WOE Paracord Store Is Launching Soon! ▶ www.paracordweavers.com/ GET MY FREE EBOOK ▶ www.weaversofeternity.com/freebook . Just to address some comments and to give some clarity for those who didn't watch the entire video. This little trick is only meant to deter or delay someone from being opportunistic and opening your bag when you're not looking or not paying attention. It's quite obvious and should go without saying that if someone wanted to just take your bag, cut it open with a knife or do anything more drastic to get your belongings this will not do anything for you. However, it's just another added layer of deterrent to stop a sneaky or opportunistic thief. The best theft prevention is situational awareness and to watch yourself and your things.
@@jarodmorris611 Agreed. This text is practically an admission of clickbait use, but then again whoever thought a knot could prevent anything from being stolen is at least a bit naïve.
@@diegocfq Exactly, but I do love the diamond know and it's a fantastic pull cord replacement. It would stop, or delay, those without a knife quite well.
@@jarodmorris611 this is not the "someone steal stuff when im not around" situation.. its for "its crowded and i cant help being in this likely thief spot" even when u think its stupid to have things stolen in front of ur eyes.. these things happen i tell you
I would STRONGLY advise against beding the zipper pull as bending it back does SIGNIFICANTLY weaken the metal. Instead just cut the zipper pull with pair of cutters.
Thiefs will just use a ball point pen or similar pointy item to force the zipper open. Putting this or a lock on is more like advertising that there is something really valuable worth stealing in there.
I'd say it's better than having to carry a key around. It would take longer to get the key out and unlock it. This also seems like something you'd get used to doing pretty quickly .
@@SaltAndVi The thing fails at "getting used to". If you "get used" to a key and lock, then you are as fast or even faster than this and it is safer. The only legit argument that could really threaten the lock/key-option is: Why not steal the bag or cut it open?! If you don't care about it and just want to steal what is inside you can simply do that! In that case I can agree that even a lock can't help.
Not every thief will be bold like that. That's like saying all of them will shoot you as soon as they see you. Don't give yourself excuses for every fear senario you can come up with to do nothing at all.
@@NaeMuckle @Crash S This really isn’t much of a theft deterrent even in those cases. If they can open a zipper without you realizing it, they can untie a simple overhand knot, too. However, this does have a good use-case. Securing a zipper from opening on it’s own, especially in an overstuffed pack.
@@hingedelephant It's less of *how much* of a deterrent, but more of that it's an added deterrent in the first place. Will it stop all thieves? Definitely not. Will it stop some? Of course. In a crowd, thieves are going to go for bags that are easy to open. If you use a padlock, perhaps they would use the pen trick to open your bag since you obviously have something valuable to secure. Sometimes the better-but-not-best method such as this method is perfect.
The real main use for this is to prevent people from quietly opening the zipper and pulling something out without from behind you while you are wearing the backpack which, to be honest, I have seen often enough to make this worth doing in my area. I would imagine that for most people there is either such a small concern that people will try to take things out of their backpack, or their real concern is to have the entire thing taken that going through this trouble is unnecessary. But for those of use in the middle, this seems pretty handy. I will give it a try.
This may work in a few small situations, but for the most part a stiff ballpoint pen can bypass any zipper pull lock attempt. Just jam the pen somewhere in the zipper mechanism to pop the teeth apart. Unzip access/take what you want then move the "connected" zippers back and forth to close it as if no one was there.
I was walking on the south side of Tower Bridge in London in the esrly hours of the morning, wearing my 45 litre backpack when I suddenly felt that something was very wrong! I stopped, and looked around me, not seeing anyone in my proximity, so began walking again, and that feeling was immediately back. I again stopped and looked around me, without sering anyone near me. As I then began walking I speeded up, then came to a sudden stop, and the thief that was behind me collided with me, then ran off at speed! I took off my backack and saw that he'd got as far as opening the main compartment but had not been able to steal anything! I'd walked close to a wall on my right side, and each time I'd stopped and looked around and behind me, the thief had simply squatted down behind me, unseen as my backpack obstructing my view of him! This skinny guy in his 20's had literally been right behind me, completely unseen by me, but detected by my senses! I was quite alarmed that someone with bad intentions had gotten so close to me, for the time that he had, and I immediately changed my behaviour when outdoors, being far more aware. In all honesty, I would have never imagined that someone bad could get so close to me for so long, and actually manage to open my backpack as he had, all without being seen by me! He certainly had some technique which he was fairly accomplished at, and I recognised just how fortunate I had been because he wasn't violent! Your techniques for securing one's property are appreciated.
I ride a motorcycle. This is the perfect solution for the everyday anxiety I have of my bag flying open on the freeway. I'm not scared of pickpockets just the wind and vibrations. I wouldn't be a good Ducati owner if I didn't say its a Ducati. cheers!
@@thisismyname1701 It’s frighteningly simple. Also the thief can reclose your luggage and you may not even realise it has been tampered with. ruclips.net/video/SX11WHBQfnw/видео.html
I think this advice (the one about knots) is more focused on public transport; yes, of course, they can still use a pen, but it is also more notorious that they are doing something, unlike just opening the zipper little by little.
