International travel

[Dinendir]

Hi all,

In three weeks I'll be on the plane towards Atlanta for my thru-hike, and after getting all the gear ready I have one question left.
I'm a Belgian national, and it will be my first trip ever to the States, so I have no experience with the TSA. My main concern is that when my luggage is checked, the people of the TSA wont be able to fit everything back into my pack.
Is there any way I can prevent this? Or is this really a non-existing issue?

[TexasBob]

Checked baggage (not something that you have with you in the cabin of the plane) is x-rayed but not usually searched.

[Leo L.]

Just be prepared that the whole process will take quite some time, so be at the airport well in advance.
We had to go through the full-blown security check at least 4 times, but never had to unpack the big backpacks. It just took so long time, cueing up and being processed.
My personal impression was, that the TSA people try to do some social engineering. Anybody looking and behaving very normal, no problem. Anybody strange, they take a very close look.
So dress neatly, clean up and shave well, and be polite. Don't joke, never argue.

If they let you unload the pack on every security check - take it easy, see the advantage that you are an experienced packer then even before starting the hike.

[colorado_rob]

What I always to on backpacking/mountaineering flights where I have a lot of gear is take some of the "pressure" off the checked baggage by carrying on some of the gear, like most of my clothing. You could also carry your tent (but check the poles) or other soft goods like sleeping bag in its stuff sack if small enough. A plastic bag would work for the carry-on, either a disposable one, or your pack liner trash compactor bag, if you plan to use one.

All this being said, I've done about a dozen international climbing trips with lots of gear and a backpack checked, never a problem, though mostly on these trips I checked stuff in a large duffle, sometimes two (big expeditions).

That might be another option: use a medium/large but cheap duffle bag for your flight and give it away to the first hostel you come to. Do you have "military surplus" equivalent stores in Belgium? Here in the US you can get duffels for $20-30 in such places.

Question: Are you checking your bag directly to Atlanta perhaps? Probably not, just curious. If so, of course, then it's only you own Belgian TSA equivalent you have to worry about. Chances are you're flying into another city and have to get your checked bag and clear customs then recheck, then you'll have to deal with the US TSA ("thousands standing around").

[Leo L.]

Going from any international airport to US, you have to join a special cue (by far the longest you'll ever see perhaps) and while shuffling forward you get asked again and again if you have everything right, papers, stuff, etc.
Everything gets x-rayed and searched through, and then you end up at the hind end of the cue for the standard security process. Might take 3 hrs until you even get in distant sight of a plane.
Similar procedure enrolls when entering US, multiple security checks of variying level. You get your full luggage the moment you enter US ground, and have to drag it through multiple checks again.
Usually, only New York or Philadelphia are possible spots to enter US by plane. It doesn't help much that cheap flights usually go to cheap corners of airports, that may be quite run-down, not well marked and explained and leave customers a bit helpless at times.
Maybe expensive (business) flights offer other/better possibilities.

At any local flight, usually foreigners are not treated any worse than US citizens.

[chknfngrs]

Duffeling is great advice

[DuneElliot]

Going from any international airport to US, you have to join a special cue (by far the longest you'll ever see perhaps) and while shuffling forward you get asked again and again if you have everything right, papers, stuff, etc.
Everything gets x-rayed and searched through, and then you end up at the hind end of the cue for the standard security process. Might take 3 hrs until you even get in distant sight of a plane.
Similar procedure enrolls when entering US, multiple security checks of variying level. You get your full luggage the moment you enter US ground, and have to drag it through multiple checks again.
Usually, only New York or Philadelphia are possible spots to enter US by plane. It doesn't help much that cheap flights usually go to cheap corners of airports, that may be quite run-down, not well marked and explained and leave customers a bit helpless at times.
Maybe expensive (business) flights offer other/better possibilities.

At any local flight, usually foreigners are not treated any worse than US citizens.

No offense, but this is wrong. At the international airport in Belgium you will go through normal security check like you would if you were flying to anywhere else within Europe or the rest of the world. Most people don't get searched, just have their bags X-rayed and go through the metal detector.

I usually arrive at Heathrow around 2-3 hours before departure, which is what they recommend. Security going through checked baggage is very rare, and most often it is just X-rayed, scanned and sniffed by drug/explosive-detection dogs. Upon arrival in the US, which could be at any one of two dozen airports including Atlanta, you will go through immigration with the documentation you filled out on the plane...this often entails the most amount of waiting in line, but a European passport often does not raise any eyebrows or questioning. Then you will pick up your checked baggage and go through customs. They may or may not ask to look through your bags and will let you re-pack yourself if they do. Immigration and customs generally don't take more than 1 1/2-2 hours at most unless they are really busy.

[Dinendir]

That's some great advice!
Thank you guys!

[MuddyWaters]

Customs may search everything completely, or they may not.

pack loosely and roomily