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Sturdy Laptop Travel Cases?
biglig2 asks: "You may have seen on todays news that, after a foiled attempt to smuggle explosives on a plane here in the UK, UK airlines are now banning all cabin baggage on outgoing flights. Great timing, since I'm probably flying to the States next week, and this means putting my laptop, iPod and cellphone into the cargo hold. Since I have to assume that anything I put in the hold is going to be frozen, depressurized, and repeatedly jumped on by the baggage handlers, what hard laptop cases have Slashdot users found to be indestructible?"
Adamantium.
Anything less, and you might as well not try.
http://www.pelican.com/
if you have the cash for the flash: http://www.zerohalliburton.com/
First get a good Hard Case for your laptop, while Soft Cases are good for normal usage, with luggage being tossed around and odd pressures being pressed on the laptop, a hard case will take the pressures not the laptop. Plus to keep it extra safe against all the tossing about I would put the case in with your clothing and have it packed tight (but not too tight) so it will can take the extra abuse of being tossed around a bit. Finally if you are worried about the cold Keep your laptop running as long as possible, perhaps with some app that gets it really hot, then when you need to give it to be shipped turn it off, and imeadtaely place it in the case, and in your clothing. The Case and your clothing will act like a blanket and keep the laptop warm for a few hours, and above damaging cold for more time. This should allow your laptop survive a trip.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Something like this -> http://www.luggageonline.com/product.cfm?product_I D=1499 as long as you don't mind the cost.
Fast, cheap & reliable. Pick two.
No, I don't mean this discussion. Aircraft holds are pressurized and generally heated, as least to keep them above 0C.
Err, make that Zero
Takes a beating, nary a scratch to show for it, and you look like Jack Bauer all the while.
Ship them ahead of time via FedEX / UPS / Purolator in the original shipping container or something close ?
I sense a lot of nerd rage and passive-aggressive in this story text.
People usually keep their laptops with because of the theft risk. So don't get someting that stands out as a laptop or other high value item.
Just pack it in the center of your clothing and it will be fine. I fly way to many miles - on the last leg of a multi continent trip, just missing the UK fiasco by a couple days - and always travel with a pair of laptops. Granted, I (use) to make it a point to do everything carry-on, but I would usually slip the spare thinkpad in the center of my suitcase and the other in my laptop bag. No fancy containers, just clean laundry at the start of trip, dirty stuff at the end. If you get a nice 'laptop' case, hard sided or otherwise, expect it to get 'lost'... A beat up bag works great.
Looking at the TSO website, it looks like the folks not traveling with 'carry-on' electronics are from the UK. Domestic flights say laptops can travel with you. No more bringing a bottle of water, however. I'll find out when I fly home tomorrow.
Joy.
+++ UGUCAUCGUAUUUCU
...get an appropriatly sized messanger bag with lots of pockets (for external drive, power connections, mouse, etc) and get some of that foam for bed rolls (like neopreme, but about 4 times the thickness) of similar width to your laptop. Place foam in bag, covering sides and bottom. Stick in the laptop. As such, it won't protect the sides much or the top of the bag, but I don't think dropping your bag sideways is likely. Add protection for perhiphials if desired. Wander around campus and damage your back with the weight of your desktop-replacement, external hard drive, and power cables.
I have freaks! I did something right...
Hard cases are good, but be sure to put a belt around it. I can still remember hard cases when they were popular last, and think I still have a Samsonite in the closet. One wrong drop and they sprung open unless they were locked and locks were not 100% effective. You can't lock anything anymore and a belt will hold it closed when the catches fail. Just wrap a good belt around the middle through handle and make sure nothing is loose and can catch.
Good luck. I'm hoping I don't have to fly for the next six months or so. Reading about all the stupid things inspectors will do is all the "stark reminder" I want.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
Masonite, styro-foam insulation and liquid nails make a good, quick hard case. You can add layers of squishy foam to further cushion a fall if you want. I put them in my laptop bags. If I have to go someplace soon, I'm going to pack my laptop back inside my clothes canvas bag. That should be good enough for the 12 foot fall you should expect your luggage to experience and in turn be hit by the corner of a hard case from the same distance.
