the wander project dispatches from over there

Theft Proof: Make Your Gear Ugly

There’s a very simple way to ensure that opportunistic thieves stay away from your travel gear: make it less desirable, or rather make it appear less desirable. I once saw a guy carrying a massive green pack that looked like Jackson Pollack’s practice canvas — it had multicolor paint splattered from one end to the other, even on the straps and buckles. It looked wonderfully horrible. Steal it? Most people wouldn’t want to touch it. What’s more, they’d probably assume that it couldn’t possibly contain anything of value. Brilliant.