[technoL]

You may want to check with the airline first to see if they'll make any accommodations for because of your situation. Last year when flying to ATL, we checked the SOAP burner and another box of SOAP stuff, and then had about 4-5 members carry an additional backpack with the rest of our equipment. Although AirTran had a 1 carry-on per person rule, we had our personal carry-on plus the SOAP stuff, so it's possible. Be prepared for dirty looks when going through security though...it is rather suspicious having 5 bags full of electronics and tons of wires everywhere. Also, if you do decide to check you tools/equipment, make sure that everything is capable of being opened by TSA, or you may find some things out of place or oddly taped back together.