What are you all doing to reduce the possibility of things being stolen from your bags, particularly in Johannesburg?

I never put anything of value in my checked bag.
Or amything that would be a quick sale, easy cash item.

I carry EVERYTHING of value I can in my checked bag. The valuable things that are not allowed on the lane I put in my guncase [Tuffpak] which is more secure than most checked bags.

I also wear my favorite pair of huntingboots on the plane, and carry at least one complete set of hunting clothes in my carryon.

On Alaska trips I carry my raingear in my carryon as well.

I can usually hunt in the clothes I am wearing on the plane as well.

So with the exception of guns and ammo, I could hunt with what I am wearing and what is in my carryon.

I have also carried my ammo in the same case as my guns, and have not had any problems, but your situation might be different.

One thing worth trying is have both your bags be guncase quality. Tell the ticket agent both have guns in them. Take both of them to TSA guncheck area. Once they inspect them and put thier seals on them they will not need to be opened again and both can be locked, and be of a difficulty to get into that most likely they will not get "pilfered".

Larry:

Last year had a few hundred $$ of gifts for the PH and his wife stolen out of our checked bag in J’berg. It was a good quality “zippered” and locked soft-side bag. Found out later that a locked zipper is a joke. They jam a pen through the zipper and it opens right up. Then they run the locked together zipper around the bag and it closes back up. Was not crazy enough to put camera/optics in it just gifts etc.

This year found an older hard sided American Tourister at a thrift store and used a TSA approved locking strap passed through the handle. Packed the ammo in it and AFTER the TSA guys cleared it through their magic machine, wrapped the whole damn thing in heavy gage stretch wrap used to ship pallets. Told the TSA guys what I wanted to do before they scanned it and wrapped it right in front of them after they put their “TSA Inspected” stickers on it.

Did the same thing for the return trip…kinda. Took enough of the stretch wrap with me and after I cleared the security guy in Windhoek and he put the shipping tag on it I pulled the stretch wrap out of my carry-on and wrapped the hell out of it right there in front of him. In hindsight, I could have paid a few bucks to have the bag “shrink-wrapped” at one of the Kiosks in the airport. Nothing stolen on the way home but for some reason TSA did open the bag somewhere along the way took off the wrapping and left me a little card that they had been in the bag.

Bottom line I think is - nothing valuable in any checked bag (unless in the rifle case) unless you want to donate it to the local underground economy.

I have never encountered any theft from my checked bags, luckily. I use a TSA lock and usually carry a backup lock just in case. Last time coming home TSA did open my bag and check it, the only thing that did not make it back to me was the TSA lock, go figure.

the best solution is to hunt somewhere else and check your bags straight through. I expect some very organized rings of baggage thieves to start practice runs for the soccer thing in SA next summer. All them pigeons, ripe for the plucking, luggage and all.

Rich

Everyone has always said that baggage problems were just part of the African Experience. True for me as they ruined my Filson duffle and I have returned it for repairs. Seems they did not want to cut the lock so they cut the brass connector instead. Nothing missing thankfully. I have been told that they primarily look for electronics, binos, etc that they can easily sell for drugs. Just my $0.02. Oh, they had the key to the master lock but did not use it. Bags were four days late so I was not there when it arrived JoBurg.

I personally think that baggage theft can and does occur in any and all airports and that there's nothing you can do to guarantee it won't happen to you. Sure, some airports are worse than others, but I don't believe there's a single airport in the world where it never happens.

As to what to do to prevent it, I reckon the only thing you can do is make your bag harder to open than the others in the hope that the thief will take a look at your bag and decide to go for a different bag that will be easier/faster to open. Better locks mean it'll be slower to open and that shrink wrap plastic is also a great idea.

As to not putting anything valuable in your case........ even that isn't as easy as you think. Take a look at the normal clothes you put in there and then add the value up and you'll soon get to a considerable replacement value.

Maybe packing a live rotweiler in there might be a good idea!

Larry- Most of the thefts are by zipper artists as posted here some time ago. There was link showing how to open a zipper with a ball point pen. Hard sided luggage is the answer. Tough Pack, Pelican, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by crane:
Larry- Most of the thefts are by zipper artists as posted here some time ago. There was link showing how to open a zipper with a ball point pen. Hard sided luggage is the answer. Tough Pack, Pelican, etc.