The point is detterence. Much like a car with an alarm, that doesn't stop a thief from stealing it. You make your bag just a little difficult than the average bag that the thief would choose for an easier target. If you use a locked bag, specially a fancy one, it might encourange a thief to pinch it thinking there might be something valuable in it. With this technique your bag looks more inconspicuous and cheap to be bothered with just right amount of security. Again, situational awareness is the key.
I broke into my laptop case when someone put a TSA approved lock through the zipper pulls, I used a ballpoint pen and bypassed the zipper pulls and slid the zippers back to seal the zip up looking untouched, completely baffled the twerp who "locked" my laptop in its case 🤣
I just made this comment on another video, searched for my "discovery", found this video and saw it had overlooked the same thing. There is another nearly always overlooked solution right in front of you. On bags with the common double zippers (one hole in both zippers, one string loop on one of them), you really only need one of the two string sections already there to secure it from accidentally coming sliding open. 1) Take the un-knotted end of the string and push it through the metal hole in the other zipper. 2) Then pull the loop coming through the zipper hole over the knot on the same string. Voila! It's locked! ... I've never seen this demonstrated and can't find documentation of this at all, but it seems clear that it was part of the original design. The strings I've tried are the ideal length for this. Most backpacks used to have just one string on those two zippers, and I never understood why. So, I sat down one day and just started playing with it. Pushing the loop instead of the knot through the zipper hole was counter-intuitive for me, but once I did that, it all fell into place. Now it seems like the original purpose may have been lost. The second string can actually get in the way, and I'm guessing some strings are now too short or long for this to work correctly. It's weird how no one seems to do this.
After having several TSA locks broken off my Pelican case luggage I started using what I called a "Lanyard Knot"... in this case a "Diamond Knot" to tie my cases shut. It took a little time to do while on the airport shuttle but they won't get knocked off, they keep the cases closed and I figured that if someone untied them, I'd know because they probably wouldn't be able to reproduce the knot... although the popularity of this channel makes me less certain : )
@@Caderic True. My understanding, after having transported several firearms via domestic airlines, is that I need to transport a "valid" firearm and go through the subsequent rigamarole of extended check-ins in order to use non-TSA locks... or they're free to cut them off and detain my luggage in the process. That may seem unfair but that's what they do. I ain't got time for that. I'm not interested in taking guns everywhere I go.
@FMLShuffle I was just looking for reassurance that the contents of my luggage wouldn't get dumped somewhere. When I was in high school I worked "the ramp" and saw it happen plenty. I think the main problem was that the TSA locks are pretty weak and they probably just broke off in the handling. Since I didn't have evidence that a lock used to be there (and I think there's a rule about the airlines not being responsible for things outside your luggage) it felt like I was just throwing away money... hence tying them shut. My closest experience with airport-related theft was that my girlfriend had all her underwear stolen out of her suitcase.
Former bag repairer; be careful when bending the tab hooks open; they're usually a cast alloy that will break if bent too far. Bend just far enough to remove the pull tab, in as few flexes as you can manage; to many flexes can weaken or break them as well.
Ha! Awesome, I actually did this same thing on an international trip once. The zipper pulls had plastic clasps on the end of them and I ended up looping them through each other the same way as this. I thought the same thing, "If someone really wants in, they'll get in, but this'll probably be too much of a hassle for your basic pickpocket."
@@TheWeaversofEternity So anyway with a pocket knife is a master thief? Thieves in the metro don't own your bag, especially women's. They cut them with a razor and steal your stuff.
@@alexk.7250 No, my point is that there are of course plenty of ways around a trick like this and it's OBVIOUSLY not meant to nor able to stop a thief who's really good at what they do. It's just meant to stop someone who's being opportunistic that may try to unzip your bag and steal what's in your bag. That's all.
Very good job freezing your lace during the knot-tying & moving the knot around so we can see what's going on. Gives that 3d space that cameras can't capture unless you transition around the object in focus.
This doesn't necessarily secure or even deter someone from going through a bag. Possibly a common every day thief would move on to the next bag rather than having to deal with this obstacle. Then again, a small pen knife could easily over come it, or better yet, an actual pen could be used to separate zipper teeth all together, bypassing any so called zipper security. If someone really wanted the contents of a zippered bag, they could more than likely steal the entire bag all together. Seeing some sort of security on the zipper system is an immediate flag of "hey, I've got something important in here". Security by obscurity. Get a bag that has overlapping flaps to cover zippers. Go an extra step forward and sew Velcro on that flap to further seal the zipper opening. Still doesn't prevent someone from stealing your bag (nothing will do that), but it's low key in terms of visibility and audible when tampered with. Most important part of personal possession security is awareness of personal surroundings. That cannot be built in, sewn, or tied on to any object, but it's with you at all times.
First time I tried the knot by memory after watching and it didn't work. So I did it again step by step with the video and it worked fine. The difference is that the first time I tied a Carrick bend where the ends both come off the same side. Not gonna work. Your way, which works, has the ends coming off opposite sides. Once I realized that, it was easy. I will use this beautiful knot in other situations too. But for what you describe it works well "as a deterrent". Thanks for posting.
A lot of people sadly either never paid actual attention to the video, could not understand or just dumb in general. These are not meant to make your bag absolutely invulnerable to thieves. It just makes it less harder to quickly swipe open the zip preventing opportunistic theft.
