Posted on by Terry White

Travel Tips for the Techie – Part 1: Avoid a TSA “Bag Check”

meshbags

I’m dedicating three days on my blog to "Travel Tips for the Techie". Having done a lot of travel recently I’m reminded of those things I do and bring along that make travel a little easier. So I decided to share some of my favorite tips with you here.

As a gadget junkie, I travel with a lot of electronics. So it was a common occurrence for me to hear the words "bag check" from the TSA x-ray person. I would hear those lovely words at least 50-60% of the time when going through airport security. Recently I decided to do something about it. I started to think about what  is it about my laptop bag that causes the x-ray agent so much trouble? Then it dawned upon me that I carry a lot of loose crap. What I mean by that is that I carry a lot of loose cables, connectors, adapters, etc. 

Then I remembered that I had one of those cool mesh bags in there that had a lot of the connectors in it and that if I had a second one of those I would be able to put the other half of my stuff in that one. This way when I got to security I could whip out my notebook and both mesh bags and put them in a bin and coast right through. Well it worked! My last 2 trips through the TSA security line went perfectly. No pauses, no delays, no funny stares by the x-ray person.

I was lucky in that I already had a couple of those mesh bags that came with a laptop bag that I used to use years ago.

meshbags2

However, if you need to get a couple of those, these Think Tank bags should work out great. 

 

You might also want some of these Hefty(R) 1-Zip Travel Bags for your liquids:

 

11 Replies to “Travel Tips for the Techie – Part 1: Avoid a TSA “Bag Check””

  1. I always get stopped because I “have a lot of cables” or I get “you sure like electronics”. But mostly it’s my camera bag that gets stopped and hand checked.

  2. Terry,

    Thanks a lot. I leave for the Middle east for 3 weeks in October. I got a lot of Photo “junk” to take with me…..I will be better prepared.

    Thanks
    Ken in KY

  3. I did this exact thing on my last trip and they never did a bag check on me.. My girlfriend on the other hand had her bag taken apart at every TSA checkpoint we went through.

  4. I had similar problems so I grabbed one of the Eagle Creek Pack-it 1/4 Cubes at REI. It’s the perfect size and has a handle to make it easy to grab and carry. I keep my car chargers and Ipod cables in one to make moving from one car to another easy. At $8.50, it’s less expensive (and a little larger) than the Think Tank bag (although I love and own several Think Tank products too).

  5. I rarely have a problem at the checkpoint, despite all the wires, chargers, and gizmos that I carry.

    My problem is checked luggage. It is *always* opened – off course where I can’t see it.

    I’m trying a TSA lock on checked bag for the first time today. I have a monopod, some hard drives, and other things that wouldn’t fit on the plane since I’m carrying on all my camera gear and laptop. We’ll see if they even use it or just cut it off and leave me open to the baggage handlers.

  6. Oddly enough, when I’ve traveled with my laptop, iPod/iPhone, with power adapters, ethernet cable, etc., I’ve never been subjected to a bag check. Maybe I’m just lucky…still, using the mesh bags is a great idea. Even if you don’t worry about being bag checked, they still help organize all the stuff we have to carry around.

    I’ve used the TSA locks that Bob mentions, and I’ve found they work OK. None have been cut off, which makes me feel a bit better. Still, how hard is it for a dishonest luggage handler to get one of the TSA master keys?

    I’m looking forward to the next two articles in this series.

  8. Thanks for this valuable information. I’ve traveled a lot in the past and this information is valid for both pre and post 911 travel. The stress of travel and negotiating border security can be greatly reduced with the suggestions provided. Thanks again.

  10. I have an EZCheck bag from G-bags that works fantastic. I recently traveled through Harrisburg International through Dulles International and then onto Dayton International Airport. I actually received 2 separate comments from TSA screeners that they appreciated my bag! It was nice to get a positive comment from a screener, because we know how tough they can be! You can find the EZCheck bag on http://www.G-bags.com or here is the direct link: http://www.g-bags.com/ezcheck.html PS They even have a video on their site so that you can see the bag in action!

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