LAPTOPS
Before you depart, check your portable computer's battery, because you may be asked at security to turn on the computer to prove that it is what it appears to be. At the airport, you may prefer to request a manual inspection, although security X-rays do not harm hard-disk or floppy-disk storage.
If you're traveling abroad, register your foreign-made laptop with U.S. Customs. If your laptop is U.S.-made, call the consulate of the country you'll be visiting to find out whether or not it should be registered with local customs upon arrival. You may want to find out about repair facilities at your destination in case you need them.
PHOTOGRAPHY
If your camera is new or if you haven't used it for a while, shoot and develop a few rolls of film before you leave. Always store film in a cool, dry place---never in a car's glove compartment or on the shelf under the rear window.
Every pass through an X-ray machine increases film's chance of clouding. To protect it, carry it in a clear plastic bag and ask for hand inspection at security. Such requests are virtually always honored at U.S. airports, and are usually accommodated abroad. Don't depend on a lead-lined bag to protect film in checked luggage---the airline may increase the radiation to see what's inside.
VIDEO
Before your trip, test your camcorder, invest in a skylight filter to protect the lens, and charge the batteries. (Airport security personnel may ask you to turn on the camcorder to prove that it's what it appears to be.) The batteries of most newer camcorders can be recharged with a universal or worldwide AC adapter charger (or multivoltage converter), usable whether the voltage is 110 or 220. All that's needed is the appropriate plug. Videotape is not damaged by X-rays, but it may be harmed by the magnetic field of a walk-through metal detector, so ask that videotapes be hand-checked.
If you're visiting Japan, Hong Kong, or Southeast Asia, register foreign-made camcorders with U.S. Customs before you depart.
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