Is a 'TSA' approved lock ok for stuff other than regular luggage? I know quite a few years ago they stopped allowing locks (even TSA approved) on regular luggage. Any TSA approved locks I've seen are pretty much a joke anyways.
http://www.my-self-defense.com/images/tsa_accepted_locks.jpg
When they still had the bomb sniffers out front, they always asked if they luggage was unlocked. IIRC if you put a lock on it, they will just break it to get in. Again, this is what I understand with regular luggage, not sure if there are different rules for other types.
I travel with test equipment sometimes, if checked it would be nice to be able to lock it up with the knowledge that it can only be unlocked in certain situations, maybe under supervision. It's one thing if TSA goes through my undies, but a whole different story with something more valuable. If they would accidentally break something on my way to a trip, it could be a big problem.