If you want something fast for ordinary luggage, go to wall mart and see if any of the gun cases are big enough. They have plastic shells and squishy foam liners.
Nothing is fool proof so I'm going to avoid travel if I can until this stuff blows over again.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
My wife worked for a major airline and tells horror stories from watching baggage handlers. As a result, she carries (well, used to carry) almost everything breakable as a carry-on. I recommend a steel case with firm foam padding. You can custom-cut the foam to fit your laptop and other accessories. Personally, I'd overnight it ahead of me in a laptop shipping box.
Pelican 1490 and 1520 fit/are made for laptops.
Colossians 2:8
It's a common misconception that cargo holds are not pressurized or climatized.
I recommend these cases above all others, including Pelican and Samsonite. Highly impact resistant and waterproof.
A soft bag from here http://www.tombihn.com/ and a brain cell http://www.tombihn.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Scre en=PROD&Store_Code=001&Product_Code=TB0300
Beats about everything out there.
"think of it as evolution in action"
As I recall the airlines or TSA also strongly discourages you from locking checked baggage unless you use one of their "approved" locks.
What a time to be a baggage handler with an E-bay account!
And how will corporations react to having their sensitive corporate data floating around unknown places out of the hands of their employees, or even lost forever in misdirected luggage?
Three Squirrels
And I un-second the Zero Halliburton cases, as they scream "steal me" at the top of their shiny little lungs. Pro photograpers learned that a long time ago. Get a Pelican and even then wrap a beat-up duffle around it so when it comes off the luggage carrousel it doesn't say "equipment" and no one gives it a second glance.
Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
Not the animal the case. I use them for transporting everything, from electronics and firearms to clothing and food.
I think the unspoken commentary regarding the finish they put on Zero-Halliburton cases is: if you're rich enough to afford it in the first place, then you're rich enough to replace the damn thing every time it gets scratched.
That's actually the biggest reason why I would avoid it, or any other kind of obviously high-end, high-tech luggage. You don't want the bag that has your expensive stuff in it, to look like it has expensive stuff in it.
If I had a Z-H, the first thing I'd do before I checked it in at the airline, would be to put it in a nondescript duffel bag. Maybe something tremendously ugly and/or distinctive (a giveaway bag from the "Swan Lake Camp for Retarded Youngsters" would work well). Particularly since the maximum claimable value for luggage is limited by law to something fairly low, and downright worthless on international flights, you really don't want to have a few thousand dollars worth of stuff stolen. When that nice shiny piece of brushed aluminum or stainless steel fails to come around the luggage-recovery belt, you're going to be out thousands of dollars worth of luggage and gear.
I think the airlines' liability for checked luggage is limited to something around $9.07 per pound with a maximum of $400 per passenger; disguising your bag so that it doesn't grow legs and walk off seems to me, to be a whole lot more important than looking sharp when you're carrying it around.
I'd get a Pelican case, or other kind of hard transport case, and then always check it inside of some other crappy bag. Not only will it protect the "real" case, but it'll make it a little less obvious that whatever's inside the bag is valuable enough to warrant such a container.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
It's a common misconception that cargo holds are not pressurized or climatized.
... what do people think they do, give Fido an oxygen tank and a blanket for the duration of the trip?
You know, the fact that they transport LIVE ANIMALS down there probably should have been a clue
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
Since I have to assume that anything I put in the hold is going to be frozen, depressurized, and repeatedly jumped on by the baggage handlers,
None of that will happen.
Your valuables will simply be stolen by the TSA.
Seriously. They're wicked. I just bought a 1550 for my camera gear and laptop. That way if I need to check it when I'm traveling over the next few days I can. Also, if I need to take it on a kayak, I can just tow it behind the boat. Well designed kit kicks arse. Tim PS. Using pelican cases probably increases the chances that your stuff will go missing. They're the sort of cases that people only put decent gear in so it's probably a 'good' choice for theives.
