Everyone knows that traveling with a carry on rather than checked luggage is much easier when you’re traveling on business. After all, you don’t want to end up in the unfortunate situation of your items not arriving when you do. However, there are also some items that you may want want to keep in your checked baggage for various reasons — and this doesn’t just include potential weapons or liquids.
Uncharged Electronic Devices
Did you forget to charge your laptop before you left home? Unfortunately, you’re going to need to wrap it up safely and place it in a checked bag. Uncharged electronic devices are no longer allowed through check points and could even be confiscated if they are discovered.
External Hard Drives
External hard drives can be damaged easily simply through turbulence. Once damaged, an external hard drive may lose the data on it or stop functioning entirely. If you do need to bring a hard drive with you, you can invest in a “rugged” case that will protect it; these cases usually include shock absorbers and a rubber cover.
Loose Lithium Ion Batteries
About to toss an extra laptop battery in your bag? The airlines no longer allows loose lithium ion batteries, so every battery must either be in a device or safely wrapped up so that the metal connectors cannot accidentally connect with any metal. Laptop batteries should be checked rather than placed in a carry-on as they have been found to potentially represent a fire hazard, though they are not in danger of exploding.
Remember that there are alternatives to both checked luggage and carry-ons. If you want to make sure that sensitive devices get to your hotel on time, you can always mail them to your hotel using a tracked courier service.