Travel Luggage Anti-Theft Countermeasures

[AbyssalPlains]

An "anti-theft countermeasure" might be to write on your suitcase, "Do not steal - Extremely expensive, valuable diving equipment inside!"

Unfortunately, this doesn't work. My bike has a sticker on it that reads, "Please don't steal my bicycle. Thanks." and still someone tried to steal it.

 

[mike_s]

All lugage in the USA must be accesable for inspection which would preclude wrapping it in cling wrap or duct tape.

N

I would say here that wrapping it like that would definately "flag" it for inspection by TSA here.

 

[maged_mmh]

seriously, i found that the less the bag is appealing (dirty, torn) the more the chances to recover it safely

 

[FireDiver443]

A duct tape "X" on my suitcase is what I use to make it easy to identify on the luggage conveyor. I quick check the ID tag on the handle just to make sure someone else isn't using that method before grabbing it.

With the airlines charging for a second bag (or even ONE checked bag in some cases), I'm using more creativity when packing. Packing my some gear (wetsuit, fins, knives, save a dive box) and clothing wrapped in a kitchen garbage bag has worked ok so far. I usually have a couple extra bags stowed in the suitcase for the return tip. I'll usually throw a couple dryer fabric-softener sheets in too to try to make it smell a little better for the return trip after a week of diving.

Heavier or expensive gear (BP/W, regulators, computers, camera & mask) have been going in my carry on. It's worked fairly well so far.

 

[stu_in_fl]

Anything of value (like my video gear) I carry on.

...but i wonder how long before they crack down on heavy (or large) carry on - especially now as they have all the charges and limitations for check-in stuff.

it's actually one of the reasons I'm not housing my dSLR at the moment (the other being it'd cost me about $6k )

 

[goldenbear01]

i travel with a large red duffel bag, which i received as a "gift" with a purchase of some eau de toilet some years back. to further help personalize my bag, i use an orange handle strap (courtesy of an airline on which i frequently flew in my college days). alternatively, i travel with personalized gym bags also from my college days.

 

[peterbj7]

Marking your bag in a way you can recognize from the outside is definitely an essential step

Agreed. I use brightly coloured straps round my bags, which also provide added security in case a zip fails.

look at insurance options

I don't know about the US, but in Britain I approached both my home insurer and several of the specialist travel insurers, and they all said that the only way they will cover against theft from a bag is if it is securely locked. Given that that is impossible for any flights on American airlines or routing via America, that means their insurance would not be valid. They were quite definite about it. They'll still gratefully accept the premiums of course, but they won't actually pay out.

The above is new since the US introduced their new restrictions, generally post-9/11. The risk of losing a bag in total has always been with us, and here insurance policies vary enormously. Many will not cover a bag that is in the custody of someone else (such as an airline), although some still do. usually you have to go the airline for compensation, which is of course severely limited. And airlines often simply decline their responsibilities - I had American Airlines totally trash a brand new and expensive dive bag on its first trip, to London. They refused to pay any compensation and said that they had waivers in place. I pointed out that those waivers were ineffective in the UK and they could not avoid their liability. "So sue us" was the response. Appalling airline, though maybe the others have now become as bad.

 

[fisheater]

If they did all they'd get are some old clothes that resemble my "holy" wetsuit.

You have more "holy" stuff? Mon dieu!! That wetsuit's bad enough.

 

[Web Monkey]

I use a lime-green hard-sided beat-to-crap suitcase that my parents were too embarrassed to use in the 70's, and I carry on the expensive/hard to replace stuff.

Terry

 

[marshallkarp]

We have a big solar sun, too.

No flame here, I just like to play with words, soooo.. wouldn't "anti-theft countermeasures be redundant? Sort of like I was mistakenly wrong? I like it. H