Poles on planes

[saltysack]

All true and good points....I'm going to ship my poles,stove, tent awning pole, leatherman micra to the hotel for my JMT hike...anything else that could be questionable?? Nowadays u can't assume anything with tsa....olive oil and dr B ok in unmarked small containers?


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[Traveler]

Israel has the advantage of utilizing different security measures with only a limited number of flights a day from Ben Gurion. The US domestic air carriers have some 40,000 take offs a day. To do the same interviewing process would cripple the industry in the US with ripple effects to asian and european carriers. Looked at another way Israeli airlines handled approximately 13 million passengers in 2012, the US handled 850 million in the same year.

If you don't believe TSA has similar approach cameras and people trained in body language you probably should look more closely when you are moving towards, through, and away from security stations.

[Traveler]

Sorry! Not sure what happened, I was posting in a different thread and it appeared here.... odd stuff in the inter web

[ZenRabbit]

All true and good points....I'm going to ship my poles,stove, tent awning pole, leatherman micra to the hotel for my JMT hike...anything else that could be questionable?? Nowadays u can't assume anything with tsa....olive oil and dr B ok in unmarked small containers?


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3-1-1 Liquids Rule

You are allowed to bring one small bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes through the checkpoint. These are limited to 3.4 ounces or less per container. Consolidating these containers in the small bag separate from your carry-on baggage enables TSA officers to screen them quickly.

3-1-1 for carry-ons. Liquids, gels, aerosols, creams and pastes must be 3.4 ounces (100ml) or less per container; must be in 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. The bag limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring.

Be prepared. Each time a TSA officer stops to physically screen a carry-on bag, it slows down the line. Practicing the 3-1-1 rule will facilitate the checkpoint experience.

Declare larger liquids. Medications, baby formula/food and breast milk are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces, and they don’t have to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint. TSA officers may need to open them for additional screening.

If in doubt, put your liquids, gels, aerosols, creams and pastes in checked baggage.

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[saltysack]

3-1-1 Liquids Rule

You are allowed to bring one small bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes through the checkpoint. These are limited to 3.4 ounces or less per container. Consolidating these containers in the small bag separate from your carry-on baggage enables TSA officers to screen them quickly.

3-1-1 for carry-ons. Liquids, gels, aerosols, creams and pastes must be 3.4 ounces (100ml) or less per container; must be in 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. The bag limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring.

Be prepared. Each time a TSA officer stops to physically screen a carry-on bag, it slows down the line. Practicing the 3-1-1 rule will facilitate the checkpoint experience.

Declare larger liquids. Medications, baby formula/food and breast milk are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces, and they don’t have to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint. TSA officers may need to open them for additional screening.

If in doubt, put your liquids, gels, aerosols, creams and pastes in checked baggage.

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Not checking bags....a lost bag would ruin my hike....on a tight schedule. Plan to carry my pack as carry on....mail questionable items to hotel I'm staying in for first night.


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[PuckFu-AgentofChange]

I was back out again in 05' and did 1,200 miles last Summer. This year I'm only hiking from Maine to Connecticut for a wedding.

[Grinder]

I just returned from a hike that I flew to. I collapsed my poles and bungeed them to the pack. I checked my pack. The baggage agent had Heavy Duty poly bags and wrapped the pack thoroughly. It came through unharmed.
On the return flight from Albany, NY, the agent had no bags, but got one from the janitor and taped it up very securely. It to made the trip unharmed.

[Singto]

The problem is that you can't check with "the authorities." They even make a big deal of saying that the rules are intentionally unpredictable so that the bad guys won't figure them out. You never know what's allowed or not until the screener tells you. I've had an empty Nalgene bottle confiscated because "it's too large a liquid container, and well, you could just fill it up again past the checkpoint."

Laws and regulations are made broad and vague for a reason. It's not so the bad guys can't figure them. It's so the bad guys can enforce them however they wish.

[highway]

There sure are a lot of opinions on this topic but little hard acts, so here is what I discovered:

Not wanting to check my backpack and run the risk losing it, some years ago i looked into the question of taking hiking poles on planes. Since then, I have been flying back and forth to Europe each year, wherever the cheapest ticket took me, and walked 4 different Caminos de santiago across Spain, Portugal, parts of France and have never had a problem with them collapsed and stowed inside my backpack.

