Pacsafe Metrosafe X Anti-Theft Urban Sling Review

Pacsafe has described this sling as “Hands down the best sling pack. Ever.” To steal a quote from the great Michael Jordan, we took that personally. Jokes aside, we’ve tested over a hundred slings and waist packs at the time of writing—with more on the way. We’ve even tested a handful of Pacsafe slings—with varying results. We’re curious whether or not their claim is just marketing or whether they feel that they’ve upped their game with this installment. Is this the best anti-theft sling pack? Let’s find out!

External Components

The sling comes in at 5 liters and is crafted from either 750D or 600D recycled polyester depending on the colorway. We find this material to be water resistant, but it’s best to head for cover in anything more than a light rain. The exterior looks quite nice, and there are a few colorways available.

As always, Pacsafe includes a handful of additional security features in this pack. We figured we’d go over them all upfront; then, we can speak about how they affect usage when we get to each section further on.

The main pack material has an eXomesh® slashguard, which, put simply, is stainless steel wiring throughout the sling for cut resistance. In theory, if someone tried to stab or cut a hole in the sling, they would be able to make a hole but not extend the cut or tear further. If you feel the sling closely, you can get a good idea of its size.

The strap secures with a PopNLock security clip. This is a confusing mechanism if you’ve never run into it, and you can put a mini lock on the bottom section to ensure nobody can open it.

The strap material is equipped with a Carrysafe® slashguard with Dyneema®, which is similar to the eXomesh® in the primary pack material. Two metal wires run through it, so if someone tries to cut the sling off your body, they would struggle more than if it were just fabric.

The main compartment has YKK zippers with a Roobar™ sport locking system. Essentially this adds a layer of protection to your zipper pulls so that they don’t open quickly. You have to push a tab, slide a mechanism, and then undo the pulls from one another. It’s relatively quick if you know the process, but it isn’t very clear if you haven’t. Similar to the PopNLock, you can also throw a lock on here to ensure no one gets inside.

When you make it inside the interior, there are RFIDsafe™ blocking pockets & materials, but we’ll get to those later on.

Overall, the materials here feel similar to other Pacsafe slings and daypacks we’ve tested in the past—including the special security measures, all of which we’ve seen before.

The back panel has padding with holes built in for airflow. There’s a thin layer of mesh on top of that to promote aeration, which keeps things cool and comfortable. There isn’t a ton of structure, so oblong-shaped items can poke through the back panel, but in most situations, there isn’t an issue.

The strap has no padding or aeration, but it’s comfortable. You can’t feel the security wire we mentioned earlier, and its width spreads out the weight if you have a heavier load. It may dig in slightly if you’re wearing thinner clothes, like a small t-shirt or tank top. However, it likely won’t deter you from wearing it, even on longer journeys because it’s still fairly comfortable.

The adjustment hardware on the straps works well, and the strap keeper is a nice addition and something we’ve come to expect from Pacsafe. They keep things organized and professional, so if you’re into loose extra strap materials, this isn’t the sling for you.

Fit Notes

This sling is a certified long boi. It isn’t very wide or deep, though it’s one of the longer slings that we’ve tested. At just 5 liters, it feels more like a hybrid backpack when you’re wearing it due to its footprint. This is especially true for smaller frames.

When you wear it on your front, you always notice it. It isn’t uncomfortable, but you are aware of its presence. This carry method enables quick access to your gear but can sometimes feel cumbersome. In back carry mode, it shows its best stuff. The pack is out of your way but still quickly accessible by rotating it forwards. You can feel it, but it’s comfortable thanks to the back panel. It almost feels like a quiver, but instead of arrows, you’ve got your wallet, phone, and Nintendo Switch (hang tight).

Inside The Sling

We have just one compartment to talk about here, but it’s a good one. Getting inside takes time, but mastering the Roobar™ sport locking system is quick. We already have experience with it (thanks to the Pacsafe Vibe 100 Anti-Theft Hip Pack), but we find that new users typically pick it up within a day or two. We feel that this is the point of the system. It isn’t meant to be so annoying that it hinders your experience with the pack—it’s just meant to slow someone down if they’re trying to open up the zippers. They’ll get it eventually, but in an ideal world, you will have noticed by then—or the sight of the mechanism will have deterred them. Even if they’ve seen a Pack Hacker video showing how the mechanism works, odds are, it’ll still take them a while to get inside.

The front side of the sling is taken up entirely by a large zippered mesh pocket. It’s enormous—honestly, it might be the most oversized mesh pocket we’ve seen in a sling. We can fit a cased Nintendo Switch here with a little room to spare on the sides. The mesh isn’t stretchy, but you probably won’t need any extra room in here due to its size. Seriously, this pocket is bonkers, and we’re here for it.

On the opposite side of the sling, there are more detailed organizational features. The left side has the RFID safe pocket that we mentioned earlier. It secures with a hook and loop fastener and has enough space for most wallets, a passport, and other similarly shaped items. It isn’t tall enough to fit a smartphone—but we didn’t feel it was necessary to put one here anyways.

The right side has a more traditional organization method. There are four liner pockets—a larger one on the back side, two pen pockets, and a smaller one. This is an excellent place to slide gear that you don’t want roaming around the main compartment untethered, and we haven’t had an issue falling out of this area in transit.

There’s a key ring attached to the top right corner, and it’s long enough to open a door without removing your keys, which we love to see. There’s a metal circular key ring and a plastic clip, two options we think are great for traveling. You can place short-term things, like your hotel or Airbnb key, on the plastic clip for quick removal at checkout. The metal ring is perfect for your house or mail keys, which you don’t anticipate needing to change often. Whatever you choose to attach can slide into the liner pocket below it when not in use.

Apart from the organization mentioned above, there isn’t much else inside the sling. There’s a ton of room in the middle for extra gear. The space is pretty shallow, however, the length of the sling makes it a good place for flat items like books, notebooks, or even a tablet.

If you have a ton of small items, you may have to sacrifice your Nintendo Switch pocket (the crowd gasps) to place them inside so they don’t get lost in the main compartment. To be fair, the mesh pocket is so large you might lose them in there, too.

Overall, we’re really digging this sling. It can be overbearing for smaller users, but you can fit a ton of gear inside, and the internal organization is thoughtful. If you can’t get with carrying a sling on your back, it might not be for you—but, hey, we think this one is worth trying.