At the LayerOne 2009 conference, security expert Deviant Ollam gave a talk on the subject of securing your computer equipment and other high-value items in your luggage while flying the friendly skies. His solution: pack a gun in your luggage. Hard-side luggage cases, being required by law to use heavy-duty locks instead of flimsy TSA-approved locks, and higher liability barriers to the likelihood that your luggage will be molested while transporting declared firearms are among the advantages of using this approach. As a bonus, you can often leverage the fact you’re transporting a firearm to get through the lines faster.

You need to know the law to make sure you use this technique for securing your luggage properly, of course, and choose airlines that are friendlier to people who transport firearms in their luggage. Ollam covers all this and more in his talk, which was recorded and posted at YouTube under the title Deviant Ollam – Packing and the Friendly Skies – LayerOne 2009. This is especially useful if you happen to have a concealed carry permit that is valid at your destination (or if you’re going somewhere that the permit isn’t necessary such as Vermont).

The video is about 40 minutes long, and worth every minute: