Packing electronics in backpack

Roy,

If your carry-on Backpack has multiple compartments, I've found it's usually possible to pack things to allow quick passage through security. What type of Backpack are you using?

A few thoughts on how you might simplify the process....

• Put the Laptop in a sleeve and keep this outside the Backpack when you go through security. That will allow you to remove it easily and place it in the plastic bin (which the screeners will probably want). Many sleeves have an extra pocket to keep the Chargers and cords, so I'd keep all the Laptop kit together.

• I use a separate padded compact Camera case for my dSLR. It's no trouble to carry two pieces of luggage as with the Backpack my hands are free anyway. The Camera Charger is placed in that case also.

• You might consider a small pouch such as the Eagle Creek Quarter Cubes or Pack-It Sacks to hold the Chargers, to keep them all together.

• I'd probably roll the GPS unit inside clothing, to provide some protection from damage. Be sure it's easily accessible so that you can show the screeners if they ask.

Happy travels!

Relax. The screeners have seem them all before and will probably not panic. I suspect you will also have to take your laptop out of your luggage for screening.

How you stuff things might be problematic; a pack of X cubic inches will not hold X + 1 cubic inches.

I put my lap top in an incase protective sleeve and then put that in my backpack. You will have to remove your computer from the backpack, but not the incase sleeve if you get one approved by TSA. I also put the cords and chargers in what a friend of mine calls the computer's "toiletry" bag. I make sure that they are coiled neatly. Get some of those velcro strips that can easily wrap up the cords. I have a smaller camera bag--the holster type--and I put my DSLR in that bag and put that in the backpack. I have to tell you that all of this does take up a lot of room. Pam

Thanks for all the good advice. That should simplify packing. I use a basic Rick Steves backpack, which is easy to pack and carry and has worked well for the past three trips. It has enough compartments that I should be able to keep everything accessible. I am not sure, however, if the laptop is worth the trouble of packing and keeping up with. Its primary use would be as a download site for pictures from the camera. I might be better off just getting a second, larger memory chip for the camera and leaving the laptop at home.

I've only taken my computer once and I took it because I planned to not only download the pictures, I planned on working them a bit. I was traveling alone and had time in the evening to do it. I don't think I would take it unless I planned to do actual work on it. On the trip that I took it, I did work on the pictures and it was fun to share them with my tour mates in the evening. I actually found that I did the most work on the flight home!

Pam

Yikes . . . I'd never carry a laptop just to store pictures on. I've carried a netbook because I knew we'd be booking hotels and trips while overseas and I begrudged the weight of that thing, even though it was useful.

We did in fact use the computer numerous times to do lots of things. We've become so addicted to the convenience and utility of the Internet that I'm not sure how comfortable it would be to travel without some easy access to it.

A lap top winds up being an expensive ball and chain that you constantly have to keep track of. Save yourself the trouble and get a couple bigger memory cards. Prices are really good right now.

If you do take the lap top, you might investigate if any of your chargeable items have USB converter cables. We took 3 iPods, camera, GPS, cel phone and kept them all charged via the USB on our net book.

It seems as if everyone who packs a laptop hates doing so but does so anyway. There are some good arguments pro and con. Unfortunately, the pros are from the same folks citing the cons. I appreciate your doing so, instead of just arguing one way or another. You raise some points I had not considered before. I will probably decide when it comes time to pack. If I have room, I will take it and use it like I do at home. If it takes up too much space or adds too much weight, I will leave it at home.