Follow These 5 Tips to Make Traveling with your Laptop a Breeze

By: Tom Burtzlaff, President of CMIT Solutions of Columbia
BWCC Member since 2010

For many of us, traveling anywhere involves bringing along a laptop. Whether you plan to get work done on your trip, have vacation photos to show family, or simply want to stay connected while you’re away from home, a trusty laptop is just as much of a “must bring” item as a toothbrush.

Follow these tips to ensure your computer, its data, and your sanity make it through the airport intact.

1. Back up your data. You should have an automated backup solution installed on your laptop anyway, but in case you don’t, run a full manual backup of all the data on the computer the night before you leave. 
2. Invest in a padded laptop case or bag. Don’t just stick your laptop in a backpack or your purse. Spend the money on a carry-on size piece of luggage that has a cushioned pocket to hold your computer snugly. From the time you arrive at one airport until you leave another one, you’ll be setting down and picking up your bag numerous times. All it takes is one hard landing to damage your computer. 
3. Don’t even think about putting it in your checked luggage. Baggage handlers don’t typically treat luggage as if it’s full of Faberge eggs. And if your computer is damaged, airlines generally limit damage claims to a few hundred dollars. Not only will that probably not cover the cost of replacing the machine, it definitely won’t cover the cost of retrieving any data from it. 
4. Keep your laptop in an accessible place. The TSA currently requires that you remove your laptop from your carry-on before it goes through the x-ray machine. They sometimes require this of iPads and other tablets too, so be prepared to remove those from your carry-on as well. 
5. Keep your eye on your laptop while it goes through security. The security line is ironically one of the most common places for laptop theft to occur. Be sure to empty your pockets and remove any metal (such as belt buckles and glasses) from your person before going through the scanner. The more times you have to go back through the scanner, the longer your laptop sits unattended at the end of the conveyor belt. 

To learn more, contact Tom Burtzlaff at 443.542.5555, tburtzlaff@cmitsolutions.com or www.cmitsolutions.com/columbia.