Hey everyone, how's it going? It's Ernest from Trip Astute. In this video, I'm
excited to be reviewing a brand new product from Loctote. This time, it's
their Cinch Pack.
(light chiming music)
We've done several reviews of Loctote products over the
past year, from their Flak Sack 2 to their AntiTheft 3 Liter portable safe. These
portable security products have become very popular in the past year or so, and
rightfully so. As more people are traveling with electronics and expensive
gear, innovative entrepreneurs are looking for ways to keep travelers safe.
This is one such example. A backpack designed to provide additional
protection than your standard backpack. Loctote generously sent to us their latest
product called a Cinch Pack to test and review. Keep in mind that even though
they sent us this backpack, this is not a paid review and we're not being
influenced to review this product in any way. Before we jump into the review, if
you're new here, welcome to our channel. Trip Astute is a travel channel that is
focused on sharing ways to make travel easier affordable and more enjoyable.
Traveling can be stressful and expensive, so we're looking for ways to help you
maximize your experience through travel tips, points and miles, and innovative
gear. If that sounds interesting to you, please consider subscribing. So, let's
jump into all the features of the new Cinch Pack. Number 1: Size. Right off the
bat, you'll notice the bag is much larger than other portable safes made by Loctote.
It has a capacity of 22 litres and can easily accommodate my laptop and a
ton of other stuff. The backpack also has multiple attachment points for the front
buckle depending on how full or empty the bag is. Number 2: Material and
appearance. The bag features the same slash-resistant material as the Flak Sack
Sport bag. This fabric is made from a blend of Loctote's ultra-high molecular
weight polyethylene fiber, polyester, and ceramic fiber. This makes the material light
weight, yet still protective. It has a level 4 cut rating this is the same
rating used in commercial gloves and clothing to protect against sheet metal,
glass, and sharp knives. Even the threads are made from the tough polyethylene
fibers, making the bag extremely durable and tough. It's not as heavy duty as the
Flak Sack 2 bag which has the proprietary Flaknit material with an A9
cut level protection rating. Though the material still provides a substantial
level of slash protection with much less weight. The fabric is also
water-resistant protecting your gear when you're in wet situations. The top
hood of the backpack is made of waxed canvas and the handles and attachment
points on the bag are made of leather. You'll also notice that the grommets on
the bag are made of brass making it tough to tear or pull apart. The entire
bag is also treated with a water and stain resistant coating. Like other
Loctote products, the quality of the bag is top-notch.
Everything from the stitching to the hardware on the bag seems to be well
applied and constructed with solid materials. Number 3: Laptop sleeve. The
Cinch Pack has a padded laptop sleeve inside that fits laptops up to 15 and a
half inches. The sleeve also has a soft fleece liner on one side which protects
your laptop from scratches. Number 4: Internal pockets and RFID protection.
Like other Loctote bags, the Cinch Pack has a couple of internal pockets for
smaller items as well as a clip for your keys. The backpack also features a fleece
lined RFID protected zipper pocket inside the bag which is perfect for your
passport or contactless cards. Number 5: External pockets. The bag features
two external side pockets that can fit a one liter bottle. The pocket also works
for umbrellas and small camera tripods. The back side also has a secret zipper
pocket. I noticed that the zipper has high-quality water-resistant YKK Aqua-
guard zippers, which is a really nice touch. These zippers have a lip that
seals up when zipped giving you extra protection from the elements. This is a
perfect place to store tickets or anything else that you might want to
quickly access without having to open your bag. Number 6: Steel-reinforced
locking straps. The locking straps for the bag also double as the wearable
straps. Double steel reinforced wires are inside the tightly woven strap and are
rated for 1,000 pounds of force. Again, Loctote uses their ultra-high
molecular weight polyethylene fibers in these straps. The material is supposed to
be even stronger than Kevlar, making them extremely cut resistant and durable. The
straps can be adjusted in length and have brass hardware pieces to help
fine-tune the exact fit. Number 7: Integrated lock. Most times when you get
a lock included with a bag or suitcase, it's generally not the best quality. This
is not the case for Loctote. They include a high quality three-number
combination lock made of brass. What's even cooler is that the lock is integrated
into the shoulder strap on one side, so you're not going to accidentally forget to
pack it with the bag. And in case you're wondering, the other strap has a brass
carabiner clip that attaches to a stainless steel ring. Number 8: Bottle
opener. A small but interesting feature is the brass slide hook. It actually
doubles as a bottle opener which is pretty cool. To lock the bag, simply pull
those shoulder ropes tight then pull the locking strap until the stainless steel