Worry about theft. So if your port of departure does not allow locks, eg USA, make sure you declare value of items and insure them or whatever. I got a netgear router worth 60$. I put it in my check in baggage. On delivery I open and see the box is there so I am happy. I reach home and open the netgear box, and I see its empty. the Airline was Cathay Pacific, which is considered among the more reliable ones! If you browse some camera forums, you will see so many cases of lenses and accessories being stolen from checkin baggage. So a sturdy bag will protect only from impact and such. If you really love your ipod/laptop etc., etc., make sure that you insure all of them. Something tells me that baggage handlers and Homeland security officials are right now rejoicing about this rule. After all of something in stolen, its the airline which pays right, they can happily gift their kids the latest gadgets.
My Aurora : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o91ZsGwJYyg
FB : https://www.facebook.com/TanveersPhotography
Insure your luggage with travel insurance (much more common in Europe I think). Take pictures of the insides of your packed luggage before you leave and store them on your gmail account.
I'll add another vote for pelican cases, as they are what I use. Strong, heavy and ugly, they are perhaps the best for the money. Z-H cases are just as good, show damage a bit more, and are more expensive. If you sprung for a black macbook, then you are the type to spring for a zero-haliburton. The pelican foam insert is easily configured for maximum protection.
One caveat for anyone flying with pelican or z-h cases. They have been the drug smuggler's cases of choice for years now, and have a tendancy to get pulled by drug agency enforcers with alarming frequency (close to 100% in my case). There is a myth that having a nice rubber seal around the edges keeps drug sniffing dogs from doing their job, and the number of drug couriers lingering in prisons around the world shows that dogs are better trained than that.
When you travel with an expensive case, always put it inside another bag, I use a backpack which makes it easier to transport, or it will attract thieves like nothing else. I've seen one computer guy who let his daughter decorate his pelican with pink hello kitty stickers after painting it fluorescent pink, it stood out in any crowd, and was a useful deterent to thieves walking off with it.
You can't lock checked bagage any more, so just put a security seal on the case to see if it was opened. Ensure that your laptop cannot boot without a password, and any and all sensitive data is on a fully encrypted partition, with full backups left at home or online. All the other things you can do, such as noting serial and model numbers of everything you check is important, since if you fly regularly the chances of finally losing the laptop to thieves approaches one. Put the list of valuables on a post-it inside your passport and carry it with you. Airlines will not reimburse you for the cost of a laptop, you have to take out additional insurance which specifies full replacement costs. If you buy your ticket with a credit card, they may claim to cover losses due to theft, but often the small print requires you to provide them with a list of items well in advance of flying in order to actually have coverage.
the AC
Hemos is like...sci-fi fans;he thinks technology is cool, but he hasn't bothered to understand the science it's based on
Anybody have a solid case that they can put in a backpack that will save the computer when a bus runs you off the road?
The masses are the crack whores of religion.
Consider FedEx-ing (or UPS-ing) your expensive stuff over to meet you upon arrival. You can insure your goodies for their full value, should they get lost/stolen/broken. I don't think the airlines will give you that kind of protection.
While the container is not itself indestructible (it is, after all, a cardboard box), FedEx has a laptop kit - this is a 20"x20"x7" box with an insert that, when assembled and placed correctly, effectively shockproofs your computer for drops up to one yard. One of these costs US$10. I don't know if you can get them UK side.
This sig no verb.
Websense here at work picked up the above as "Weapons" and blocked it, FYI.
Grrr.
For something really rugged, how about the computer cases made by Anvil ? Same mfg who produces equip cases for bands "on the road" and such. Even makes the Pelican stuff look kinda wimpy ;)
Maybe they intended them for laptops, but even the 1490 is four times thicker than I need. It's five inches too big in each of the other dimensions too. My Dell X-300 is only 11 x 9.3 x 1".
I definately recommend a pelican as I own several. I fly often and have made many trips with over $10,000 of rifles in the 1750 rifle case. No worries from me other than lost luggage. I have seen them fall 10 feet off of a luggage belt getting loaded into the plane and at 50 pounds it is coming down hard onto that tarmac. It only ever sustanted a few scuffs from that and the contents were fine. The majority of athletes who travel with expensive firearms buy Pelican and there is a good reason for it. While I have never used the laptop cases I am sure that they are also up to the same quality.
