Tamperseal Travel Essentials Blog - Tips and Trends from your Travel Experts

5 Travel Security Products Every Traveler Should Own

Are any of your friends or family members frequent travelers? With the ever-present risk of theft, a risk that is heightened for travelers, you may want to consider purchasing your traveling friend a travel security product for Christmas this year. Check out these top 5 travel security products that every traveler should own.

1. Padlocks or combination locks. These locks can be purchased inexpensively. If you are traveling overseas they are especially important and should be used from the time you walk out your front door till you return home again.
2. Money belt. A money belt is a great way to hide your money and credit cards when you are on the road, especially during travel overseas. Money belts today come with a variety of options, all designed to provide for comfortable wearing. Some styles include neck pouches, waist bands, or even actual belts with zipper sections.
3. Cable lock. A cable loc is useful for locking pieces of luggage together in a luggage room or connecting your luggage to your seat so you can sleep in the airport.
4. Mesh security products. Mesh security products, like the PacSafe products, are very popular for their slash proof features. These bags have metal mesh sewed into the lining and straps of handbags, backpacks, camera cases, and other types of luggage.
5. TSA locks. Many people are unfamiliar with TSA locks. These are a special type of padlock or combination lock that can be opened by TSA agents at the airport. If you don’t use a TSA approved lock there is always a risk that your lock will be cut off by security officials, possibility damaging your bag in the process, damage they are not responsible for.

For more information on travel gifts or travel security products, visit us online at TamperSeal.com.

Keep Your Luggage Safe Using TSA Locks

We all like to think our luggage is safe when we travel. In the past those who wanted the extra security of a lock faced the risk that their lock might be cut off if security feels the need to physically inspect a bag. With TSA recognized baggage locks, however, that is a thing of the past.

While each bag to go on a plane is inspected electronically, sometimes it is necessary to inspect a bag physically. With the TSA luggage lock, all that is needed is the insertion of the master key by the TSA security official. When the TSA lock is opened, the lock changes from green to red, letting you know that the luggage has been opened. A personal combination code is used to change the window back to green.

The TSA agent who searches your luggage should leave a notification on your luggage, letting you know it has been searched. If the lock security window is red but no official Notification of Baggage Inspection is on your bag, you should examine the contents of your luggage and let the officers at baggage services know if something is missing.

The added security of lock and alert feature should, however, discourage any unauthorized individuals from taking items from your bag, as it becomes easier for the person stealing something to be traced. With your TSA luggage lock, you can travel in the comfort of knowing that your luggage is safe.

To purchase TSA luggage locks or other travel essentials, visit TamperSeal.com.

SearchAlert TSA Luggage Lock in Black

It's happened before, you get your luggage back at the baggage claim and the locks have all been cut,  hacked off and properly mangled beyond repair, leaving you out a pair of properly good luggage locks and rooting through your things to make sure nothings been stolen.

With SearchAlert TSA Luggage Locks your days of sawed off luggage locks at the airport are over. This is the first mechanical lock that lets you know your luggage was inspected at the airport, and not just by TSA in America, but HMCE in the United Kingdom as well. And unlike lesser quality locks, these are made with a rugged metal alloy, ensuring durable security.

Here's how it works:

Designed with a security feature which allows TSA security agents (using a secured access device) to open the SearchAlert lock and inspect your luggage without destroying locks. How you can tell is the indicator light at the base of the lock. When the indicator is green, your luggage was not inspected, when it's red, your luggage was hand searched by the TSA.

Summer Travel Tip No. 1: When in doubt, keep it simple

We're proponents of living simply and traveling simply. According to the TSA, that's the best rule of thumb for summer travel. 

Tips for traveling like a pro:

• Drop the heavy metal: Take metal items such as keys, loose change, mobile phones, pagers and personal digital assistants (PDAs) out of your pockets. Put these in your carry-on, or in a plastic bag.

• Liquid Love - Know the rules for traveling with liquids. Use TSA compliant travel cases, like GoToob to make packing easier.

• Safety First - Secure your luggage with TSA locks. These locks are recognized by personnel and can be opened easily(with a TSA key) if they need to search your luggage.

Mother's Day Travel: What to expect

Moms going to be over the moon that you're coming to visit. That's if you make it through the security line. We're talking being prepared so that you can move through the line quickly and not miss your flight. 

Check out these items that can set off metal detectors.

