Pacsafe.com
This company makes everything in travel related bags that has some level of security on it.
The item pictured below is 15L (there is a 5L, 10L and 25L also). I bought it for international travel on a motorcycle where I can carry a little more than just a back pack and the strength of my legs and lungs are not a consideration. It easily holds my macbook pro and lots of camera gear. It has a flexible wire cage between the inside and outside layer of fabric (see pictures below) with a cinch top that a cable runs through so it cannot be cut into with a knife and your items removed. It closes tightly with a unique system and then has left over cable (about 2.5 feet) to wrap it around anything you want your portable safe attached to (a bunk bed frame, water pipe, large chair, anything). The fixture at the end of the cable comes back to the cinched down area at the top of the bag and everything locks up with one padlock. A professional thief will defeat it but a casual thief, without the right tools will give up quickly and move on to an easier target. This might be the answer, it's possible you could still lose your gear with this system but I'm thinking most theft, in the Algergues or Hotels, are opportunistic situations. This bag removes the ease of the opportunity.
I hate the idea of even thinking about property security on this type of trip...a spiritual pilgrimage with 99.9% of my fellow pilgrims 100% trustworthy. However, without this level of security, like you, I either have to carry a lot of stuff with me to the showers or out into the evenings which will detract greatly from my overall experience, hauling it and then keeping an eye on it when I set it down at dinner or at a bar or in market etc.... Carrying all your valuables after checking into your accommodation doesn't relieve you completely of your worries and the distractions that go with it. If traveling alone, like I will be, there is no one to watch my stuff while I shower or use the bathroom, or walk outside for a moment. Peace of mind as a solo traveler can only be achieved by having a "safe" that your valuables are in and that safe is locked to a permanent or semi-permanent fixture. That's about as much as you can do and then if you still get ripped off, well I guess it was meant to be and the camino is sending you (or me) a message that needs to be investigated further.
I'm still not sure if I'm going to bring my "safe" along. If I don't, the only electronics will be a phone and small portable and cheap battery pack. The safe weighs 1.7lbs. I've already paid for mine but if you want to buy one, the 15L is about $100. I am bringing an 8' extension cord that has two 110/240 receptacles plus 3 auto USB charge ports to charge everything. This is the other major use of the safe, to run my extension cord into the safe where I can then plug in all electronics for charging, lock up the bag/safe, and not be worried about someone walking by the charging area and casually lifting one of my electronic items being charged. I don't want the stress and worry about my phone or camera or laptop being lifted while I am relaxing, I don't want to feel like I am on guard duty inspecting everyone who walks by my stuff being charged up. The "safe" will reduce that anxiety by 90%+
The safe comes with a shoulder strap and can be used as a shopping bag when going to the market. It can be used as a carry-on if you are checking your backpack, it can be used as a day bag in a pinch if for some reason you need to send you big back pack ahead by car while hiking. It can be used in addition to your big back pack while hiking if you need to help a fellow pilgrim by carrying some of their stuff that you can fit into the bag etc...It has multiple uses.
There is no perfect solution. Each one has trade-offs that will be objectionable to one degree or another.
1. Carry your expensive gear with you every second of the day with an arm around it while sleeping. Pros: 100% reliable, possessions will not be stolen. Cons: The whole point of the Camino experience may be stolen from you.
2. Bring a “safe” for you valuables that you can leave in the Albergue/Hotel for charging electronics and for safely storing your things when you are not on site. Pros: A. You can forget about your possessions knowing you have done as much as you can (without getting super ridiculous) to insure your gear will be there when you get back to avoid the expense AND hassle of replacing it, if left unlocked and it all gets lifted. B. Multi-use as described above. Cons: A. extra expense $100, B. extra weight 1.7lbs, C. extra volume in pack (can roll it up empty to about 14” long with 3.5” diameter) or can just use it in it’s open configuration, put into the backpack and fill it as a separate chamber inside the large back pack. D. the security can be defeated with the right tools, it’s not fail safe. E. Some accommodations might not have anything that you can easily lock the safe to…same with the electronics charging area. F. Even with the safe, you may still have a tiny nagging feeling when you leave all your stuff unattended, but locked up, because it is out of sight and still vulnerable to a degree. That is just the price of bringing expensive stuff with you that you cannot easily replace (maybe buy an insurance policy for the trip)
I hope this helps. As you can tell, I’ve already wrestled with the concept quite a bit myself. If I have room for it and my pack is not too “overweight”, I’ll take it. Otherwise, I’ll leave all the extra electronics behind for this 1st trip and figure out later (bicycle, taxis, go with friend(s), etc…) how to bring all the gear on my 2nd trip doing the Camino.
note to anyone who uses one of these:
First, get a quality lock. The one that comes with it is easily defeated.
Second, be sure the fixture you are locking the bag to is not easily transportable or easily disassembled (some bed frames) so the locking loop is slipped over the disassembled part and the bag walks away without dragging a bed-frame or chair behind it).
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