Do you WRAP IT - or DON'T WRAP IT?

[Archphoto]

Use TSA locks - simply because the amount of gear I travel with can't go with me as HLO.

It's more for me to see if they've been tampered with (and some of them are useless - snapped right off!!) I've had them opened on a few occasions with a nice little note saying TSA have opened to inspect, never had them cut off and only had two snap off. They were a couple I purchased in AU with thinner shanks than some I purchased in the US & Asia.

Now I grab the thicker versions - in all honesty, it probably won't make a ton of difference, *but* if it means someone passes mine over as it's in the "too hard" basket for an unlocked one it's all good (for me anyway).

I take my camera and basic kit on board with me - if anything gets nicked or wanders off on another flight I can at least still operate with minimal kit, whilst my assistant locates replacement gear (if at all possible!!), and follows up with the airline as to where our original bags are.

Biggest problem for me is - that basic kit (in a bag) is getting *extremely* close to the weight limit for carry-on. It's great that they warn against putting your valuables in the hold, but makes it difficult if you've got $10k worth of gear with you, that they insist has to be checked because the flight is full!

Ahhh the joys of international flying for work. . . . . . :mrgreen:

 

[Deleted member 29185]

OMG - get your minds above your navels you sick, demented and depraved people! I am talking about your luggage before you check it in:

I must be getting old(er)....my immediate thought was taking the duty free grog in checked luggage! :shock:

I'd hate to see it broken!

Oh, and I've never yet wrapped my luggage!

 

[Bindibuys]

I do lock my luggage, but also carry cable ties.
I use the cable ties for when I need to leave luggage - say in hotel storage, where someone could have "unlimited? " time in the room to go thru bags.

I assume that "pen/zip" trick does not work when the lock is part of the structure of the bag?

 

[tuapekastar]

One time when I was checking in while very hungover I considered having myself wrapped in order to keep the outside world out, but otherwise have never seriously considered it. I lost my lock a few years ago and have never bothered to replace it - nothing of real value in the checked bag.

 

[Warks]

We were flying to NZ to go hiking last month and I couldn't find a decent overbag for the hiking backpacks before leaving home. I was concerned about the way baggage handlers could mishandle the straps or that they could get caught in conveyor belts and wrecked which wouldn't have been good considering we had to start walking the next day. I thought - why not get the bags wrapped to protect them? Got to the airport and saw it was $15 each and there was a queue so I thought better of it and we spent a few minutes tying up all the straps we could to minimise the risk of damage. All came through okay but I think I need the overbag for the next time.

 

[spudseamus]

Don't wrap but I do lock . Old habits

 

[leadman]

I must be getting old(er)....my immediate thought was taking the duty free grog in checked luggage! :shock:

I'd hate to see it broken!

Oh, and I've never yet wrapped my luggage!

Always pack my scotch I buy in my checked (have a good method), and never had a problem (currently a bottle of Jura Diurachs' own in there now ready for home). But, no swing-tops or aluminium cans! Both of these have been a disaster; Al cans as my son when through a phase of collecting anything Coke Cola and a belt buckle pieced it. And can never forget the trail of beer I left across the terminal in BKK when a swing-top burst open!!!! And no, no wrapping, no locking.....

 

[blackcat20]

I've packed some pretty expensive champers in my suitcase and never had an issue with only using a TSA lock....

 

[marki]

I've packed some pretty expensive champers in my suitcase and never had an issue with only using a TSA lock....

Same and wine without a hitch! So far

 

[TheRealTMA]

I've packed some pretty expensive champers in my suitcase and never had an issue with only using a TSA lock....

Twice flying through DXB with TSA locks, bags " invisibly" unlocked and items stolen. Changed to more secure locks and no more problems (so far). Baggage handler thieves have TSA lock keys, obviously. Can download plans from the inter web and 3D print them.

 

[Milefest]

Baggage handler thieves have TSA lock keys, obviously. Can download plans from the inter web and 3D print them.

You can just buy them online, they're quite cheap.

 

[Denali]

I must be getting old(er)....my immediate thought was taking the duty free grog in checked luggage! :shock:
I'd hate to see it broken!
Oh, and I've never yet wrapped my luggage!

A couple of years ago hubby and I drove the Kentucky Bourbon trail, got the free tshirt and about half a dozen bottles, some engraved, some like Makers Mark that I dipped in red wax myself. Bubble wrap, lots of bubble wrap, a couple of small Walmart plastic boxes and duct tape. 3 flights and got them home safe

LAX TSA still owe me a lock from last year when they opened our bags, no note but the lock was gone. Im still peeved about that.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I am a bit confused as to how a lock or cable tie affords much if any protection when a pen will still simply open the zipper if anybody wants to access your bag.

 

[Awesom Andy]

I am a bit confused as to how a lock or cable tie affords much if any protection when a pen will still simply open the zipper if anybody wants to access your bag.

None at all, really. It just makes the bag the 2nd easiest target rather than the first, and I tie my down simply so it wouldn't get accidentally unzipped. The locks built into the luggage itself where the zipper needs to be in a fixed position would offer such protection, should the pax feels the need for a higher level of protection.

 

[blackcat20]

I am a bit confused as to how a lock or cable tie affords much if any protection when a pen will still simply open the zipper if anybody wants to access your bag.

If you use the cable tie to secure the zip tags to something on the bag, the pen trick cant be used....

 

[Cruiser Elite]

If you use the cable tie to secure the zip tags to something on the bag, the pen trick cant be used....

How so? Lock / cable tie - secure the zip anyway you like:



Spear a pen through the zipper:



Slide the pen along:



Open it as much as you desire or need to gain access:



Again how does using a lock / cable tie stop this in any way?

 

[blackcat20]

How so? Lock / cable tie - secure the zip anyway you like:

View attachment 65373

Spear a pen through the zipper:

View attachment 65374

Slide the pen along:

View attachment 65375

Open it as much as you desire or need to gain access:

View attachment 65376

Again how does using a lock / cable tie stop this in any way?

It doesnt stop the opening, but it cant be closed up again. ie it would be extremely obvious that the case had been opened, so less likely to occur.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Very simple to wrap at home if anybody desires - see this roll stretch wrap / film:



YES we use this for work - but anybody can buy a roll from a Packaging Supplier - it's called stretch wrap / film - 400mtr rolls - ~$25 cash will get you a roll - easy to wrap a bag / case without the applicator tool pictured. Personally I never wrap my bag with clothes - we do wrap bags / cases full of parts bei8ng returned to China - so easy.

 

[coriander]

I've never locked my suitcase in 40 years of OS travel until my last trip.

I locked my case with a TSA lock (came with my suitcase) first time ever on my last trip to the LOTFAP. When I arrived at Monterey, the lock was gone as was a soft bag inside my suitcase, a CPAP power supply and a Powercube. A $1000 carbon fibre tripod and a $700 zoom lens were untouched; there was no TSA love letter. Everything had been labelled with my name email address, mobile phone numbers in both US and AUS but I never saw the items again. I contacted AA, QF and TSA: QF and AA had nothing in their lost property office, TSA didn't even auto-reply. I learned my lesson: don't lock a suitcase.

EDIT: didn't know about pen trick: is the zip repairable? or did CE's suitcase have to die for this demonstration tutorial? A suitcase with a non-functioning zip at the beginning of a trip could be a disaster.

 

[Awesom Andy]

EDIT: didn't know about pen trick: is the zip repairable? or did CE's suitcase have to die for this demonstration tutorial? A suitcase with a non-functioning zip at the beginning of a trip could be a disaster.

Running the zipper over it will fix it up, and looks exactly the same as before the pen got there.