If you take your laptop traveling with you then there is quite a lot of bad stuff that can happen to it.

It probably will get knocked around and there is an increased chance that it will also be the target of thieves.

So what can you do in this cruel cruel world that is so unkind to the traveling geek?

Luckily there are quite a few things you can do that will minimise the danger to your laptop! Here’s a few things you might like to think about.


1) Take a cable lock! Every laptop has a little socket that is designed so that a cable lock can be inserted. This is a very obvious way of stopping opportunistic thieves from grabbing your laptop and doing a runner. Your laptop should be attached to something any time that it is feasable! When it is in your pack, make sure it is attached to the straps. When you are using it, make sure it is attached to the table it’s sitting on. In foreign countries thieves will do a grab and dash (especially in tourist areas) so you need to make sure your laptop is securely attached to the heaviest, most immovable object that you can find by way of a cable lock!

2) Dress it Down! A laptop that looks brand new will be a more attractive target to thieves than one that looks beat up and has stickers all over it. If it looks slightly less flashy than the laptop of the guy who’s sitting next to you in the hotel lobby, then they are going to target the other guy!

3) Don’t Use it in Public. If you drag out your laptop to send a few emails in the middle of Roma Termini (Rome’s main train station) then you are BEGGING to be mugged. There are muggers mugging other muggers there and in a few other parts of the world. If you give any indication that you have something worth being stolen, then the attempt will be made. If you need to use it in a cafe or coffee shop, then try to sit in the most hidden place possible. In short, don’t flaunt the fact that you have a laptop.

4) Don’t Leave it in Your Hotel Room. In many parts of the world, hotel employees aren’t necessarily as honest as you are. This especially holds true, if you go anywhere slightly off the beaten path. Hotels are just as likely to “lose” your valuables inclusing your laptop, as other places. If you absolutely MUST leave it there, then be sure to use your cable lock to keep it secure.

5) Don’t Leave it in Your Car. This is even bigger than hotel rooms! If you leav your laptop in the car (even the trunk) you are begging for it to go missing. If it is in the cabin and is visible, then it is as good as gone in some places. Take it with you!

6) Don’t Talk About It. In many areas, especially places that are a little bit poorer than your home country, word will spread if you go telling people about your laptop. There is usually no need to tell people that you are carrying one, so don’t!

7) Insure It! This is a big one. Because even the most diligently secure person can still get their machine stolen. You can’t protect against every scenario and sometimes things go south. At least having it insured will make the pain slightly less.

Now all of these tips are pretty basic, but it is amazing the amount of people you see in foreign countries openly using their laptops in tourist traps, bragging about it and not bothering to secure them in any way. It only takes a little bit of common sense to make sure you return home with everything you took!

Hopefully these few tips will help you do exactly that!

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