If you want to be really safe, look for cases that are ATA rated, which means they're designed to be put underneath a plane and travel safely. These are very popular in the music business for shipping delicate audio equipment and instruments for concert tours and stuff. There are many sites that allow you to specify dimentions to meet your needs. You could even put in spots for power supply, mice, etc...
I used to pack sensitive things in the middle of clothes. One time I put my digital camera in the middle of my luggage, wrapped in clothes. When I got home, a tag on the luggage said "Inspected by the TSA." When I opened the luggage, the camera was right on the side of the luggage, and crushed. Apparently the TSA folks saw the camera in an X-Ray, dug it out, saw that it was just a camera, then instead of putting it back where it started, they just dropped it on top of the clothes. At some point after that another piece of luggage was probably dropped on mine, crushing the camera. Thanks TSA! Moral: Don't assume that the way you pack your luggage is the way that the TSA will repack it after they search. Anything valuable that you pack must be safe no matter where in your luggage it is. Otherwise you'll get the same disappointment that I did.
I've had two exeriences with TSA and little locks. The first time I put a cheap little combination lock on a bag just to hold the zipper shut, fully expecting them to cut if off if they neded to inspect the bag. Instead, they apparently twiddled the dials until it opened (pretty simple, as I learned later), changed the combination, and put it back on the bag. Second time I just locked it on the zipper but not holding anything shut, just dangly there. When I picked up the bag the lock was missing. I still wonder what they thought they accomplised in both cases.
Lufthansa pilot bags are better then most, especialy since they normaly only contain maps, which makes them completly unsuspicious: http://www.manufactum.com/product/1402826/group/18 7798/dmc_mb3_search_pi1.pos/1/track_flash/0/Produc t_Details.2866.0.html
If you know that your valuables will be stolen, just stop flying. I don't fly anymore. It isn't that important. I like driving around the US when I travel, and when I visit Europe, I will be sailing. I'm actually looking forward to it. The airlines don't need to hear me complain, they realize that they aren't getting my money. It is futile to harass every passenger to prevent a few "terrorists". If someone really wants to blow up another plane, they will. There is no reason to live in fear. When a psycho decids to kill you, you will likely be killed.
Otterbox http://www.otterbox.com/ has recently released a laptop case. I've heard great things about Otterbox's products in the past, and might be worth checking out. Check out the review: http://www.techfear.com/articles/2006/7/otterbox_l aptop_case.shtml
Supplies are still limited on their medium sized case and they're only considering producing a smaller and larger sized case.
This has gotten me thinking about protecting my laptop for an upcoming trip...
If any Mac users are looking for something lightweight and sturdy to wrap their *Book, check out Radtech's affordable lineup of cases. I've been using the NeoCase for 8 months now and it's served me well: the wetproof (I wouldn't go so far as to say "waterproof"--don't take your PowerBook swimming), zip-up, use-in cover is a nigh-on perfect compromise for users who actually want to use their laptops on the go. Its padding is thick enough that, as long as it's packed tightly enough in the case, your laptop should be protected from all but plane crashes. It's also a more practical and affordable choice than most of the big ol' hefty cases out there.
...of being used at home, I definitely would not recommend the Freedom Furniture Laptop Table.
I bought one of these laptop tables a few months ago, assembled it, RTFMd, checked the bolts, RTFMd again, rechecked the bolts, and sat down at it with my brand new Acer Ferrari. The angle wasn't comfortable, so I adjusted it... and watched my brand new laptop flip onto the floor and shatter the screen.
Paraphrased, Freedom Furniture have replied with " *shrug* ". Video demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly0-Vbqyby8Freedom Furniture Shattered My Laptop's LCD
the value of your data, assuming you're not a complete asshat that is, should be the related to the inconvenience that loss of that data would cause you. If you encrypt your data then in virtually every case you'd have a worst case scenario of having to resend the data out and buy a new laptop to put it on: unless you're doing something that is time-critical. If you *are* doing something time-critical that could potentially cost you $4m if it goes missing for a few days, then you really shouldn't be relying on one guy with a laptop...
Design News has a great story on its website today, which discusses the issue of checking your laptop and offers insights from engineers, laptop manufacturers and even laptop case makers. Check it out at: http://www.designnews.com/article/CA6363075.html