Thank you for actually watching the video and providing an intelligible comment. It's refreshing and gives me hope that these videos aren't for nothing.
Unfortunately I see a shocking lack of comprehension and communication skills these days- especially in the realm of youtube comments sections. It's no wonder we are in such a situation as in the US today...
I always change out the zipper pulls on my backpacks and replace them with diamond knots. Never thought to feed one through the other. Thanks for the new idea.
Yeah, but that can be opened faster, defeating the purpose of this, which is a knot that is more of a delay- deterrent. If you'd do a carabiner, you may as well just put a small lock on it, which he says is the more secure thing...
When you cauterize your rope it is cleaner to heat a piece of metal and press it against the cord. Cheap knife or other. Don't use a nice knife you could damage heat treating
Great video! Great idea and a great method of securing your bag and adding some paracord to your everyday life. A few month ago I had the idea to use a knot that is very hard to untie instead of a lock I know it will not be as secure as a lock but it's mainly for the sake of using a knot as a lock. Can you please make a video about a knot that is hard to untie if you know one or if you don't want to and you know a knot like this can you tell me the name of it so I can learn it? And also I love your videos they are the best tutorials on RUclips!
If the bag isn't stolen, TSA will cut right thru that. Then leave a note inside the bag stating they they cut thru your cord to inspect for security reasons.
"How to make an unlikely occurrence a bit more tedious for a thief (unless he just slashes the bag open, which is common) while wasting a ton of your own time for the foreseeable future."
The point is detterence. Much like a car with an alarm, that doesn't stop a thief from stealing it. You make your bag just a little difficult than the average bag that the thief would choose for an easier target. If you use a locked bag, specially a fancy one, it might encourange a thief to pinch it thinking there might be something valuable in it. With this technique your bag looks more inconspicuous and cheap to be bothered with just right amount of security. Again, situational awareness is the key. I don't know if you see an actual bag slasher, it a rather tedious thing to do, though it becomes easy with a very oblivious target.
@@inisipisTV Yeah deterrence does work but it's a tradeoff in this case as et also deters me from using my bag. Slashing is pretty brutal but the comments below illustrate that there's a better technique that bypasses the zipper. But as you said, awareness is the key, definitely.
Neat trick.. But where are the inner locks on those zipper pulls? All the zippers I have seen, has a small latch in the zipper pull. They are there to prevent the zipper from sliding open on its own. You pull on that latch as you pull on the tab and it allows the zipper to slide. Either that bag is really old, or it does not conform with Canadian Standards.
The point is detterence. Much like a car with an alarm, that doesn't stop a thief from stealing it. You make your bag just a little difficult than the average bag that the thief would choose for an easier target. If you use a locked bag, specially a fancy one, it might encourange a thief to pinch it thinking there might be something valuable in it. With this technique your bag looks more inconspicuous and cheap to be bothered with just right amount of security. Again, situational awareness is the key.
Excellent! The bag that I check when flying is zippered. Usually I zip-tie them tightly together and cut it at my destination. That prevents some baggage handler or security from easily opening my bag. Or I'll know if they have... The lock was removed on one trip and it made me rather annoyed and suspicious. I never put any valuables in there regardless. However for daily use on a backpack this is ideal
Wouldn't go so far as to say this will stop a theif, but will definitely slow someone down or even by adding the extra a step to habit may prevent you accidentally leaving the bag unzipped after going in it. I may do this for the latter reason.
The theirf will just cut the rope or push a pen through the zipper at a different spot along said zipper. But, I imagine these knots have other, more practical utility. :)
Jansport backpacks had this kind of basic thing on the zipper pulls in the late 80s early 90s and I tied them through each other to keep smartasses out of my pack when I was going down the hall in high school.
This is a great idea. It’s true that if a thief is determined to get into your bag they have several options. The opportunist thief however, may have second thoughts which make this solution viable, in my view.
This reminds me of when I was on the metro in Paris with friends. My pal had a handbag that is open on the top, but the train was super busy, so instead of having it under her arm, it was held in front of her. There were lots of us, and people were standing very close. She happened to look down and the woman standing so close they were almost touching, was trying to steal things out the bag. My friend panicked and just shouted 'There's a hand in my bag!!!' and the woman got off laughing at the next stop 30 seconds later. We thought it was a funny thing to shout, but it was a good none threatening way to stop it, because who knows how someone is gonna react if you point them out specifically. But yeah, we kept a good eye on our belongings from then on.
As an airport worker who deals with baggage on a daily basis I would advise NOT using a small lock to secure your bag. That knot is vastly more effective and cheaper as well. I find those stupid mini locks laying on the ground on a nearly every day. It does not take much strength to pop one of those open. I lost count of the number of time one of those locks got caught on a piece of equipment and pop clean off with a slight tug when trying to dislodge it. That is also why your luggage magically loses tabs for the zipper from time to time. those knots on the other hand are too thick to get wedged into the crevices that cause that damage most often. The only negative created from the context of air travel is it creates a hanging loop to catch another bag.
