Air Travel Carry on items

Rupestris

Rupestris

Gold Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2006
Messages
29,857
I just got back from a short trip to Indianapolis, IN. Checking a bag on Northwest now costs $15 on each end and due to spending limitations on business travel, I decided to carry on one bag. This meant I was going to be without a knife for a couple days but I gotta do what I gotta do sometimes.

Wednesday, before heading to the airport, I checked the TSA website to see what I could carry and what might throw up a red flag. I got there early just in case TSA at DTW disagreed with, or were ignorant of their own rules. If I had to take something back to the car, I'd have plenty of time.

This is what I had packed:
CarryOn.jpg


Items are:
Garmin eTrex Vista
SwissTech Pro multi tool w/ LED light key chain mount
Bic lighters (one full size, one mini)
Paracord (Aprox. 25')
Cell Phone
Pens (one sharpie, one roller ball)
Extra batteries for GPS
2AA Maglight w/LED conversion
MP3 player with chrome/reflective back (signal mirror)


I was in an urban/suburban setting the entire time so I packed accordingly.

If anyone has to travel by air, I just wanted to let you know that these items weren't questioned at all. The pens and the flashlight were in the side pen pockets of my carry on bag and visible to all including TSA at all times.

I either don't look threatening enough or the TSA is up to snuff on what can and can't be legally carried on a passenger aircraft.

HTH,
Chris
 
That was changed in 2007. Lighters are now allowed as carry on but they don't want you to put them in your checked bags. I think it has something to do with transporting presurized flamables in the cargo hold.
 
Thanks ... just checked their site ... it's nice to see screwdrivers less than seven inches are also allowed ??? I'm sure my LM Micra would be confiscated
 
I flew out of DTW around Christmas time, and I had a similar load, but I had my micro widgy bar in my pack as well. They stopped my bag and found the widgy bar, but they told me it looked like a pocket knife on the xray, but it was ok because it was a "bottle opener". It came in handy too, as my parents needed to open the plastic blister pack their headphones came in. They also said nothing about my Etrex H.
 
I have a mission specific Airplane BOB I use for commercial air travel. I travel extensively teaching so having my little buddy provides me with the assurance I can make it to a designated rendezvous location in a state of emergency.

This BOB is built with this mission solely in mind. No gear is thrown in because it is cool. Each piece must serve a multitude of purposes. I've also tested many different bags and now found the bag I use will fit directly under the seat in front of me regardless of the air frame or seat config. It even fits well in the really small regional airliners. It is in a non-attention color and shape. People are blown away at what capacity I have with this little system.

The bag has a sleep & shelter system for sleeping in an airport or wilderness setting, it has the ability to clean water, make fire, carry self defense tools, and has a basic med kit. I also have a "toilet John" included because if you've ever been trapped on a stranded plane for 8 hours (don't ask me how I know) and the toilets are full and you need to "go" then you wouldn't laugh.

I just slip John in my pocket and walk up to a lav...of course the friendly attendant says "sir the bathrooms are no longer operational." I retort, "yes ma'am, I'm aware of this but I have something in my eye and I need the mirror and some water to flush it out." Then I go in. Amazing technology and works like a charm. No more squirming like a squid with a painful full bladder for five hours! If I have to go #2 then I have a seperate system worked out for that.

My BOB also carries my meds and a three day supply of food. It also contains the smallest, lightest hard shell I could find, a pair of gloves, spare socks, and a stocking cap. Two headlamps (primary and seconday) and an emergency strobe light, signal mirror, and a detailed map of all the states I'm traveling to/from. Of course a compass too! I also carry a GPS and spare batts. I also carry a notebook that tells me all the info I need to contact my network of like minded friends in these states and locations where I can hold up and be resupplied.

I'm also a HAM so I have a HT and J Pole antenna included. With it and my laptop I'm capable of communicating to my network/family from anywhere in the world as long as I have AC power or the battery holds. I'm experiementing with a solar panel for recharging.

I've been researching and field testing this for the last eight years. I have several hundred thousand miles of air travel with this system. I've got it dialed (other than the solar charger) and am thinking about building some of these and reselling them along with a workshop on business and pleasure travel security which I've developed.
 
Last edited:
cmdionne said:
I flew out of DTW around Christmas time, and I had a similar load, but I had my micro widgy bar in my pack as well. They stopped my bag and found the widgy bar, but they told me it looked like a pocket knife on the xray, but it was ok because it was a "bottle opener". It came in handy too, as my parents needed to open the plastic blister pack their headphones came in. They also said nothing about my Etrex H.
Click to expand...