Mate, unfortunately the sticky fingered bastards can get into them without any problems as well.

Like most others here on AR, I pack all my valuable stuff (binos, cameras, etc.) in my carry-on, and include one set of clothes I can hunt in. I have an ugly orange Cabelas waterproof bag that has been around the world many times, and it holds everything you could possibly need to carry. I also throw it in the back of the truck with things I might need later on the hunt, and it is relatively dust proof.

For close to 40 years, I've been using the good old green military dufflebag. Pilots love them for packing ease in small planes also. No zippers, or fancy outside pockets to get caught on the conveyors. Tough as nails, and holds a lot. The newer ones even have shoulder straps, but you have to cinch them up tight and tie them together so there are no loose straps flailing about. Just think how many military travel through airports every day!

For padding the locking metal ammo box in a duffle bag, I just use a pair of pants wrapped each direction.

Just load it up and padlock it. Yeah, they can cut the lock off, but they can also slice any soft sided bag wide open with a knife also.

I have never had anything stolen from one of them yet.

Get a bag that any self respecting thief would hate to be photographed with ie a kid's Barney suitcase.
Got a friend who travels quite a bit and his bag is a beat up pink case. Said he gets lots of looks but it always arrives intact.

The other (more civil and sane) is the tape. When I flew out of Central Africa I noticed that ALL of the locals tape their bags - I mean rolls and rolls of that wide shipping tape. They know what goes on behind the ticket counter.
But whatever you do don't advertise what's in your luggage. They all know that if it says Cabelas, it will probably have the type of stuff they are looking for. Same for your name tag. Don't have a big giant one that says USA across it. Keep it small and nondescript.

Yes, zippered luggage is no protection at all. And, it only takes them a few seconds to get in, get the goods, zip it closed and get out. Shrink wrapping at the African Airports or doing it before you leave the USA (as long as TSA will not cut it off) is the better way, along with placing a live mamba, puff adder or other poisonous reptile in the bag as well to deter theft. In South America, we used to mark items as "burial clothing" and no one would touch the bag. I don't know if that still works today or not.

I'm not doing anything about it.

I've never had a problem, quite the opposite actually. I beleive the percentage of theft in Jo'Burg probably equals anywhere else in the world.

The biggest problems faceing Aussie hunters going to Africa appears to be with Australian Customs on the return not clearing rifles, not the airlines or baggage handlers.

I think one or two unfortunate hunters have had problems in Jo'Burg and this has now become ingrained as some kind of certain fact. Rather than the myth it is.

Unfortunately, theft and loss of baggage within Jo'Burg Airport is certainly not a myth, but an actual fact.

These baggage thieves must be really licking their chops in antictipation of the 2010 World Cup. Sadly many of the people that are traveling will not know what hit them until it is too late.

No myth at all. I had four bags rifled,(all securely locked) including our carry-ons that were locked and placed in the hold of the plane by the flight attendants at the very last minute on our flight from Vic Falls to Jo-burg and immediately retrieved upon arrival in Jo-burg. I lost two very expensive cameras. There's plenty of hunter's stories here on AR about theft in Joburg, so don't delude yourself into believing otherwise.

Myth my ass Code 4. In July of this year our group of three all had our luggage broken into. We all used Pelican cases as luggage, model 1610, and all of our locks were cut and our gear ransacked. A spare cell phone and charger were stolen. We had all of our electronics, optics, cameras, etc in our carryon luggage except for this one spare phone.

As Peashooter said, they are getting their moves down for the big payday next year during the World Cup! Christmas comes to RSA in June and July next year!

That thread recently regarding low incidents of tampered luggage at Jo'Burg is laughable.

RCG

quote:

Originally posted by Code4:
I'm not doing anything about it.

I've never had a problem, quite the opposite actually. I beleive the percentage of theft in Jo'Burg probably equals anywhere else in the world.

The biggest problems faceing Aussie hunters going to Africa appears to be with Australian Customs on the return not clearing rifles, not the airlines or baggage handlers.

I think one or two unfortunate hunters have had problems in Jo'Burg and this has now become ingrained as some kind of certain fact. Rather than the myth it is.

I must be One and Two...had my hard side luggage destroyed in JNB. Locks cut and hinge destroyed. A large chunk was broken out of the back of the plastic case. I had nothing but clothes and a few cruios in the case thankfully but they did manage to get away with Millions in currency....Zim notes!