• Heavy jewelry (including pins, necklaces, bracelets, rings, watches, earrings, body piercings, cuff links, lanyards or bolo ties)
• Clothing with metal buttons, snaps or studs
• Metal hair barrettes or other hair decoration
• Belt buckles
• Under-wire bras
• Hidden items such as body piercings may result in your being directed to additional screening for a pat-down inspection. If selected for additional screening, you may ask to remove your body piercing in private as an alternative to the pat-down search.
• Take metal items such as keys, loose change, mobile phones, pagers, and personal data assistants (PDAs) out of your pockets.
• Place heavy jewelry and other metal items in your carry-on baggage or in plastic bags if they are offered, until you clear security.
• Pack all your coats and jackets in your baggage when possible. All coats and jackets must go through the X-ray machine for inspection. These include, but are not limited to, trench coats, heavy winter coats, suit jackets, sport coats and blazers. If you choose to wear an outer coat or jacket to the checkpoint, you will need to either place it in your carry-on or put it in the bin that is provided for you.

Need more tips from the TSA?

Make sure your checked bags are compliant as well with TSA locks.

Travel Holiday Gift Idea: Travel Security Kit

Give the gift of safety this holiday season. Whether your wife trots across the U.S. for her job or your nephew goes on volunteer trips to far away lands each summer, help those you love the most travel safely.

• TSA Locks
• Travel Door Alarm
• RFID Blocking Wallet

Luggage locks for little travelers

Even the littlest travelers need keep their belongings protected. TSA word locks make keeping their items secure fun and easy.

The Wordlock TSA luggage lock comes in bright colors that kids will love. The lock is accessed using a four-letter combination design that is easy to remember.

Product Details:

• Easy to Set - Never Forget^TM
• Travel Sentry Certified Guarantees compatibility with airport security
• Accepted and recognized by the TSA
  
• Sturdy zinc cast construction.
• Easy to remember 4 letter combinations
• 4 dial combination can be reset.
• Colors available (choose your color below)
  • Black - LL-203-BK
  • Green - LL-204-GN
  • Red - LL-206-RD
  • Silver - LL-207-SL
  • Pink-- LL-205-PK

Become a savvy traveler

Besides doing the obvious to protect your belongings (TSA locks, anyone?) you can learn tricks of the trade of become a savvy air passenger.

The Aviation Consumer Protection Division offers some great advice to help avoid travel headaches.

• If you have a choice between two connections and the fares and service are equivalent, choose the one with the less-congested connecting airport. This reduces the risk of misconnecting. Also consider potential adverse weather when choosing a connecting city.

• Put the same information inside each bag, and add an address and telephone number where you can be reached at your destination city.

• Report any baggage problems to your airline before leaving the airport. Insist that the airline fill out a form and give you a copy, even if they say the bag will be in on the next flight. Before leaving the airport, ask the airline if they will deliver the bag without charge when it is found.

• When selecting a flight, remember that a departure early in the day is less likely to be delayed than a later flight, due to "ripple" effects throughout the day. If you book the last flight of the day, you could get stuck overnight.

Navigating the airport with children

With all the rules and security checks that keep us safe, traveling with children can be a challenge. Take a look at these tips to help you make your way through airport security with your kids in tow.

Some helpful hints from the TSA:

At the X-Ray Machine:

• All carry-on baggage, including children's bags and items, must go through the X-ray machine.  Examples include: diaper bags, blankets, and toys.   **Be sure to use TSA locks on your children's luggage, too!
• All child-related equipment that will fit through the X-ray machine must go through the X-ray machine.  Examples include: strollers, umbrella-strollers, baby carriers, car and booster seats, backpacks, and baby slings.   

• When you arrive at the checkpoint, collapse or fold your child-related equipment.  Secure items that are in the pockets, baskets, or attached to the equipment and place it on the X-ray belt for inspection. Plastic bins are provided to deposit such items.

• If any of your child-related equipment does not fit through the X-ray machine, security officers will visually and physically inspect it.

• Ask a Security Officer for help gathering your bags and child-related equipment, if you need it.

Walking through the Metal Detector:

• Remove babies and children from their strollers or infant carriers so that our Security Officers can screen them individually.

• You may not pass the child to another person behind you or in front of you during this process.

• Do not pass your child to our Security Officer to hold.

• The Security Officer may ask for your help screening your child.

Don't miss these holiday travel security tips

Rockefeller Center is always a top destination for holiday travel, but even if you're not traveling to see the glitz and glamor of the holidays in NYC, you still need to formulate a travel strategy to stay safe.

If you're taking road trip:

• Keep doors locked and windows rolled up
• Always maintain at least a half a tank of gas
• Have your vehicle serviced in advance and make any repairs needed when considering driving long distances
• Check your spare tire and pressure in your regular tires

Traveling by Air:

• Book tickets well in advance for a better fare
• Print directions to the airport
• Outfit all pieces of luggage with TSA locks **The TSA is not liable for broken locks on bags that have to be searched for security reasons. That's why TSA-compliant locks are so important
• Know the TSA's  prohibited Items