Alright, the thread about the carry on luggage has suddenly made me think about my upcoming trip....

I am relocating to the Caymans at the end of February (from Vancouver, Canada) and I am not only taking all my clothes, some blanket and bedding stuff, and my small stereo (cuz I'm not coming back for it, and I need to take it all with me to get it through customs!), I am also bringing my laptop with me.

Here's my problem. I have my carry on...and I could stick it in there, but if I do that...then I will have no room for my change of clothes, jewellery, and makeup stuff.

So...should I, or shouldn't I, pack my laptop in my checked luggage? it would be stuck in a space bag inbetween the layers of my quilt (so, like if someone wanted to steal it they would have to take my whole quilt).

However, if I don't check it, but take it as carry on, then I will have to pack it in my carry on (because I will also have my purse) and take it out of my carry on, out of it's case, etc., etc., when I go through all the security checks - and I have to admit...I am going to be stressed enough as it is without having to deal with all that.

I don't want it to get stolen, and I know it won't get damaged if I pack it properly.....

Thoughts?

If you're going to be stressed, why not ship your laptop to the Caymans (i.e. FedEx)? Obviously, buy the insurance.

camelbak, I'm a little confused. If you carry on a 19-21 inch bag, you would still have enough room for some clothes, make up and jewelery in addition to your laptop. Unless you have enough jewelery to fill the whole bag!

Will you be OK without your laptop if your luggage is delayed/lost?

Simple - Anything you can't afford to lose don't go into checked luggage.

Don't pack it. Biiig mistake to do that.

Hi there,

I COULD put the laptop in my carryone, but.....

blah....

I am just thinking about having to haul it in, and out, of my case twice, if not more, as I go through various customs, etc., and the hassle of that along with my other three big suitcases and carry on bag. I guess if I just took it out of it's case and laid it on the top of my stuff in my carry on...it would be easier to pull it out?

Or I could tuck it into a spacebag in my suitcase and not have to worry about it, until I arrive in Cayman.

I don't think I could ship it, just on it's own...wouldn't it get stuck in Customs?

hmmmmmmm

This is the most ridiculous thread I've seen in a while.

You are allowed a 21" carry on PLUS a computer bag.

What's the problem?

The problem is that there are more valuable stuff than a laptop to fill the 21" and the laptop bag. Like clothes and makeup stuff.

Think about this:

It is too much hassle to take your computer out of its case (once, twice?) but it is not a hassle to move to a remote island country? You do have permission to move there, don't you?

What is the main commodity people bring into and out of the Cayman Islands? No, it's probably cash, given their banking secrecy. This would suggest that your checked luggage is quite likely to get opened by someone on the way (Canadian Customs or excise, US Customs, depending on where you transfer). Does it really seem like a good idea to put something valuable inside a suitcase that will almost certainly be opened without you being present?

And you have backed up this computer, haven't you?

Yes the laptop is backed up, and yes it's likely that my bags will be searched through some point between leaving YVR and arriving in GCM (I am guessing either when I go through US Customs in YVR, or leaving the US in Miami).

I have a 19" carry on, which will be holding more than just clothes and makeup (of course!). I was going to pack enough essentials in my carry on to carry me for a day or two, in case one of my suitcases doesn't arrive with me (I have to change planes twice...so there is a chance something might get lost on the way down). However, I will just take out some stuff and cram the laptop in, and store the case in one of the suitcases.

I was just looking for comments from people to see if anyone has ever checked their laptops...which I gather from the various helpful, and not so helpful, threads that this is actually a pretty silly idea.

Yes I have my work permit in hand....so I shouldn't have to worry about getting hassled when going through security checks, etc. However, I fully expect to get hassled by US Customs as some point b/c of my one way ticket and loads of luggage...and well, they seem to like to pick me out for some strange reason (at least they have the last two times I have gone through US customs).

I am just saying that I won't be needing my laptop at anytime when I am in transit, so to save space maybe I could just check it. Obviously I should just find space in my carryon.

And AA - I don't think this was a particularly ridiculous thread...I've seen way worse questions in the few years I have wandered these threads.

If you are flying YVR-MIA-GCM then you'll go through US immigration/customs in YVR and then Cayman Island immigration/customs upon arrival in GCM.

I checked my laptop once, by accident. The bag was lost and it was a nervous 24 hours until it was delivered.

I can't think of enough things to fill a 19" carry-on that are more valuable, or harder to replace than a laptop. I mean, it probably takes up as much space as 2 t-shirts and some underwear, which can be replaced for next to nothing. Carry the laptop, check the underwear.

I would never let a laptop out of my personal control, but I also thought it wasn't legal to pack a laptop in checked baggage for security reasons (e.g., could be a triggering device). Did I just imagine that?

Buy a cheap, separate laptop to take with you, and make sure there is nothing confidential on it, if you don't want to share your personal life with government agents at home and abroad. Additionally, if it gets stolen, all you lose is the cost of the laptop, and not your identity.

I don't understand the recommendation to go buy one. Camelbak already has a laptop. Why would he/she need to buy another one?


I always carry my laptop with me & never put it in checked bags.

I always carry my laptop. I wouldn't chance putting it into checked luggage. You can carry a carryon bag and laptop bag as suggested or just pack it into your carryon so you don't have 2 bags to tote thru the airports. Customs won't be that big a deal with a laptop, you just have to put it into a separate container when you go thru security.

I wouldn't go to the trouble to buy a new laptop. It isn't a big deal to carry it on and customs isn't a problem either.

Good luck the Caymans.

You are not being paranoid about the likelihood of being hassled. For about 20 years, my wife traveled regularly to the UK and Canada on business. She was regularly pulled out of line for special consideration by the Customs and Immigration officials of both countries when traveling alone, never when traveling with me or with me and our children.

There is something about a woman traveling alone on business, especially if she has anything to do with finance, that seems to ring a bell in the computer.

We're <i>dangerousssssss</i>!

Buying a separate laptop is cheap insurance. Your normal laptop almost certainly has information on it that will put you in a world of hurt if your identity is stolen. That alone is a good reason to have a separate laptop for travel. But examinations of the laptop are another good reason: if government agents copy the contents of your laptop or examine it, your privacy is not compromised, and no amount of corruption on their part will put you at any risk.

Remember, anyone with physical access to your computer has access to everything it contains, no matter what security measures you've taken. And information can be copied very quickly.

Thanks for your replies.

The laptop is fairly new (well, to me anyways), and there is nothing on it that I wouldn't care Customs to look at.

However, I admit I would put up a fuss if they pulled me aside and said they wanted to take a copy of it! Mind your own business! THAT is a surprise to hear - I have never heard of something like that happening. Can they actually take a copy of your hard drive? I would think a search warrant or something like that would be required.

I am all around nervous about getting pulled aside by US Customs....I am sure it's going to happen though there is no reason why they should bother. Mind you...there was no reason for them to bother the last time either. I guess the Customs guy didn't like the idea of me going to the States to visit my boyfriend at the time (now my DH).

However, maybe they will take offence to the fact that I am leaving Vancouver to work down there and leaving the DH and kiddies behind until the summer (not by choice of course!).

I will be carrying on my laptop, will deal with the security check and cross my fingers as I push three suitcases through the line at US Customs.

Last time I went through customs they had me take off my shoes....my belt....my earrings AND my hair clip! I thought it was getting a little ridiculous when they started running their hands through my hair - I mean...I have a lot of hair, but I certainly am not hiding anything in it! ;P Fortunately I was able to keep my mouth closed. he he