This bag was born out of a serious paranoia with the world which is a shame in one sense but travelling tourists are a prime target for petty thieves so it makes a lot of sense to protect your possessions when you're on the road.
The swing tag reads like a police officer's handbook. According to Pacsafe, with this bag you can outsmart the following bad guys: pickpockets, bag snatchers, strap slashers, identity thieves, and bag slashers. That's a comprehensive list but does it also mean that it outsmarts the user?
The first thing you notice is the weight of the bag which at 1.75kg is hefty for a 40l pack, but it was never going to win any ultralight trophies and is to be expected when you're reinforcing already burly fabric with metal mesh and including an aluminium frame.
The reinforcing mesh is placed in classic bag slashing areas at the front and top panels and prevents contents from falling out, even if the main material gets slashed.
The webbing material on the shoulder straps is made from Dyneema which has long been used to moor oilrigs, stop bullets and repair human ligaments so probably an effective deterrent against your common-law garden bag slashing blade. One of the shoulder straps can be removed via a turn and lock security hook which allows you to secure the bag to a suitably sized heavy object - this is more of a mild deterrent than a full-on security measure but in the game of thief deterrents every little counts.
There are some more subtle security touches like the u-shaped zip on the back panel which allows you to fully lock down the entire front of the bag when on the move and makes the rear compartment a lot less clumsy to get into. Bear in mind though that it takes an age to get back into the front of the bag if you deploy all the security deterrents at your disposal.
Identity and monetary theft from cards or passports carrying an RFID chip is a growing concern and the Venturesafe handles this with a sizeable 'RFID safe' pocket inside the main front compartment. Some users (us included) might bemoan the lack of a fully opening clamshell zip here as it means a lot of blind fumbling for gear stashed at the very bottom of the compartment. In fact, the bag is just 'ok' to live with in terms of access, we'd have preferred a simpler solution than the two-compartment arrangement.
Inside the main rear compartment there's a sleeve for a hydration bladder or 15" laptop - not things we'd usually like to put in the same space but then you might be using the bag as your load-lugger in transit and your pack for day hikes at the destination so it makes sense to some degree.
There's a removeable internal divider in the rear compartment which is handy for separating out clean and dirty clothes or camera equipment. The water-resistant zips and rain repellent outer material fend off light drizzle and there's a built-in rain-cover that can be deployed for maximum defence against downpours.
The back panel, straps and hip-belt are well-padded and have all the usual adjustments you'd find on a high-end hiking pack, including load lifters on the shoulder straps. Coupled with the aluminium frame and compression straps this makes for a comfortable and well balanced load. The back panel doesn't ventilate particularly well, so we often find ourselves with a sweaty back after long periods of carrying.
Optional extras include a camera bag and portable safe that are both designed to fit within the bag, but at £190 for the base pack, paying any extra on top is a difficult pill to swallow.
Overall, if you're looking for a bombproof pack that's going to keep your gear safe from errand thieves and can handle being loaded up to the hilt with kit then the Venturesafe X40 is a promising if perhaps over-engineered option.