What I did was to just look at the TSA website for their position in the US for their answer. It plainly states that it is perfectly legal and acceptable to carry on-board "Walking Aids" and that is precisely what our hiking poles are-walking aids! Now I would not attempt to carry a spiked tip ski pole on-board but my pack and poles have been looked at now at airports in Spain, France, Portugal and Germany and nobody has ever given it a more than a cursory glance. I no longer even think about it. The fact is, it's legal to carry them with you. It makes sense, too. How can someone deny another the use of their walking aid?

[Traveler]

There sure are a lot of opinions on this topic but little hard acts, so here is what I discovered:

What I did was to just look at the TSA website for their position in the US for their answer. It plainly states that it is perfectly legal and acceptable to carry on-board "Walking Aids" and that is precisely what our hiking poles are-walking aids! Now I would not attempt to carry a spiked tip ski pole on-board but my pack and poles have been looked at now at airports in Spain, France, Portugal and Germany and nobody has ever given it a more than a cursory glance. I no longer even think about it. The fact is, it's legal to carry them with you. It makes sense, too. How can someone deny another the use of their walking aid?

My travel is exclusively within the US and territories so I can't comment with first hand knowledge of foreign travel and what those carriers will allow. The fact remains, for US domestic air travel interpretation of whats allowed to be carried on and what is not has two levels, first line authority is the TSA at the airside security station, the other is the airline at the gate. I have seen trekking poles refused at the airside security stations and seen them get through airside but not allowed in the cabin at the gate by the airline (having to put them below). I have also seen them allowed on the plane. I travel about 125,000 miles a year and see a lot of denials by TSA which is not uncommon. If you want to argue the interpretation of the rules, thats up to you, however, TSA may be responding to a threat of some type you have no clue about and you may inadvertently put yourself in a small room with serious people if you argue it emotionally.

Safest bet in US domestic travel is to either stash them in your pack and check the bag, or as I do, ship it ahead of you to avoid any issues. Its a gamble the other way from what I see weekly.

[PuckFu-AgentofChange]

I greatly appreciate all the solid input. Things have changed around here, no trolling... Very nice, thanks tons folks! =D

[highway]

I am not trying to be argumentative but I would like others to be aware of tghe truth about TSA and whether our hiking poles are prohibited.
It is a simple matter just to ask the TSA whether our "walking aids" are permitted on aircraft.

Go to the TSA Website: http://www.tsa.gov/

At the top right corner is a little box that reads: "When I Fly Can I take My...?"

Simply enter your item and click go. If you ask for metal walking canes, the closest I could find for our hiking poles, the answer supplied is:

Check or Carry-on

You may transport this item in carry-on baggage or in checked baggage. For items you wish to carry-on, you should check with the airline to ensure that the item will fit in the overhead bin or underneath the seat of the airplane.

A TSA agent cannot legally prohibit a passenger from carrying our poles as carry-on luggage into the aircraft cabin as they are, as was explained to me-"Walking Aids"

I have recently had domestic travel experience at airports of Jacksonville, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Charlotte and my poles went casually inside my backpack through the TSA x-ray machines each time.

They do not need to be checked as luggage and we should not have to incur that extra expense for the checked luggage when we fly with our poles.

[Coffee]

A TSA agent cannot legally prohibit a passenger from carrying our poles as carry-on luggage into the aircraft cabin as they are, as was explained to me-"Walking Aids"

The fact remains that any TSA agent can deny any item at any time and cause you to have to decide whether to (a) check your pack at the last minute, possibly not having any protective element to wrap it in like a duffel; (b) give up the item and have to repurchase it at your destination; or (c) escalate the situation by demanding to see a supervisor possibly risking a missed flight and further hassles with essentially unaccountable lowly paid bureaucrats who won't take well to being challenged.

It seems better to avoid this by spending the $16 to simply mail ahead poles in a USPS flat rate "board game" box - a perfect fit for my alpine carbon cork poles, along with any other "questionable" items or things just to lighten my load on the plane.

But to each his own. I deplore the unaccountable nature of TSA and I'm not proud of my unwillingness to challenge "the system" but when I go on hikes it is to recreate, not make a political stand.

[saltysack]

The fact remains that any TSA agent can deny any item at any time and cause you to have to decide whether to (a) check your pack at the last minute, possibly not having any protective element to wrap it in like a duffel; (b) give up the item and have to repurchase it at your destination; or (c) escalate the situation by demanding to see a supervisor possibly risking a missed flight and further hassles with essentially unaccountable lowly paid bureaucrats who won't take well to being challenged.