I just use a carbineer clip to hold the two zippers together. I use two of those small ones. Granted it's not going to hold up from a determined attacker, but neither would the knot. A pair of garden sheers will take care of that in no time. My concern is when sitting on the train or trolley. I got the idea when I fell asleep one time on the train and upon waking up I noticed the girl sitting next to me pull back really quick. I didn't think anything of it until getting off the train and I noticed my back pocket flap was open which I usually check constantly (hence the reason I found it). It was too late to say anything, of course. She stole a calculator from the pocket. It was about the shape and size of a phone, so I think she probably thought she was stealing an iPhone. The joke is on her - it was a 29.99 calculator. Not even a graphing calculator.
You can take a ball point pen and push it into the zipper and seperate the zipper half’s, that what the tsa does in the airport when u have a lock on your bag, then just pull the zipper pulls over the open zipper and it closes back up
Seems to me a much easier way to secure the zippers would be to carry zip ties and a small pair of nail clippers. Zip ties would be difficult to get off as well and if you're trying to use a knife, you would more than likely either stab a hole in the bag or cut your fingers and zip ties can be put on in a matter of seconds.
And what if the bag is attached to a person? Some thieves prefer not to be noticed and avoid direct altercations. This is to remedy that. Not if someone wants to just grab your entire bag.
I am sorry but this isn’t going to stop anyone, all you need is a biro pen to poke in between the teeth of the zip and within a second your bag is open! The really scary thing is they move both zips over the open bit and it will close right up so you won’t even know they have been there.
That's a moot point. Going by your logic, a padlock is also useless. Hell, why don't we just weld the zipper heads together since that wouldn't stop a pen either. This is an added security for a normal zipper, not a replacement. It will never stop ALL thieves, but if it deters some, using such a cheap method, why not?
@@thsscapi no my point is don’t ever leave your bag unattended. Regardless of security measures if you have the bag with you and are alert then that is a better deterrent than any cheap gadget.
WOE Paracord Store Is Launching Soon! ▶ www.paracordweavers.com/
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Just to address some comments and to give some clarity for those who didn't watch the entire video. This little trick is only meant to deter or delay someone from being opportunistic and opening your bag when you're not looking or not paying attention. It's quite obvious and should go without saying that if someone wanted to just take your bag, cut it open with a knife or do anything more drastic to get your belongings this will not do anything for you. However, it's just another added layer of deterrent to stop a sneaky or opportunistic thief. The best theft prevention is situational awareness and to watch yourself and your things.
Then why did you title your video "How to prevent your stuff from being stolen" ?
You could probably put a thin chain into the paracord to make it harder to cut through.
@@jarodmorris611 Agreed. This text is practically an admission of clickbait use, but then again whoever thought a knot could prevent anything from being stolen is at least a bit naïve.
@@diegocfq Exactly, but I do love the diamond know and it's a fantastic pull cord replacement. It would stop, or delay, those without a knife quite well.
@@jarodmorris611 this is not the "someone steal stuff when im not around" situation.. its for "its crowded and i cant help being in this likely thief spot" even when u think its stupid to have things stolen in front of ur eyes.. these things happen i tell you
I would STRONGLY advise against beding the zipper pull as bending it back does SIGNIFICANTLY weaken the metal. Instead just cut the zipper pull with pair of cutters.
Agreed
Metal fatigue is real, especially with junk pot metal
You can also just leave the tabs on. It would be a tighter fit, but it would work.
yea he knew exactly how far to bend it to barely get the tab off, and any more would have likely broken it
@@bontrom8 Everytime you bend metal back and forth you weaken it. That is a physical fact not matter how well he knew .
"A small lock would be the most secure". Lock picking lawyer enters chat
lets knot go there.
Thiefs will just use a ball point pen or similar pointy item to force the zipper open. Putting this or a lock on is more like advertising that there is something really valuable worth stealing in there.
lock picking lawyer??!!!
@@stoogie375 look for Lock Picking Lawyer channel here on youtube.
@@jetah50 i just did .. OMG it's real!! :D
I used to do this similar knot when I live in China, so people won’t open my bag at the back. Pretty effective
they opened at front instead
@@markylon no, that's just the police.
"You don't want to fumble around with a lock all the time." - Fumbles instead with his conjoined knots.
At least there's no need to dig out a key, so...
I'd say it's better than having to carry a key around. It would take longer to get the key out and unlock it. This also seems like something you'd get used to doing pretty quickly .
@@SaltAndVi The thing fails at "getting used to". If you "get used" to a key and lock, then you are as fast or even faster than this and it is safer.
The only legit argument that could really threaten the lock/key-option is: Why not steal the bag or cut it open?! If you don't care about it and just want to steal what is inside you can simply do that! In that case I can agree that even a lock can't help.
This is a good way to make your whole bag disappear.
People can just cut the bag open aswell. If someone really intends to steal, they will always find a way.
A thief won’t mess with locks or knots. They are just going to take the whole bag.
Not every thief will be bold like that. That's like saying all of them will shoot you as soon as they see you. Don't give yourself excuses for every fear senario you can come up with to do nothing at all.
Pick pockets open bags when people are walking carrying their backpack.
@@NaeMuckle @Crash S This really isn’t much of a theft deterrent even in those cases. If they can open a zipper without you realizing it, they can untie a simple overhand knot, too. However, this does have a good use-case. Securing a zipper from opening on it’s own, especially in an overstuffed pack.
