<P>For every two steps back we take in lost travel convenience due to the latest new security regulations sometimes we can take a step forward. The newly arrived “Checkpoint Friendly” laptop briefcases are an example of that. I’ve been using the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JC6II0?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=firstfloorso... target=_blank>Skooba/Tenba Checkthrough Laptop Roller Case</A> and it is definitely a stress reliever when going through crowded checkpoints with my vitally important (to me at least) laptop. Read on for our review and some of my favorite “insider” travel tips…</P>
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<TD vAlign=top width=466>The case itself is an updated version of the Roadster Convertible which I reviewed several years ago. Unlike the older bag which had a removable padded section the new one has a more traditional design with a top opening main compartment which a large variety of net and elastic pockets. More on those later, but the most interesting feature is the new laptop compartment in the front. It has a top zipper for loading and a “bottom” zipper which allows it to flop open at security. Inside is a plastic window through which the security personnel can see your laptop. As long as you place only your laptop in this compartment you don’t need to take it out of the bag to go through security. And because the zipper thoughtfully goes around the bottom of the bag if you are in a hurry you can simply flop the case closed and pick it up by the handle without stopping to close the laptop compartment zipper as you leave security.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P>The laptop feature has worked flawlessly so far at least. Security personnel don’t see too many of these yet so they often peer at the various logos and statements which certify that the bag is checkpoint friendly but they’ve always let it through. As a thoughtful touch Skooba/Tenba includes a clear plastic zipper pouch you can use for your liquids. It’s sturdier than the traditional ziplock.</P>
<P>Much to my delight the bag is also thinner than the older model, as the main section no longer has the removable case. And there is still lots of room to cram your chargers, books, phone, papers and whatever else you’re carrying in the case. My only complaint is that the bag is still not narrow enough to fit in the overheads on regional jets, so it needs to be under the seat in front of you (for which it is pretty well suited) for those flights. I’ve spoken with Skooba CEO … about this and the decision is clearly a tradeoff of capacity versus convenience, which I can understand. And we photographers are a little unique because we already have one usually large and very valuable bag we really want to carry on with us so the briefcase is almost always a second carry-on and therefore needs to be as convenient as possible lest we risk the ire of the flight attendants or the bad luck of a crowded plane or poor seat choice and have to risk checking one of our bags.</P>
<P>The other feature I always look for in a roller is whether I can stack it on another roller or stack my photo backpack on it for ease of hauling—especially those long transfers at international airports like London Heathrow. The Skooba gets a pretty good grade on that front. It is a piece of cake to stack it on top of the Lowepro X200 Roller (which fits either its own removable backpack or my WRP MP-3 as an insert) and grab both handles. As long as you place them against a pole or wall you can even leave them stacked vertically while you check-in or are otherwise occupied. Going the other way (with the Skooba on the bottom and a photo backpack on top) worked as long as the photo backpack was not too heavy. A moderately loaded mid-size pack was supported well, but when I took my MP-1 complete with my 600f/4, several other lenses and three D-SLRs and traveled with it on the Skooba the top of the bag started to give out. It wouldn’t have actually given way but it started to deform and wouldn’t have looked so great if I’d continued doing that.</P>
<P>I actually wish that Skooba had added a “slot” in the back like many of the shoulder bags have so the bag could fit over the handles of another roller. I realize that isn’t something you normally find on a roller, but for photographers it’s not at all unheard off to be traveling with two (or more) rolling bags and with only two hands stacking them is a nice convenience. The other feature I’d find handy is the small outside zippered compartments that Victorinox manages to shoehorn into their rolling briefcase on either side of the handle. Along with their zippered pouches they are perfect for stashing laptop chargers and folding headphones with easy access while traveling. But it is a larger, heavier (and much more expensive) bag which is not checkpont friendly so the Skooba bag is likely to be my new travel companion for when I need a rolling briefcase.</P>
