what to do about securing the leather straps on my purses. Theft-Resistant Purse Strap To make this strap, you’ll need: 8 feet of 1” wide nylon webbing two clip-style hooks for the ends, as shown in the photo (sometimes called “dog leash”) 4 feet of 1/16” vinyl coated wire rope one tube of heat shrink tubing, cut in half I bought the wire rope and heat shrink tubing at Home Depot. The wire rope is sold by the foot and is coated in green vinyl. Please follow the link for the rest of the instructions. Theft-Resistant Purse Strap
ON your leather straps you can, if so designed, pass the vinyl coated wire rope inside the straps or add a piece of soft leather to make a channel. In Europe it is common for two on a small bike to grab purses on the go. Best to do a cross body carry no matter where.
A second strap that goes around your waste might serve well . Not tight as a belt but just enough to stay on your hips when you disconnect it . some thing that does not swing loosely is less of target .
Here in Cambodia - heck, everywhere I have lived in Southeast Asia for that matter, snatchings are commonplace. Here, specifically, snatchers tend to ride motorbikes and come up behind women on bicycles. More often than not, the women will be foreigners, rather than Khmers. I guess they figure a foreign lady will have more money / valuables in her purse, than a Khmer woman would. (They couldn't be more mistaken.) Either way, it frequently ends up with the woman on the ground, cut and bruised, and the bicycle damaged. When Chan and I are riding either of our motorcycles together, she always puts her purse between us. Recently, a young women's lib kind of gal, decided to attack me via email (new group), after I had suggested women should probably consider going places in pairs, especially at night. The words she used were, "... ignorant and stupid to suggest such a thing." After her statements, I simply told her that it had nothing to do with women being a weaker sex. But, by doing so would be an added safety measure. I then said, "In that case, YOU do as you please. But, don't say you weren't advised otherwise." You can't even help some people, without them being easily offended. So, let her experience her first purse snatching. Hopefully, she will be smart enough to think about what I suggested doing, afterward.
I had a belt made up where I had two cables sew between two peices of leather to make the belt to where in places I could not carry a weapon it was cut proof that belt disappeared one day I keep thinking of having one made up again and haveing the buckle set up for a bowman knife buckle
The real paradox is securing the purse, pack, etc versus the danger of being injured if it is pulled hard enough to knock you off a bike or scooter. In the Normandy invasion and a lot of other places, not being able to get out of your pack, etc, lead to drownings. I have made a habit of never wearing a pack without quick releases, being dragged behind a 6 by 6 with a tower and a boom on it at 10 mph and trying to get out of a parachute harness made a believer out of me. It took a lot longer to find the quick release and get rid of the drop bag etc the first time than the third. YMMV.
That's pretty smart. Opposite end of the spectrum though is to have bag that appears to be junk well abused . Usually only rich people wear gold, they can afford to lose it . Years ago when my son was young I had a pile of bicycle parts , and I said , there are enough parts here to build your own bike , but he had to have a new one, and I said what is shiny new will be wanted by people willing to take it from you . His first new bike lasted a week . when they couldn't steal the bike they stole parts.
As a kid I never had a new bike, built it from parts, never had a new scooter, never had a new car. Had my new Bike @23. Had my first new car around 30, never saw a need to buy something I could build. Had to have a new truck for a business I was building, so I bought one. Those were the days of old and a consumer directed world is the deal today.
I used one for a time when large backpack was not allowed in places I went or when it was just too much work to carry a large pack around. Lots of places will not allow you in with a pack and a locked up rig with a motion alarms works fine if used in an area of police activity such as you find in other parts of the world. You have to figure any place you rent has more than one set of keys. A Hostel is an example of such a need or just most any camp ground.
