From Fred Langa’s LangaList — a weekly newsletter on upcoming technology and software — is this InformationWeek article on traveling with electronics. One suggestion there is to buy neon luggage tags for sensitive items (so that they’re less appetizing to thieves).
It can be smart to use a generic, nondescript carry-on that doesn’t scream “electronics inside!” And no matter what case you use, make your bag stand out in some way so it can be identified even across a crowded concourse, so a thief will think twice about trying to lift it. Luggage stores and online travel sites carry personalization/identification straps, handle wraps, and (my favorite) oversized, high-visibility fluorescent luggage tags that can help you spot your stuff in a crowd and also make thieves seek less-conspicuous stuff to steal. […]
It sounds like a simple idea, but it makes sense to me.
Our family traveled a lot when I was a child, and my Dad was in the habit of marking all of his suitcases by taping a large X on both sides with red duct tape. It made them very easy to spot coming off the conveyor belt. I don’t know if it hampered thieves, but we never had any stolen.