I was bringing them back for my children.

On another trip my soft luggage was cut open and I had some knives and flashlights taken.

Simply makes a guy mad and SAA the US carrier ends up paying the claim. Some BS rule that the airline you are with at the final destination has to pay the bills.

I am curious if anyone has had problems with plastic wrapped bags. I never have done this because they always want to look in them. Maybe it makes a difference since many of the folks from RSA had theirs done in the Lobby.

Well there are five examples of theft from luggage in this thread. Any others ? From my conversations at Afton House there must be 100+ hunters a week coming into Jo'Burg at peak season.

I hear all these horror storys of travel in Africa and I never come across anything like them in five trips there over two decades. Guess I must be lucky.

I will admit I use one way of protecting my gear, my Insurance Policy. It must be nice to get all new gear after a break in ?

There's baggage thefts everywhere but Jo'burg seems to be one of the worst and the local TV consumer programme Carte Blanche regularly have pieces about it...... including screening occasional clips of film where the guys are actually doing it. Sadly, even despite all Catre Blanche's efforts, nothing seems to improve.

I've had a few thefts over the years including such things as waxed cotton jackets, jeans and boots etc and all those ordinary things add up to a considerable sum. Even worse is that despite having insurance, getting the full replacement value back is ALWAYS a problem because the insurance companies pretty much always ask for original receipts to prove you're not making a dodgy claim.

The worst example I've experienced was a few years ago when I checked in at Jo'burg for a flight to London and due to freezing weather and lack of de-icing equipment we had to reclaim our bags a few hours later, get put up overnight in Jo'burg (at the airline's expense) and then fly out in the morning. When we all got back to the airport it turned out pretty much every passenger's bags had been rifled. I lost a shit load of gear and if I remember correctly, only ever managed to reclaim about 35% of total replacement value.

quote:

I personally think that baggage theft can and does occur in any and all airports and that there's nothing you can do to guarantee it won't happen to you

True to a certain extent.

But talking to Emirates personell, theft out of Johannesburg far out strip thefts from ANY destination they fly to.

Personally, I would avoid flying through Johannesburg unless I have no other choice.

Stopping the theft does require too much of an effort. But there SHOULD be an effort to stop it.

The impression I am getting is that the airport authority there are not trying very hard.

Make your luggage look old and battered, leave plenty of scuffed up stickers on the cases and then have them wrapped at the airport. Drag it in the dust if you like and make it look like an abused bag.

Secondly always wrap in the plastic. Wrapping bags has seen all of my luggage come through safe and I have even had to check camera equipment before.
Another thing to do is to put two types of lock on your bags. 1 must be a high quality lock with a proper hardened shackle, not the junk you buy in the airport. The pelican combination locks seem to be good as they don't respond to being smashed off the side of the case. Second is to use a cable lock as well, it cant be cut with a bolt cutter. You get them in all sizes and they are enough of a visual deterrent.

Last thing is to make sure you don't overload your bags, a bag that is already busting at the seams is going to look more appealing and could then be easier to get into. They are also the kind of bags that if dropped are quite likely to split open and give an opportunity for anyone to have a good grub around before wrapping it up with tape.

Joburg is bad, but there is now a fight direct to Durban on Emirates, so I assume that more hunters will come and hunt in Natal now. The airport is much more secure and we all know that Natal is the capital of South Africa anyway...So what you waiting for, you can fly via Dubai, shoot the T-Rex and then come and do some awesome hunting in the Zululand bushveld.

On my last trip, the only electronic thing we had in our bags was a cordless hair trimmer.

Yes, they stole it at Janiceburg.

It doesn't seem that there is a magic answer.

I guess I should try and take the 2 trail cameras in my carryon.

I did have a problem in Johannesburg a couple of years ago. It is puzzling and amusing.

I had a new Leatherman still in the box. It had been in my gun closet for years. As a last minute thing, I threw it in my bag. When I got my bags, the box was there, the carrying case was there, the instructions were there. However, the Leatherman was gone.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why they didn't just take the whole thing.

Larry, I just took 4 trail cams to Zimbabwe on my last lion hunt and they all made it.

Give me a call and I will give you some ideas that I used. Need to talk to you anyway.