Ted Evans Loc: Jasper, AL

I now own a Pelican 1510 carry on for
trips perhaps once or twice per year and
about $10,000+ photo equipment. I am
beginning to question whether to have the
nameplate available for it put on it. I don't
see a problem but I don't travel much by
air and there is much I don't know about
any hazards of displaying my name on my
property through airports. I will not be
checking it ; it is a carry on size.
I want any advice of frequent photographic
travelers. Ted Evans

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Personalize your luggage, carry on or not, is equivalent to having a vanity plate on a car.

If you do that on a photo-bag it means... "Steal me, the guy is 'loaded'."

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

You will be putting a bull's eye on your case and yourself when you retrieve it. Every baggage handler knows what is in Pelican cases, and probably has a key to open the "approved" locks. Theft of airline passenger's items is unbelievably high, especially of big-ticket items. Don't draw attention to yourself or your gear when traveling, you are playing an "away" game. Airport Security will be very sorry for you and your loss. Nobody else will give a damn.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

I would not put it on Ted. Why, because it advertises you are trying to protect valuable equipment. but, that is me. I even took off the labels on my tenba and think tank bags.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

He said he is NOT checking it.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

My husband and I travel very frequently to, let us say, unusual places. Neither of us ever puts a tag ON our carry-on with our personal information. We DO, however, place a paper with our name, address, contact information as well as itinerary for that leg of the trip INSIDE the carry-on. We also include one in our checked bags. On the outside of our checked bags we place a luggage tag with our name, address (a PO Box), and phone number. That tag is the type that has a flap to cover the information. Hubby just tapes it closed. We use distinctively colored luggage straps around our checked bags, so it is unlikely that we would pick up someone else's bag by mistake or have the reverse happen. If it does happen, the tape is easily removed as proof that the bag is ours.

BTW - my camera gear is NEVER checked. It is always carry-on and placed in an overhead in my line of vision. The carry-on I use for my gear looks more like a ratty old backpack with a bunch of junk in it than a camera gear bag. We have travelled like this for several years now.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Even though something may be carry on size, it may still end up being gate checked for a number of reasons unless it will fit under the seat, especially on small regional jets. Unless you are Kim Kardashian, Melania Trump or Ansel Adams putting your name on it shouldn't be too much of a problem, but anything that gives your address can be. As others have said, personalizing it, and in an anonymous way is preferable. The less attention it gets the better.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

And when he tries to carry it on a regional jet with no provisions for it the carrier will take it and put it in checked baggage. The 1520 case is too large for most RJs.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

The essence of this is very good advice. Especially as far as the address is concerned - a P.O.Box or a business address that is not your home - with contact details that can work. Even the most innocent and honest of people make mistakes. I remember getting chewed out by someone at baggage claim when I collected my bag that he had lifted off the belt and put with his family's luggage. He was irate until I very firmly had to point out to him that it wasn't actually his bag, and he might prefer to retrieve his own bag instead. Then the realization hit that he just wasn't paying attention, and he had at least as much to lose as I did. It all worked out well, but inattention can be as much of a problem as criminal activity.

You do want to be able to identify your luggage, but also try to make sure that others don't misidentify it. Above all, make sure all your important stuff will sit beneath the seat in front of you and not need to be gate checked. If you have a bulk head seat, there is no seat in front of you! Flight attendants are normally very accommodating if you explain the situation politely, but they do sometimes run out of options.

If you don't fly often and have few if any frequent flyer privileges - unless you fly first or business class - there may be no room for your on-board luggage, especially on regional / smaller aircraft.

Photosmoke

I have the same case, no name, and it never leaves my hand & if it does not out of my sight.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

On the Pelican there is a business card holder, I simply put my name and phone number on the reverse side of a business card and place it in the plastic slot provided on the case.

SonyBug

Smart, smart, smart.

OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey

Also says "I live here and I'm not home"

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Could you put the Pelican into a canvas bag, something less obvious?

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Really Rongnongno ??? So if you get separated from your bag because of rushing to catch a connecting flight or for some reason (however unlikely) you forget to grab the case, you are suggesting to just wave goodbye to your gear ? That makes no sense at all. While I agree that putting your home address is ill advised, your name and a business address is critical. For those who don't have a business address, I often suggest an address of a place where you are known - your golf club, church or even a friend's workplace. Whatever place you use, just make sure they know you are using the address. I do a good amount of travailing withing the US every year and most carriers require an external name and address to be on your baggage that is checked. As the poster identified, they will be carrying it on so this should not be an issue. When traveling to a destination, the best thing to do is have the hotel name and address along with your name on the identification tag.

There are a lot of cases that business travelers carry on board these days due to the airline charging for checked bags and I have had a few instances where somebody left the plane with my bag only to realize they had an identical bag as mine after the fact. Are you suggesting that I should have just chalked it up to experience and bought new gear since having my contact information easily available is just vanity ?? I hope you never lose your bag on a flight if you don't have information on the bag. Checked bags are even worse - if somebody thinks you are trying to steal their bag, how likely are they to open it to prove you wrong ?

I always carry my gear on the plane and if there is more gear than I can carry, I ship it via FedEx to the hotel where I will be staying before leaving my home location. Its insured, never late and arrives safely every time.

A little common sense goes a long way here ...