Yeah true
@@hingedelephant It's less of *how much* of a deterrent, but more of that it's an added deterrent in the first place. Will it stop all thieves? Definitely not. Will it stop some? Of course.
In a crowd, thieves are going to go for bags that are easy to open. If you use a padlock, perhaps they would use the pen trick to open your bag since you obviously have something valuable to secure. Sometimes the better-but-not-best method such as this method is perfect.
The real main use for this is to prevent people from quietly opening the zipper and pulling something out without from behind you while you are wearing the backpack which, to be honest, I have seen often enough to make this worth doing in my area.
I would imagine that for most people there is either such a small concern that people will try to take things out of their backpack, or their real concern is to have the entire thing taken that going through this trouble is unnecessary. But for those of use in the middle, this seems pretty handy. I will give it a try.
Yay I'm early.
I'll take this opportunity to say thank you for making your tutorials clear and easy to understand.
You're very welcome!
Alternatively, hanging the severed hands of the last thief to touch your stuff works far better.
That would probably work as well!
@Phalanx the glue ones work best as there's no easy way to remove them. Not like the thieving prick can deny they tried to rob you.
@Phalanx rat traps break fingers.
This may work in a few small situations, but for the most part a stiff ballpoint pen can bypass any zipper pull lock attempt. Just jam the pen somewhere in the zipper mechanism to pop the teeth apart. Unzip access/take what you want then move the "connected" zippers back and forth to close it as if no one was there.
Ask the LockPickingLawyer if he can pick this :)
🏆
It would take him longer than some of the junk pretending to be real locks.
LOL . the knot has several false gates so not easily " picked " 😂
He could knot do it :oP
And in this video I will show you how to open a lock with a pair of scissors.
I was walking on the south side of Tower Bridge in London in the esrly hours of the morning, wearing my 45 litre backpack when I suddenly felt that something was very wrong!
I stopped, and looked around me, not seeing anyone in my proximity, so began walking again, and that feeling was immediately back.
I again stopped and looked around me, without sering anyone near me.
As I then began walking I speeded up, then came to a sudden stop, and the thief that was behind me collided with me, then ran off at speed!
I took off my backack and saw that he'd got as far as opening the main compartment but had not been able to steal anything!
I'd walked close to a wall on my right side, and each time I'd stopped and looked around and behind me, the thief had simply squatted down behind me, unseen as my backpack obstructing my view of him!
This skinny guy in his 20's had literally been right behind me, completely unseen by me, but detected by my senses!
I was quite alarmed that someone with bad intentions had gotten so close to me, for the time that he had, and I immediately changed my behaviour when outdoors, being far more aware.
In all honesty, I would have never imagined that someone bad could get so close to me for so long, and actually manage to open my backpack as he had, all without being seen by me!
He certainly had some technique which he was fairly accomplished at, and I recognised just how fortunate I had been because he wasn't violent!
Your techniques for securing one's property are appreciated.
I ride a motorcycle. This is the perfect solution for the everyday anxiety I have of my bag flying open on the freeway. I'm not scared of pickpockets just the wind and vibrations.
I wouldn't be a good Ducati owner if I didn't say its a Ducati. cheers!
Thieves just open up zipper with a ball point pen. False security my friend
Explain?
@@thisismyname1701 It’s frighteningly simple. Also the thief can reclose your luggage and you may not even realise it has been tampered with.
ruclips.net/video/SX11WHBQfnw/видео.html
I think this advice (the one about knots) is more focused on public transport; yes, of course, they can still use a pen, but it is also more notorious that they are doing something, unlike just opening the zipper little by little.
The point is detterence. Much like a car with an alarm, that doesn't stop a thief from stealing it. You make your bag just a little difficult than the average bag that the thief would choose for an easier target. If you use a locked bag, specially a fancy one, it might encourange a thief to pinch it thinking there might be something valuable in it. With this technique your bag looks more inconspicuous and cheap to be bothered with just right amount of security. Again, situational awareness is the key.
Just like locks they keep honest people honest a real crook will get into anything! Great video and hack
Exactly destructive entry will always find a way in.
I broke into my laptop case when someone put a TSA approved lock through the zipper pulls, I used a ballpoint pen and bypassed the zipper pulls and slid the zippers back to seal the zip up looking untouched, completely baffled the twerp who "locked" my laptop in its case 🤣
I just made this comment on another video, searched for my "discovery", found this video and saw it had overlooked the same thing. There is another nearly always overlooked solution right in front of you.
On bags with the common double zippers (one hole in both zippers, one string loop on one of them), you really only need one of the two string sections already there to secure it from accidentally coming sliding open. 1) Take the un-knotted end of the string and push it through the metal hole in the other zipper. 2) Then pull the loop coming through the zipper hole over the knot on the same string. Voila! It's locked! ... I've never seen this demonstrated and can't find documentation of this at all, but it seems clear that it was part of the original design. The strings I've tried are the ideal length for this.
Most backpacks used to have just one string on those two zippers, and I never understood why. So, I sat down one day and just started playing with it. Pushing the loop instead of the knot through the zipper hole was counter-intuitive for me, but once I did that, it all fell into place.
Now it seems like the original purpose may have been lost. The second string can actually get in the way, and I'm guessing some strings are now too short or long for this to work correctly. It's weird how no one seems to do this.
Excellent video. Thanks for taking the time to film and edit it and of course for positing it for our benefit. Keep up the good work! -Migs
I love how clear the instructions are in your videos
After having several TSA locks broken off my Pelican case luggage I started using what I called a "Lanyard
Knot"... in this case a "Diamond Knot" to tie my cases shut. It took a little time to do while on the airport shuttle but they won't get knocked off, they keep the cases closed and I figured that if someone untied them, I'd know because they probably wouldn't be able to reproduce the knot... although the popularity of this channel makes me less certain : )
Or, you can use regular locks. Just an idea.
@@Caderic True. My understanding, after having transported several firearms via domestic airlines, is that I need to transport a "valid" firearm and go through the subsequent rigamarole of extended check-ins in order to use non-TSA locks... or they're free to cut them off and detain my luggage in the process. That may seem unfair but that's what they do. I ain't got time for that. I'm not interested in taking guns everywhere I go.
@FMLShuffle I was just looking for reassurance that the contents of my luggage wouldn't get dumped somewhere. When I was in high school I worked "the ramp" and saw it happen plenty.
I think the main problem was that the TSA locks are pretty weak and they probably just broke off in the handling. Since I didn't have evidence that a lock used to be there (and I think there's a rule about the airlines not being responsible for things outside your luggage) it felt like I was just throwing away money... hence tying them shut.
My closest experience with airport-related theft was that my girlfriend had all her underwear stolen out of her suitcase.
Former bag repairer; be careful when bending the tab hooks open; they're usually a cast alloy that will break if bent too far. Bend just far enough to remove the pull tab, in as few flexes as you can manage; to many flexes can weaken or break them as well.
Ha! Awesome, I actually did this same thing on an international trip once. The zipper pulls had plastic clasps on the end of them and I ended up looping them through each other the same way as this. I thought the same thing, "If someone really wants in, they'll get in, but this'll probably be too much of a hassle for your basic pickpocket."
Precisely! It's not meant to stop a master thief by any means, a concept lost on many as you can tell by the comments.
@@TheWeaversofEternity So anyway with a pocket knife is a master thief? Thieves in the metro don't own your bag, especially women's. They cut them with a razor and steal your stuff.
@@alexk.7250 No, my point is that there are of course plenty of ways around a trick like this and it's OBVIOUSLY not meant to nor able to stop a thief who's really good at what they do. It's just meant to stop someone who's being opportunistic that may try to unzip your bag and steal what's in your bag. That's all.
I use this technique since years ! Great video 👍
I like this idea and thanks for sharing. I understand where you're coming from and can't believe the negative comments that you have received!
Very good job freezing your lace during the knot-tying & moving the knot around so we can see what's going on. Gives that 3d space that cameras can't capture unless you transition around the object in focus.
It's safer to cut the zipper tabs. That metal is not exactly fatigue-resistant
And that's why we wear our backpacks in front when on the subway.
Better still... Tie in a stun gun to the metal zipper and listen to them jump! 🤣
This doesn't necessarily secure or even deter someone from going through a bag. Possibly a common every day thief would move on to the next bag rather than having to deal with this obstacle. Then again, a small pen knife could easily over come it, or better yet, an actual pen could be used to separate zipper teeth all together, bypassing any so called zipper security.
If someone really wanted the contents of a zippered bag, they could more than likely steal the entire bag all together. Seeing some sort of security on the zipper system is an immediate flag of "hey, I've got something important in here".
Security by obscurity. Get a bag that has overlapping flaps to cover zippers. Go an extra step forward and sew Velcro on that flap to further seal the zipper opening. Still doesn't prevent someone from stealing your bag (nothing will do that), but it's low key in terms of visibility and audible when tampered with.
Most important part of personal possession security is awareness of personal surroundings. That cannot be built in, sewn, or tied on to any object, but it's with you at all times.
First time I tried the knot by memory after watching and it didn't work. So I did it again step by step with the video and it worked fine. The difference is that the first time I tied a Carrick bend where the ends both come off the same side. Not gonna work. Your way, which works, has the ends coming off opposite sides. Once I realized that, it was easy. I will use this beautiful knot in other situations too. But for what you describe it works well "as a deterrent". Thanks for posting.
Nice idea for train ir underground travel, thanks
Great video. Just added this to my go bag, thank you!
A lot of zippers have an anti unzip mechanism. Removing the tabs is a bad idea in this case.
A lot of people sadly either never paid actual attention to the video, could not understand or just dumb in general. These are not meant to make your bag absolutely invulnerable to thieves. It just makes it less harder to quickly swipe open the zip preventing opportunistic theft.
Thank you for actually watching the video and providing an intelligible comment. It's refreshing and gives me hope that these videos aren't for nothing.
Its just as quick popping it with a pen......duh
But its more hassle to open it up now!
Unfortunately I see a shocking lack of comprehension and communication skills these days- especially in the realm of youtube comments sections. It's no wonder we are in such a situation as in the US today...
If they're going to steal your belongings in public they'd cut the fabric with a box cutter
As usual ,.. very cool stuff sir
Glad you enjoyed it!