grommets are visible. The Cinch Pack has several steel grommets, which gives you
more flexibility especially if the bag is full. I'm glad that they've added more
grommets as I've noticed it can be difficult to close my other portable
safes when they're full. Once the grommets are visible, you can wrap the
strap with the lock on the end around an immovable or large object, then run the
lock through the grommets and the steel ring. This creates a tight closing that
would be difficult to compromise and open. What's cool about this backpack too
is that you don't have to use a lock. You can actually use the other strap that
has a brass carabiner clip if you just want to clip the bag near you. This could
be useful if you're more concerned about someone quickly grabbing your bag and
running off. This would definitely prevent that without having to lock or
unlock the bag. I can definitely see this being useful in situations like cafes or
restaurants. In terms of size, the bag measures about 20 inches high, 13 inches
wide, and about six inches deep. The weight of the bag when empty is 2.6
pounds or 1.17 kilograms. And as I mentioned earlier, it has a capacity of
22 liters. Now, what about the things that I don't like about the backpack? Well,
there are a few things that I'm not crazy about, so let me run through the
list. Number 1: Side pockets. While I like having two side pockets with this
bag, I wish they were elastic or adjustable. It's not a deal-breaker, but I
think it would really enhance the versatility of the pockets. Number 2:
Long term comfort. While I appreciate the efficiency of having the locking straps
also function as the backpack shoulder straps, I do wonder how comfortable the
bag is when being worn for a long period of time.
My other packs tend to have more cushioning and sweat resistant materials
on the straps and back side of the bag, which makes it more comfortable for
extended wear, especially in hot weather. Also, I prefer to have a sternum strap
especially when I'm carrying a lot of weight. I'm definitely being nitpicky, but
it's something that I personally wish was included
with the backpack. As a travel gear reviewer, it's something that I consider
it when I look at potential daypacks. For trips and outdoor adventures, your use
case might not require you to wear a backpack for extended periods of time. As
a daily backpack for short excursions or commutes,
I think the Cinch Pack works really well. It seems like a great backpack for urban
and daily use, especially with all the security features built-in. Lastly, I
know we had a few people recently post on our channel that they were able to
cut open their Loctote AntiTheft 3-Liter bag with a sharp knife and
scissors. This may be a concern to you since this bag is made of the same sport
fabric material. However, I will say that my attempts to cut through the fabric
with a serrated knife did not work. I still believe that the fabric is slash-
resistant to a reasonable extent. Of course, like every system or safe, it can
be defeated. However, the point of the bag isn't to stop a determined or hardcore
thief. It's really meant to deter the common thief who's looking for the
easiest target of opportunity. And for that purpose, I think this bag along with
Loctote's other bags, serves its function well. If you do have concerns
about it, then I would suggest getting the Flak Sack 2 bag instead. The Flaknit
material on that bag is a toughest material that I've ever seen or used. If
you don't believe me, you should check out some of the tests performed by
Loctote on their site and channel. They put the Flak Sack 2 against axes, guns, trucks,
and all kinds of other crazy tests. While it doesn't always win, you can see how
the bag fares when compared to other fabrics. The bag just launched on IndieGoGo
and cost $185. I believe this price is an intro promotion until they
release it on their website for $239. So if you're interested in purchasing this
bag, I would definitely consider pre-ordering it from their IndieGoGo
campaign. I'll include a link in the video description. Loctote's motto is to
allow you to "live more and worry less." In fact, I recommend learning more about the
company and how they came up with their products while traveling. The original
Flak Sack was created after the founder had his belongings stolen while swimming
on vacation, which is always a fear of mine whenever I'm at the beach. They've
definitely sought out to provide quality products that protect your belongings
and give you peace of mind. Overall, I think this is a very cool and good looking
backpack. I can totally see how this could be useful in situations where you
need to walk away from your bag, like when you're at a cafe and you need to
order another drink or use the restroom, or even when you're at the beach or pool
and might not always have your eyes on your belongings. It's well-designed and
provides a lot of different options for dealing with situations where you might
be at risk of having your valuables stolen. What do you all think of the Loctote
Cinch Pack? Do you think it's a backpack suited for your travels or
daily life? Let us know in the comments section below. If you enjoyed this video
or found it useful, please give us a thumbs up and consider
sharing the video with others who might benefit or enjoy our content. It really
helps us with growing our channel and community. Until next time, travel safe
and travel smart.