airline travel

[wolf]

We Are Flying To Virgina ,what Are The Airline Regs On Flying With Backpacks And What We Can And Cant Take:-?

[Toolshed]

We Are Flying To Virgina ,what Are The Airline Regs On Flying With Backpacks And What We Can And Cant Take:-?
Airline policies vary. Figure out what carrier you are flying with and check their website for restrictions. Plain and simple legwork.

[TD55]

No fuel. No scent of fuel. No trace of fuel. Fuel scent is the thing that can get your whole pack denied as cargo.. It can be hit of miss, but it's a gamble. Unless your stove is brand new and never had fuel in it, don't bring it. If you have carried fuel in your pack you should clean it real good.
If you can carry it as carry on, thats best. Your pack will get x-ray but probably not sniffed. Put anything metel in a clear ziplock bag that you can pull out of your pack before it goes through the x-ray. Same rules apply. No knives, scissors, etc. Any kind of stove can freak out the security dudes. Don't even bring a lighter. Remember, this advice is for carry-on.

[MintakaCat]

Airline policies vary.

I don't think airlines have a say in this. Here's the TSA website on prohibited items:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

[Frosty]

I don't think airlines have a say in this. Here's the TSA website on prohibited items:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtmAirlines have their own indicidual rules and policies. You have to follow them AND the TSA rules AFAIK.

[MintakaCat]

Airlines have their own indicidual rules and policies. You have to follow them AND the TSA rules AFAIK.

Hmmm....To some extent, yes. I think the TSA regs will cover 95% of the issues. The airline might have a problem with the bag (or in this case the pack) as to it's size or with the belts and/or straps.

[Blissful]

I had a smallish backpack(Gregory Jade), I carried it on the plane just this month with stuff like an expensive Montbell jacket, some clothes, headlamp, first aid kit etc. Might get a sleeping bag in there too if it compresses well (mine was synthetic though so I checked it).
Anything that might give them trouble as a carry-on (such as my pocket rocket, knife, liquids like bug repellent, poles, etc), I put in a duffel bag and checked. No issues.

[modiyooch]

mail your stove ahead. I almost lost mine. no fuel. that's about all I remember.

[Ox97GaMe]

Check in is best, if you can do that. The pack isnt likely to fit in the overhead compartment as carry on, and they wont let you hold it in your lap.

Items that will draw attention.
a) fuel bottle. you can have one, but it must be free of any fuel odor and store it in an open state (so they know it is empty) Same applies if you are carrying a metal water bottle.
b) camp stoves. This will depend on the type of stove. coke can stoves are probably ok, small cook stoves probably will be ok. Anything larger than a vegetable can is likely to be removed from the pack and inspected.
c) hiking poles. Wood poles are almost always considered contraband and removed. If you have trekking poles, I usually disassemble them and put with my tent poles and have not had any issues. I have heard of Leki's being seized from packs, but not often.
d) Tent stakes, camp spoon, camp fork, pocket knife. This is especially important if you decide to carry on your pack. These will be considered possible weapons.

I also suggest that you get a duffle of some sort to put the pack in for transport. This will prevent the pack from snagging on things when riding the baggage conveyors as well as somewhat disguise the contents as it goes through the airline system.

another thing to note... most airlines have a 40 or 50 lb limit on individual baggage and a 2 bag limit per passenger. There are additional fees (up to $50) for extra bags or overweight bags. Be sure to weight your pack (including duffle) prior to going to the airport. Give yourself a couple pounds leeway, just in case your scales dont match the airport scale.

[mooseboy]

c) hiking poles. Wood poles are almost always considered contraband and removed.

Wooden poles? In checked baggage? Why on earth does the TSA have a problem with those?

Not that I have any, just really confused by our "Security" sometimes.