Fill your backpack with the items with which you will be traveling.
Place your backpack in a large duffel bag. Outdoor specialty stores also sell backpack carriers specifically designed to hold backpacks during travel.
Zip the duffel bag or backpack carrier (see Resources for an example of a backpack carrier) and secure the zippers with a TSA-approved lock, which you can find at stores that sell travel gear. This method should keep your bag secure during the airport baggage-check process.
Fill your backpack with the items with which you will be traveling. It is important to make sure the backpack is filled because the straps hold better to a backpack that has little extra fabric or room to move. There will be nothing between your backpack and the conveyor belts used to move luggage in airports.
Secure all the straps and buckles that are part of your pack. Allow as few free hanging items as possible. Tuck loose straps into zippered pockets or tie them to loop holes on the pack.
Pull protruding parts of the backpack, such as the shoulder straps and hip belt, toward the pack by tightening an extra strap around the pack. This prevents the pack from getting snagged on conveyor belts and damaging the pack. Purchase extra straps, such as webbing, at an outdoor specialty store (see Resources for an example). These will not come with your backpack. Two to three straps should be enough to secure the entire pack.
Use a square knot to secure each strap by crossing one end of the strap over another, as if you are tying your shoes. Then cross the straps in the opposite way. For example, if you have two ends named A and B, cross A over B the first time and B over A the second time. Pull the knot tight. Tuck the extra straps hanging off the knot under the secured part of the strap.