<P>If you don’t need a roller you should also look at the <A href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&amp;bc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;bg1=F... target=_blank>Skooba Checkthrough Laptop Bag</A> which is smaller and also features convenient outer storage pockets. If you do want a roller that is sturdy, has a variety of internal storage areas and will see you through security checkpoints more quickly the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JC6II0?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=firstfloorso... target=_blank>Skooba/Tenba Checkthrough Laptop Roller Case</A> is a good value and a well designed product. But there are definitely additional costs and some design tradeoffs that were made in making it checkpoint friendly, so if you don’t need all the capacity or the Checkpoint friendly feature a less expensive non Checkthrough version like the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019TXNQY?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=firstfloorso... target=_blank>Kensington Laptop Roller Briefcase</A> might do the job and save you some money.</P>
<H1>Insider Travel Tips</H1>
<P>I travel a lot and to a lot of places, so making that travel as comfortable and successful as possible is important to me. Over the years I’ve picked up quite a few tips and tricks that I get asked about all the time so I thought I’d share some of them with you:</P>
<H2>seatguru.com</H2>
<P>I never make a plane reservation without checking the seat map on seatguru.com. It provides maps for just about every airline and just about every plane configuration—with a simple “green/yellow/red” color code for how desirable each seat is. But since different passengers have different priorities in a seat (legroom, storage space, access, privacy, etc.) there are text notes for many of the specific seats on most planes. </P>
<P>When seatguru adds the most value is when it identifies the unexpected. For example, most of us are used to always requesting Exit rows as they normally have more legroom. But on some of the regional jets they actually have less, and are less comfortable. That’s easy to see in advance with seatguru. (There are some other sites which also do this, but seatguru is the one I’m used to).</P>
<P>Even if you’re on the phone with the airline or your travel agent it’s helpful to have both the airline’s own seat map (if available) up in a browser window as well as the seatguru map. That way you’ll be making as informed a decision as possible.</P>
<H2>tripadvisor.com</H2>
<P>Like seatguru tripadvisor is a mandatory part of any travel I plan. Most effective for hotel reviews, it is also a quick way to get restaurant advice for many cities around the world. Reviews are user-contributed and as always have to be taken with a grain of salt, but you can get a good sense of whether you’d like to stay somewhere or whether there are better alternatives from sifting through some of them.</P>
<H2>Checkpoint Protocol</H2>
<P>I hate having to pass things around the checkpoint in those little bowls. I had my wallet not make it to the other side once and it was quite a production to retrieve it from the security folks after the fact. So what I try to do is stash my point and shoot camera in an outside pocket of my briefcase (I wish the Skooba roller had more:-)), clip my keys to the key leash in my briefcase, and then stick my cellphone in one shoe and my wallet in the other as I take them off to put in a tray for examination. </P>
<P>This has worked perfectly for several years although on my most recent trip I was asked not to put anything in my shoes. I don’t know if that is a brand new form of hassle or just a passing fad.</P>
<H2>Ironkey</H2>
<P>I’ve written before about how helpful the Ironkey secure memory device is, so I’ll simply repeat that I don’t leave home (and especially the country) without it and refer you to my previous <A href="http://www.nikondigital.org/content/content/gift-card-idea-secure-your-o... target=_blank>review of the Ironkey</A>.</P>
<H2>US Trusted Traveler Programs</H2>
<P>If you are a US citizen and frequently travel overseas, and are tired of waiting in long immigration lines on your return you may be a candidate for a great new program which has not been widely publicized. Called the Global Entry Trusted Traveler Program it allows pre-screened travelers to use self-service kiosks with touchscreens at most major US airports and some border locations rather than waiting in the regular immigration line. You can get more information at the US’s <A href="https://goes-app.cbp.dhs.gov/" target=_blank>GOES Website</A>. You will need to pay for a background check from the TSA plus $100 for 5 years for the program membership, and appear in person for an interview and fingerprinting at a Border patrol office, but I found mine worth it very quickly. </P>
<P>There are other programs for certain qualifying business travelers or between certain countries, but this one is nice as it has broad appeal and broad applicability.</P>