  This tutorial provides a hands-on entry point about laser locking for atomic
vapor research and related research such as laser cooling. We furthermore
introduce common materials and methods for the fabrication of vapor cells as a
tool for this research. Its aim is not to be exhaustive, but rather to provide
an overview about the possible techniques that are actively employed in labs
today. Some critical parameters of locked laser system for use with thermal
atomic vapors are introduced and discussed. To exemplify this, we describe a
versatile locking system that caters for many of the needs we found during our
research with thermal atomic vapors. We also emphasize the compromises we took
during our decision-making process.
