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smearhound
Dec 31, 2004, 2:13 PM
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I'll soon be flying with a rack and am hesitant to check it in with my bag. (Ihad a bad experience with the TSA in the past.) What have your experiences been with airport security? Any problems taking cams, nuts, etc. on board?
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petsfed
Dec 31, 2004, 6:16 PM
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They won't let you take most of your gear on board as a carry-on. They're even a little leary of crabs. And in any event, that much metal in one bag is gonna raise some questions when they xray it. Best solution? Ship it so it will arrive at a friend's house before you leave, then ship it back after the fact. Far less likely to be taken/destroyed/etc
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gunksgoer
Dec 31, 2004, 7:14 PM
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hmmm, thats a toughie. u might be able to get away carrying it on (might) i can definatly see the danger potential with some things tho (think pitons, large cams, hammers) try calling the airline and ask them, or ship them
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runitout20
Dec 31, 2004, 7:24 PM
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You won't be able to bring anything on in your carry-on. If you have a non-stop flight you should be in good shape as far as your checked gear goes.
I've flown with a substantial amount of gear and always checked the bags. I watch to see if they have any problems when they x-ray the pig and if they do, I'll help them unpack and repack the bag. Once it makes it past the x-ray you should be good to go.
On the other hand, I've had to surrender biners that were in my carry on. They will not let you past with any type of gear - especially if they cannot identify what it may be used for.
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chiranjeeb
Dec 31, 2004, 7:31 PM
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I have a friend who recently brought her rack with her as carry-on from Oakland airport without any trouble. The rack included a #4 Camalot! Now that could be a pretty potent weapon, especially when you clip a shoulder length sling onto it. So all I can say is YMMV; maybe it helps that she is a woman.
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mingleefu
Dec 31, 2004, 8:18 PM
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In reply to: You won't be able to bring anything on in your carry-on...I've flown with a substantial amount of gear and always checked the bags.
This question comes up every winter and every summer. Unfortunately, the people who ask those questions never come back to supply the answers. The quesion is usually asked in consideration of security measures taken after sept 11. My personal experience in bringing gear happened in mid-December, 2001 (that same year). It was long enough after the event that increased security measures were in effect, but short enough that paranoia was at it's height. We're talking 2 hour lines to get past the metal detectors. I had my full trad rack as carry on for both departure and arrival legs of my trip. Nuts, hexes, cams, rope. They didn't even slow me down.
someone above suggested you call the airline. This won't really be much help. The person who you will talk to at the airport is trained to tell you that if you question whether you can carry it on, you'd better check it. Their job is to eliminate the problem, before it arrives at the airport, and they are sensitive about it. You are not likely to hear them say "oh, bag full of metal? sounds okay... yeah sure, I suppose that should be fine..."
When you walk up to the metal detectors and and x-ray gidgets, make eye contact with the workers, smile, and carry on a nice conversation. If you don't give them reason to be alarmed, they won't be.
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euroford
Dec 31, 2004, 8:48 PM
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i've always checked my stuff and i've never had a problem. not only do i think they wouldn't let you carry a rack onto the plane, but i wouldn't personally want to lug it around when the baggage handlers will do it for you.
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easton
Dec 31, 2004, 8:58 PM
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I flew Indiana to Colorado in May 04. My whole rack was in my carry on. When the lady running the X-ray got that goofy look on her face I said it is rock climbing gear. She looked for a second, said Oh, I see a carabiner, you're fine. And nothing else was said. On the way back no one even said anything.
Only a one time example, but there you go. I'd rather have it with me so I can pull it out and show em if they ask. If it's checked, they may want to get into your bag to look for themselves.
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climbingbetty22
Dec 31, 2004, 10:35 PM
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I've done both post 9/11. Last spring I flew to Vegas and carried on my entire climbing bag (trad rack and rope). It took a little longer because after it went through the x-ray, they wanted to inspect it closer...they said they couldn't figure out what my rope was. (Duh, but I guess if you're not a climber...). Anyway, I did have a conversation with the security dude who said that earlier that week, a guy had come through who was going out to Yosemite. He got a little pissed when they informed him that he couldn't carry on his piton hammer.
