Lock And Load

“The world’s safest bag” was borne out of a traveling nightmare 

- Jacs T. Sampayan

AUSTRALIANS MAGNUS MCGLASHAN and Rob Schlepper met on a Carribean cruise back in 1989. McGlashan was just finishing a business and marketing degree while Schlepper, an engineer, was in the middle of developing technology to prevent bags from being slashed and stolen from. Agreeing that there was something potentially big in a line of impenetrable carryalls, the adventurous duo took nine years to finally launch the venture, Pacsafe, in 1998. Today, the brand is in 33 countries all over the globe, from Canada and Malaysia to Japan and, of course, the Philippines. McGlashan flew in to Manila for the launch of Pacsafe’s fourth store.

Can you tell us about the brand’s origins?