I always change out the zipper pulls on my backpacks and replace them with diamond knots. Never thought to feed one through the other. Thanks for the new idea.
Awesome! I have just the use for this.
Do you have a video tutorial for wrapping the handle of the bag please? Looks great.
Excellent vid, nicely done...thank ya for posting!
That was an awesome knot...
Will it stop scissors?
Great video, thanks for sharing 👍😀
what color paracord is this? trying to order from your affiliate link
Hi Amy, that color is gold.
Good deterrent! Should work on anyone without a knife!
You could also clip the two metal tabs together with a small carabiner.
Yeah, but that can be opened faster, defeating the purpose of this, which is a knot that is more of a delay- deterrent. If you'd do a carabiner, you may as well just put a small lock on it, which he says is the more secure thing...
@@rdurl5086 Small lock is best, but I default to the carabiner every time. Simple and its never failed me.
does this stop people from cutting your strap too?
Thank you for your great videos. Really enjoy them
My go to on holidays!
You should have link for the tools that you've used ( Thanks :) )
Great idea! This is always such a concern for us, especially in some of the bigger cities.
Glad you appreciate it!
That was nicely done. Always learn something. Thx
Thank you 🙏🏻
Brilliant idea.
will this still work if i dont have a backpack?
Im actually gointo give this 1 a go
What scissors are they? They look great! Also what is the name of that paracord colour. Looks Lux!
Where can i buy a pick-tool you have
Also a useful trick if a zipper pull tab breaks or gets lost, and to replace pull tabs to keep bags and luggage secure in transit and storage.
Thanks so much 😍
very good idée for secur
Great idea, thanks for that
Hi Tim !
Good idea an always be aware an always let them.see the outline of my ruger 45 0r my 40 either one have both on me at all times
That's also a good deterrent!
When you cauterize your rope it is cleaner to heat a piece of metal and press it against the cord. Cheap knife or other. Don't use a nice knife you could damage heat treating
Personally I like the aesthetic of the cord mushrooming out from the flame, no sharp edges
Thanks for that tip
That is a very handsome knot 😎
Why not just cut the zipper pull off rather than fatigue the hook?
Replacing later
Thanks, by doing it its alot easier to close the zipper that was opened by pocking it with a pen.
Great video! Great idea and a great method of securing your bag and adding some paracord to your everyday life. A few month ago I had the idea to use a knot that is very hard to untie instead of a lock I know it will not be as secure as a lock but it's mainly for the sake of using a knot as a lock. Can you please make a video about a knot that is hard to untie if you know one or if you don't want to and you know a knot like this can you tell me the name of it so I can learn it? And also I love your videos they are the best tutorials on RUclips!
The original knot he uses is hard to untie if you don't know it. The double strand diamond knot.
@@karenhislop2213 And if it's tight enough, you need a spike or some similar tool to untie it.
*Hello from Turkey*
It will deter the thief into pulling out the knife that is in his pocket.
Youre more likely to notice someone cutting a cord than unzipping your bag, its gonna make most thieves look for easier targets.
@@dovydasgrigas441
.5 second to cut the cord.
Will not deter diddly squat.
Nice knot though.
Thanks Tim, just found ur channel and been enjoying it :)
If the bag isn't stolen, TSA will cut right thru that. Then leave a note inside the bag stating they they cut thru your cord to inspect for security reasons.
Here is the comment your weren't looking for.
That's what she said... 0:59
Beat me to it, lol
For would be thieves : have sharp knife, cut bag open, remove desired contents, leave area ASAP.
Or distract the mark and take the whole bag, if it's small enough.
"How to make an unlikely occurrence a bit more tedious for a thief (unless he just slashes the bag open, which is common) while wasting a ton of your own time for the foreseeable future."
I think how likely it is depends a lot on where u are
The point is detterence. Much like a car with an alarm, that doesn't stop a thief from stealing it. You make your bag just a little difficult than the average bag that the thief would choose for an easier target. If you use a locked bag, specially a fancy one, it might encourange a thief to pinch it thinking there might be something valuable in it. With this technique your bag looks more inconspicuous and cheap to be bothered with just right amount of security. Again, situational awareness is the key. I don't know if you see an actual bag slasher, it a rather tedious thing to do, though it becomes easy with a very oblivious target.
@@inisipisTV Yeah deterrence does work but it's a tradeoff in this case as et also deters me from using my bag. Slashing is pretty brutal but the comments below illustrate that there's a better technique that bypasses the zipper. But as you said, awareness is the key, definitely.
Neat trick.. But where are the inner locks on those zipper pulls?
All the zippers I have seen, has a small latch in the zipper pull.
They are there to prevent the zipper from sliding open on its own.
You pull on that latch as you pull on the tab and it allows the zipper to slide.
Either that bag is really old, or it does not conform with Canadian Standards.
beautiful green pen how to make it?
These types of bags are totally insecure. Waste of time really.
it keeps the idiots out. and there are a lot of idiots in the world my friend.
