Has anyone tried to board a commercial flight (from a large airport) with a PSP in carry on? I've been carrying mine with me all the time, and will have to do some business travel in the near future. It seems pretty non-harmful, but I've had the TSA Nazis question other kinds of things.

If you've got anything like knives, blades, matches, explosives, etc, you're gonna get in trouble.

You might do a search on TSA here, as their guideline sites have been posted not too long ago.

Sue

It's a crap shoot at best. I got through with trioxane with my MREs, and that was a during full search.

Pull out the sharp objects. Then pull out the Spark Lite. Then pull out the tinder. All of a sudden you don't have much of a PSP left.

When I flew recently I didn't even bother trying to carry survival gear. That's sad to say, but it's true.

Had a Photon light and a Fox 40 with me on my keychain. That was it. What was really useful were the handy-wipes.

If you wanted to, you could stash your gear in the checked baggage. But there's no guarantee it'll be in there at your destination. I've thought of sending my stuff ahead like others have mentioned here on the forums.

BSA hotspark didn't draw any attention after I forgot about it in my briefcase last week.

link is:

http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1012.xml

The Word file has a long list of what is an is not allowed in both carry on and checked.

I am not too sure that the people who work the checkin always follow what is on the list, but ...

"all lighters" are prohibited from carry on and lighters with fuel cannot be checked. Strike anywhere matches are also a no no.

I would not be suprised if a Strike Spark would be considered as "all lighters".

The rules do state that up to four books of saftey matches can be in carry on (but not in checked bags). I have carried book matches in carry on. Not my idea of the best choice, but at least they are better than nothing.

Anyway, probably a good idea to check the TSA site before you fly.

What I am waiting for is to see someone with a fireboard & spindle to board a plane. Would the TSA twits know what it is? Would they confiscate it?

Martin Focazio is always traveling.... <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sue

It is a crap shoot. I've boarded planes with my PSP before (with all sharps and fire-making materials removed) and not had a hassle, but the last time the screener saw the CONTENTS LIST I forgot to remove and took a lengthy search of all my belongings. To be fair, they were training another screener, but I had quite the adventure running to my plane because of the extra time it took. Take out the contents list in addition to the obvious.

The prohibited list includes:

Drills
Bows and arrows
Tools longer than 7 inches

Martin might have to talk his way around that. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Fire piston. Master the sheepish grin, and they won't say anything.

I was looking at wooden pistons a few weeks ago when a female friend came around. She still isn't sure that I'm telling her the truth about what they are. *blushing*

That is disgustingly hilarious <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Troy

Okay, so leave out the drill. You can find a stick nearly anywhere. Just the fireboard & the handle. They probably wouldn't even know what they were...

Really, they probably mean drills: "Everyone get your hands up and crowd into the toilet, or I'll drill holes in your head so you hear flutes when the wind blows! NOW!" (Accompanied by sound of battery-operated drill battery dying...)

IRONRAVEN: Just WHAT is it that YOU are telling her the fire piston is??????

Sue <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

I think the drill, bow and 7+" long tools are so you don't put a hole in the air frame. It's not that thick. Although it's doubtful you'd have an explosive decompression, I suppose there is a risk. But I think the entire plane would freak out if you put your battery operated 24V Hammer Drill armed with a 10" long diamond tipped titanium bit against the fuselage and pulled the trigger. An arrow could puncture it probably as well as a bullet - I've never tried to get on a plane with bowhunting gear... anyone get on with carryon bow and a quiver full?

I wonder if my sai would be considered a weapon or a tool or both? :-)

I told her exactly what it was!

She thought it was something else. She asked who the lucky lady was going ot be. *blushing to my toes*

I don't know. If some guy sits next to me on a plane and whips out a fire board and drill and starts trying to set his shoe on fire, I'm going to put my seat back in the full upright and locked position and whack him with my seat cushion/floatation device.

I'm not even going to comment on the fire piston.
<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Just remove the scalpel and you are fine. I have traveled twice since 12/22 and they have never said anything about it at all. Although I will now remove the contents list..
Also a great tool that is OK is a pair of EMT shears; TSA has no problem with these. Actually they have always been allowed.
Bill

Yes!! Many times! I mix that with my first aid toiletry kits. I usually travel pretty light so I have only a small kit. I went through the whole TSA song and dance in the last week at both PIT and DFW including the handy dandy explosive sniffer and had no trouble. The only things I normally carry that I did not have with me are the afore mentioned sharps. I could have done first aid, started a fire, navigated, and had water to drink, food to eat, meds to take. Since I also carried a diamond-sharpening card in my wallet I probably could have had a usable edge on my fire steels striker (ground down from a saws all blade) in a few minutes.
I keep an eye on the TSA list of prohibited items and am very careful to never carry anything that is illegal. I do as always try to think outside the box.

An item being "allowed" and your being permitted to carry it on your person are two entirely different things (going by TSA logic). Have you traveled by air with EMT shears on your person?

-- Craig

I just got back from a trip to asia. I went through airport security five times total in four different countries. Every single one asked me to open my bag to check out the 'sissors'. In the US at SFO they let me keep the EMT shears, but took some sharper sissors in my little sewing kit because they were pointy. At three other checks the screeners looked at the shears and said 'don't use them on the plane'. On the way into the US in Seol, S. Korea, they told me that I couldn't board with the shears and took them. I wasn't so botherd because I was headed home, and they were very professional about the process, much better than I've experienced with the TSA folks here.

Sometimes it's a roll of the dice if it's questionable, even if it's technicaly within the rules.

And no one asked about the permenant match either. I guess it's not really recognizable as a lighter.

As always, YMMV

-Jeff

Wow! I just found a small Buck pen knife in the bottom of my briefcase. I found it in a parking lot and put it in my briefcase back in August or September. It (along with my briefcase) has gone through airport security four times! Twice in Nashville, once in Orlando and once in Baltimore.

You would be surprised to know how often I am asked where the batteries go...