How do I get 4 laptops to an orphanage?
 

I'm going to take 4 laptops to an orphanage in Cambodia and I'm trying to think of the cheapest way to take them there.

There are about 5 of us flying to Cambodia in January and I want to take about 4 laptops to the kids there so they can learn typing/photo/English skills, and am trying to figure out what the best way to get them there would be. Do I check them? That seems kind of scary...

Can checking a laptop harm the laptop in any way?

Do I split them up, one per person, and just carry them there as a carry on? I forget if people are allowed to have 2 carry-ons or just one.

Surely shipping them there through the postal system would be crazy expensive...

I would never put a laptop or any other expensive item in checked luggage. If there's 5 of you travelling, split them up and take them as carry-on.

You'd have to confirm with your airline, but two pieces of carry-on is pretty standard.

I believe many airlines allow 1 carryon and 1 personal item these days. I have never had a problem with my 20" rollaboard and a small backpack (either would accommodate a laptop computer.)

I recently flew Aer Lingus and their weight limit for a carry on was only six kilos though (13.2 lbs.)

I think shipping them would be prohibitively expensive and be a customs nightmare for you and the recipients.

I would definitely NOT check four laptops(!!) they are too expensive and too easily stolen.

You need to carry them on the plane. Either split up one per person. Or put them together, wrapped in bubblewrap, into one 19" roll-aboard and have someone forfeit their own carry-on allowance to accomodate.

Thanks so much for your suggestions! I like the bubblewrap idea. Although there have been a couple times that I've had to turn my laptop on to prove it's not a bomb or something like that, so hopefully I wouldn't have to do that for 4 laptops. Hmmm...

If we could really take 2 carry-on's per person, it might just work to split them up, 1 per person...

It's looking like the smaller I can get the laptops, the better.