Tips For Traveling With Your Gear

[David McNamee]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,114022,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,114022,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div>Here's an article for those of you who received new tech toys this holiday season and will be traveling home with them. PC World has a article summarizing tips for traveling with your technology gear. They also point to the TSA's <a href="http://www.tsa.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/Permitted_Prohibited_12_18_2003.pdf">list of permitted and prohibited items</a> to bring on a plane.<br /><br />Here's some extra tips of my own. I tend to keep my electronics in a single bag. I use a great laptop bag from <a href="http://www.spireusa.com/index.htm">Spire</a>. In it, I keep my Tablet PC, my digital camera and my <a href="http://commerce.motorola.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=253227&prmenbr=126&phone_cgrfnbr=1&zipcode">Smartphone</a> while I'm on the plane. I'll also carry a Pocket PC in it if I have need for one on the trip. It also has a spaghetti pouch for for power cords and other cables. Keeping all the electronics together lets me limit the amount of things I have to keep track of getting through the security checkpoints. <br /><br />When you're packing the power adapters, USB connectors and other cables, try to pack them neatly. If the security screener working the X-ray machine sees a rat's nest in your bag, it's more difficult for that person to figure out what's in the bag and send it along.<br /><br />What are some other tips that have made your travels with technology better?

[Neil]

Back when I was doing lots of pre-release demos of Smartphone I used to have to carry multiple developer kit phones, batteries, and debug boards. There's nothing quite like packing circuit boards with LED displays on them, especially after Sept. 11...

My carry bag of choice was a Plano fishing tackle box (http://www.gijoes.com/product/index.jsp?productId=972005&cp=716957.717055.562543&parentPage=family). Lots of little compartments I could split up into little sizes for batteries, MMC cards, tools, etc., and then bigger compartments for the phones and debug boards. If security needed to search, a couple of quick flips of the catches and it was all there for the guy to see.

The folks at SEA said "oh my, I hope that isn't fishing gear". The folks at LHR didn't even bat an eye or ask to open it!

I also learned on my last trip that HPCs (remember those?) are considered laptops, and you gotta take them out for screening outside of your bag.

[Mike Temporale]

When you're packing the power adapters, USB connectors and other cables, try to pack them neatly. If the security screener working the X-ray machine sees a rat's nest in your bag, it's more difficult for that person to figure out what's in the bag and send it along.

I have replaced most of my cables with a retractable version. I use a retractable sync-n-charge cable from Boxwave (http://www.boxwave.com) for my PPC, as well, I have replaced the modem and network cables with retractable versions. My mouse has a retactable cord ( tested some wireless travel mice... they all sucked :( )

The one cable I have not been able to replace is my earphones. This has long been the worst cable in my bag. I have yet to find a retractable set of earphones. I would have thought they would be everywhere by now, but nope. nothing. :cry:

[Mike Temporale]

My carry bag of choice was a Plano fishing tackle box (http://www.gijoes.com/product/index.jsp?productId=972005&cp=716957.717055.562543&parentPage=family). Lots of little compartments I could split up into little sizes for batteries, MMC cards, tools, etc., and then bigger compartments for the phones and debug boards. If security needed to search, a couple of quick flips of the catches and it was all there for the guy to see.

8O There's no padding!! Great case for the job. I guess I would just wrap the phones in bubble wrap or something. :lol:

[Neil]

8O There's no padding!! Great case for the job. I guess I would just wrap the phones in bubble wrap or something. :lol:

That's exactly what I did. I used anti-static bubble bags that we had in our hardware lab. For the debug boards it was great, and I didn't bother wrapping the phones. It was carry-on anyway :)

Neil