I wasn't as lucky as you were. I flew to Colorado for the holidays and I was super late getting to the airport. Murphy's law applied to this situation as there was a rediculously long line at the check in counter. I was in such a rush that I forgot to throw my Benchmade Griptilian into my checked baggage. At the security checkpoint, they found it in my backpack and I didn't have the time to go back and check it. I gave it to a very nice TSA lady...and moped around for the rest of the day.
 
safetyman said:
I wasn't as lucky as you were. I flew to Colorado for the holidays and I was super late getting to the airport. Murphy's law applied to this situation as there was a rediculously long line at the check in counter. I was in such a rush that I forgot to throw my Benchmade Griptilian into my checked baggage. At the security checkpoint, they found it in my backpack and I didn't have the time to go back and check it. I gave it to a very nice TSA lady...and moped around for the rest of the day.
Click to expand...

Ouch :( I should start carrying a self-addressed envelope in my carry-on just in case...

Does anyone know if you're allowed to carry-on a firesteel? I've always wondered about this.
 
I had a firesteel questioned by security once. When I travel like that, just in case, I carry one that hasn't been scraped yet. I told them it was a fly fishing tool used to tie a nail knot. And it was made by my grandfather. No further questions after that.
 
I recently flew SFO -> LHR, Eurostar to Paris, then flew CDG to LHR. On my final leg home (LHR -> SFO) security took my Ti spork, claiming that terrorists could bend the tines and take over a plane. Apparently the other 3 security checkpoints through which I'd passed didn't know this information.

Once my incredulity at their suggestion of going back out to check-in and checking a small spoon subsided, I twisted it into a pretzel and handed it over. Keep an eye out for a bent spork on eBay.

An hour or so later I was on the plane, with a real glass of whisky, and real steel knife and fork for my meal. I am so thankful for airline security, making sure that no additional metal cutlery gets aboard our flights.

*sigh* :rolleyes:
 
I've seen crates of knives and such being auctioned by TSA on the GSA website. I wonder if the gryptilian and spork will be in one of those. Keep looking.
 
I carry an assortment of misc. stuff:

10 12" zip ties
1 roll of electrical tape
magnesium block fire starter
compass
Petzl zipka headlamp
Garmin eTrex Vista
office cell phone
personal cell phone
mp3 player
small first aid kit (really just band aids, extra chapstick, asprin, etc)
several ziplock bags
2 magazines
1 book
2 rolls of quarters inside a tight fitting leather pouch
nalgene filled with granola bars
camera monopod
camera
tooth brush w/ travel tooth paste
bar of anti-bacterial soap
Stride gum
1 complete set of clothes
hat
silk-weight wind/rain resistant parka

I pack all that into my small internal-frame pack.

Several of the items are security oriented.

I've flown with this stuff 7 times now, been randomly searched 4 times, and not even a question about the gear.

Sometimes I feel like it's a bunch of unnecessary crap. It's silly, really. We should be able to carry multitools and pocket knives on the plane.
 
rksoon said:
Ouch :( I should start carrying a self-addressed envelope in my carry-on just in case...

Does anyone know if you're allowed to carry-on a firesteel? I've always wondered about this.
Click to expand...

I just flew to Pusan last Tuesday with a small firesteel and striker in my pants pocket and a flint and flint striker wrapped in a small leather bundle in my carry-on bag. They didn't give a second look at the fire steel but did question me about the flint and striker. I told them what it was and they just passed it right along. Not a problem. I like to have the flint with me as some airports I go through (Aquino Airport in Manila for one,) often use a tough plastic heat sealed band to security seal your suitcase. When you get to your hotel room there isn't anything around to cut off the band... except man's original SAK, the sharp flint!

Stitchawl
 
Read this and think about it for a while.
Back in the early 1980s there were numeroues hijacks in Europe. About every other week there were a plane that were flewn off to places like Djibouti, Entebbe, Mogadishu, Aden and whatnot. Then the restrictions on carry ons were not really tightened, you could still fly to places without being harassed and questioned and so on. You could also carry on what you usually carried in your pockets. Pocket knives were in every mans pockets.

Then some people flew planes into WTC. A plane that was supposedly hijacked with BOX CUTTERS. Excuse me, but a boxcutter has a 1" blade. A guy with a 1" blade is not that really intimidating. When you get food in the plane you get more dangerous utensils than a box cutter.

Anyway, since they apparently just needed a 1" blade to cause all that havoc naturally ALL edged tools are banned. It is so pathetic that I can cry.

They lifted the ban on lighters since TSA realised that there was too time consuming to sieze ten thousand lighters every day, they needed the time to sieze swiss army knives and multi tools instead.
Wouldnt it be a decent thing to lift the ban on normal sized pocket knives. It would make life easier for everyone.
 
How about we do this, everyone who wants one gets a snubby .38special with a special shroud that does not allow to see if its loaded and keeps the cylinder closed. an undisclosed percentage of these are loaded with a random number of bullets. yes, the terrorists have a weapon, but only maybe, and maybe some passangers do to, also prevents air rage. when you arrive, you toss it into the big basket and someone else grabs it for their flight.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top