@@boriscat1999 you can get into a bag like this with a bic biro in seconds, and seal the zipper afterwards, so one would never know
The knots, however, I like 👍
The point is detterence. Much like a car with an alarm, that doesn't stop a thief from stealing it. You make your bag just a little difficult than the average bag that the thief would choose for an easier target. If you use a locked bag, specially a fancy one, it might encourange a thief to pinch it thinking there might be something valuable in it. With this technique your bag looks more inconspicuous and cheap to be bothered with just right amount of security. Again, situational awareness is the key.
how bought you keep the metal parts on and put a lock on them
Excellent! The bag that I check when flying is zippered. Usually I zip-tie them tightly together and cut it at my destination. That prevents some baggage handler or security from easily opening my bag. Or I'll know if they have... The lock was removed on one trip and it made me rather annoyed and suspicious. I never put any valuables in there regardless. However for daily use on a backpack this is ideal
Wouldn't go so far as to say this will stop a theif, but will definitely slow someone down or even by adding the extra a step to habit may prevent you accidentally leaving the bag unzipped after going in it.
I may do this for the latter reason.
The theirf will just cut the rope or push a pen through the zipper at a different spot along said zipper. But, I imagine these knots have other, more practical utility. :)
That's some fancy knot tying for very little added security. About as useful as a twist tie.
What kind of torch are you using? I've been looking for one forever.
Don't try to bend parts of zipper. In most cases they are made of brittle aluminum allow that breaks of easily.
Jansport backpacks had this kind of basic thing on the zipper pulls in the late 80s early 90s and I tied them through each other to keep smartasses out of my pack when I was going down the hall in high school.
This is a great idea. It’s true that if a thief is determined to get into your bag they have several options. The opportunist thief however, may have second thoughts which make this solution viable, in my view.
I just use a Ziptie and tape another to the bag. If TSA opens my bag. They hopefully put another one on that I provided.
This reminds me of when I was on the metro in Paris with friends. My pal had a handbag that is open on the top, but the train was super busy, so instead of having it under her arm, it was held in front of her. There were lots of us, and people were standing very close. She happened to look down and the woman standing so close they were almost touching, was trying to steal things out the bag. My friend panicked and just shouted 'There's a hand in my bag!!!' and the woman got off laughing at the next stop 30 seconds later. We thought it was a funny thing to shout, but it was a good none threatening way to stop it, because who knows how someone is gonna react if you point them out specifically. But yeah, we kept a good eye on our belongings from then on.
Won't the thieves just run away with the bag, or cut the diamond knot with their switchblades?
This is good for avoiding pickpockets on the train or crowds. But those things are gonna take a while to become a thing again...
As an airport worker who deals with baggage on a daily basis I would advise NOT using a small lock to secure your bag. That knot is vastly more effective and cheaper as well. I find those stupid mini locks laying on the ground on a nearly every day. It does not take much strength to pop one of those open. I lost count of the number of time one of those locks got caught on a piece of equipment and pop clean off with a slight tug when trying to dislodge it. That is also why your luggage magically loses tabs for the zipper from time to time. those knots on the other hand are too thick to get wedged into the crevices that cause that damage most often. The only negative created from the context of air travel is it creates a hanging loop to catch another bag.
I have the same backpack and paracord handle 😮
I just use a carbineer clip to hold the two zippers together. I use two of those small ones. Granted it's not going to hold up from a determined attacker, but neither would the knot. A pair of garden sheers will take care of that in no time. My concern is when sitting on the train or trolley. I got the idea when I fell asleep one time on the train and upon waking up I noticed the girl sitting next to me pull back really quick. I didn't think anything of it until getting off the train and I noticed my back pocket flap was open which I usually check constantly (hence the reason I found it). It was too late to say anything, of course. She stole a calculator from the pocket. It was about the shape and size of a phone, so I think she probably thought she was stealing an iPhone. The joke is on her - it was a 29.99 calculator. Not even a graphing calculator.
If Im making a knot to prevent theft, it will be a knot around their neck and the other end tied to a bridge, or a car bumper.
You can take a ball point pen and push it into the zipper and seperate the zipper half’s, that what the tsa does in the airport when u have a lock on your bag, then just pull the zipper pulls over the open zipper and it closes back up
Is it necessary to remove the pullers, can't you attach the cord to the zipper pullers themselves.
Seems to me a much easier way to secure the zippers would be to carry zip ties and a small pair of nail clippers. Zip ties would be difficult to get off as well and if you're trying to use a knife, you would more than likely either stab a hole in the bag or cut your fingers and zip ties can be put on in a matter of seconds.
How does this have any effect? If I wanted what's inside, I'd just take the bag.
And what if the bag is attached to a person? Some thieves prefer not to be noticed and avoid direct altercations. This is to remedy that. Not if someone wants to just grab your entire bag.
Not going to lie to you just the pinching after melting is the most useful hack that I'm taking away from this
I am sorry but this isn’t going to stop anyone, all you need is a biro pen to poke in between the teeth of the zip and within a second your bag is open!
The really scary thing is they move both zips over the open bit and it will close right up so you won’t even know they have been there.
That's a moot point. Going by your logic, a padlock is also useless. Hell, why don't we just weld the zipper heads together since that wouldn't stop a pen either.
This is an added security for a normal zipper, not a replacement. It will never stop ALL thieves, but if it deters some, using such a cheap method, why not?
@@thsscapi no my point is don’t ever leave your bag unattended.
Regardless of security measures if you have the bag with you and are alert then that is a better deterrent than any cheap gadget.