It seems better to avoid this by spending the $16 to simply mail ahead poles in a USPS flat rate "board game" box - a perfect fit for my alpine carbon cork poles, along with any other "questionable" items or things just to lighten my load on the plane.

But to each his own. I deplore the unaccountable nature of TSA and I'm not proud of my unwillingness to challenge "the system" but when I go on hikes it is to recreate, not make a political stand.

Does ur loaded circuit fit in carry size requirements? I'm planning to ship my poles, stove and leatherman micra to the hotel. If it fits there's no reason to check...??


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[Coffee]

Does ur loaded circuit fit in carry size requirements? I'm planning to ship my poles, stove and leatherman micra to the hotel. If it fits there's no reason to check...??

I've carried my Circuit on board "full size" jets (like the Airbus or Boeing 737) several times. Technically it doesn't meet the carry on specs if you keep the carbon fiber "hoop" installed. It is somewhat too tall. But no one has ever questioned the pack as carry on so far. I do keep it very compact looking with nothing in the exterior pockets and I also remove the hip belt and store it inside the pack. That's just to make it look as streamlined as possible which I think helps avoid the attention of people who may want to measure it exactly. What's ironic is that even though the Circuit is a bit over the limit, I see all kinds of ridiculous obvious oversize roll aboard bags allowed all the time. The reason I'm paranoid with my backpack is that I feel that airport and airline staff can discriminate against "backpackers" more so than "regular" travelers and I don't want to call attention to my pack's dimensions.

I think that you could get the Circuit down to the specs for carryon if you ship ahead the carbon fiber hoop, which is removable. Maybe include that with your poles and then reinstall before hitting the trail if you are really concerned.

[saltysack]

Thx


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[Traveler]

Does ur loaded circuit fit in carry size requirements? I'm planning to ship my poles, stove and leatherman micra to the hotel. If it fits there's no reason to check...??


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Carry on sizing is changing (getting smaller) for some domestic carriers, definitely smaller for foreign flights. Sizes are;

American/Alaskan/Horizon 24"x17"x10" (American will be changing to 22"x14"x9" in the next few months).
USAirways/Southwest 24"x16"x10" (USAir will change to smaller dimensions in October)
United/Northwest/Virgin/Delta 22"x14"x9"

Baggage sizing is typically more heavily enforced when flights are at capacity. If the pack and contents is larger than the smallest size here, I would put it in a duffel bag and check it, or ship it with your other gear rather than have it be forced into the hold through your connecting flight and hope it makes it to your final destination.

[Traveler]

I am not trying to be argumentative but I would like others to be aware of tghe truth about TSA and whether our hiking poles are prohibited.
It is a simple matter just to ask the TSA whether our "walking aids" are permitted on aircraft.

Not being argumentative at all and I wish it were that simple, however there are a lot of misconceptions about TSA, which recently came under the microscope in failing to detect weapons planted to test the system. They have beefed things up a bit. Though your experience while good, may not apply to others.

People call TSA directly and ask about specific items, are told its ok to carry on, then be denied at the airport, which includes trekking poles. This may be for any number of reasons, even with assurances they are allowed. You can argue the denial, which I have seen people try, however, two things happen; you won't change the denial, and; you may be "interviewed" if there is a scene. Its a crap shoot really, sometimes they make it through, sometimes they don't. You can try the "walking aid" thing, but trekking poles are not metal canes. Further, when they are in the pack and you don't need them to walk, the claim falls flat.

The TSA can legally do what they want within their guidelines of threats, concerns, and potential hazards, they alone make the interpretation at the security station. That interpretation can change daily as well. Then there are the airlines which can deny them aboard if they are longer than 22" or 24" (depending on the carrier). When I want to take the pack and poles, I ship them to the hotel I will be going to on arrival. Its a small price for the insurance it will be there when I get there and avoids any possible problems with TSA or the airlines if the collapsed poles are longer than their max allowable length.

[Coffee]

As much grief as the USPS gets, I have yet to lose a package sent priority mail. Trust the USPS or the TSA? Your choice!

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[Traveler]

as much grief as the usps gets, i have yet to lose a package sent priority mail. Trust the usps or the tsa? Your choice!

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oh the humanity!!