airports and cameras

[Robert Read <rread@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

I'm tired of carrying on all my gear when I fly, and I'm considering  
buying a modest Pelican case (or similar) so I can pack my gear safely  
and check it. But, I'm concerned about how secure it is, since they  
don't allow you to lock checked bags these days, at least in the US. A  
co-worker of mine just lost two laptops he checked on a flight last  
week. (Both his and his wife's bags arrived, but the laptops were  
gone, and the airline accepted no liability of course.)  Has anyone  
had any experiences, good or bad, with checking their gear? Any tips?

Sorry if this is off-topic, but we can't take pictures if we don't  
have the gear, and I'm probably not the only one here boarding a plane  
in the near future.

thanks,
robert