"Inventory everything in your checked luggage. The airport employees tend to care a little more when you tell them that you can list and price everything that they lost."

Sorry, but that makes little sense to me. Usually the person putting your checked luggage on the belt is the ticket agent. He/she isn't going to see or touch the luggage outside of your view. Why start the trip insulting someone.

Anyone who is going to steal anything from your luggage is probably not particularly concerned that you'll be able to later inventory it and notice that it is missing.

I agree with you in regard to later making a claim. But not as theft prevention.

One thing I've been doing lately (particularly with regard to PSK and FAK's) is to bundle stuff into gal. size ziplock bags or foodsaver bags and put a tamper-evident seal through a hole punched in the bag mouth. My premise is that neat looking stuff that's easily slipped into a pocket is most at risk, so I put it in a bundle that slows down the process and makes it more likely that the person pilfering will be seen by those around him/her.