I recently had an experience where I checked my climbing gear. Yes, it did get lost (only on the way home thought, the way out was fine), but so did my other bag and that was because I got stuck at Cincinnati during that freak snowstorm that screwed alot of people in their holiday travel plans. It was delivered to me unharmed at my home two days later. (Which was a bit disappointing because I was hoping they would lose it and then have to pay me cash for its value, in which case I would have been able to get the new BD cams that are so much lighter!) But on the trip out there it was quite alright.
My advice is...
a.) it really depends on the airport and how the security staff at the airport feel that day. If you do decide to carry it on, leave yourself extra time to get through security. And if they do decide to hassel you, remember that you get more with honey then vinegar. Being nice, helpful, and flexible will get you farther then b*tching them out about it.
b.) bring extra money in case there is something you can't carry on with you. Some places will allow you to mail it, so you could always use the good old USPS to get it there instead. As well, if you check it you can probably insure it, but it will cost extra too.
c.) realize that if you check it, odds are it will be fine. Unless you have to suddenly change your intinary, or you have a flight that is so late that you're not going to make your connection, or just barely make it, it will more than likely end up where you are going. And that depends on your flying luck. Until the Cincinnati snow storm, I've always had good luck, so I don't worry about it too much. But if you notoriously have bad luck flying and with baggage, better carry it on.
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philfell
Jan 1, 2005, 5:00 AM
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Don't call anything a "tool". I fly a lot mostly for snowboard trips, and am always getting stuff taken out of my bag, screwdrivers, extra screws, ect. All I know is any "tool" they will probably take.
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kpalsson
Jan 1, 2005, 7:42 AM
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All I can say is, if your entire rack fits in carry on, I HAVE MORE GEAR THAN YOU nernenernenrre!
But who takes their whole rack with them anyway. I've always checked it, mostly because climbing gear is much happier with rough handling than bottles of don julio. (Get your priorities right people!)
They actually see most climbing gear pretty often. And it shows up well. Ropes often don't. Particularly any country that does quarantine xrays, the rope will often turn up organic. Just tell them it's a rope and your fine.
What is people's motivation for even wanting to carry it on? I don't like finding little postits from the TSA any more than the rest of you, but I've never had anything touched or taken. (though I bet it was them that burst open my toothpaste last time, I bet they laughed all day with that one)
Cheers,
Karl P
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veritasmmv
Jan 1, 2005, 9:21 AM
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When you walk up to the metal detectors and and x-ray gidgets, make eye contact with the workers, smile, and carry on a nice conversation. If you don't give them reason to be alarmed, they won't be.
Actually that's a double edged sword... If you're overtly friendly they might get suspicious too. Don't duck your head and hide your face but don't be Mr. Rogers either. Just be natural and if they ask questions answer them, if they want you to open the bag, open the bag and let them know it's nothing dangerous. You should be fine.
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veritasmmv
Jan 1, 2005, 9:26 AM
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In reply to: When you walk up to the metal detectors and and x-ray gidgets, make eye contact with the workers, smile, and carry on a nice conversation. If you don't give them reason to be alarmed, they won't be.
That's actually a double-edged sword... If you're overtly friendly they might get suspicious too. Don't duck your head and hide your face but don't be Mr. Rogers either. Just be natural, if they ask questions answer them. If they ask you to open the bag, open the bag and show them it's nothing dangerous. You should be fine.
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guangzhou
Jan 1, 2005, 10:11 AM
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I fly a dozen times a year with my full rack. With the exception of paying extra for weight allowance to Australia, I have never had a problem.
Domesticly, no problem either.
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robreglinski
Jan 1, 2005, 2:11 PM
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ive had biners taken from me before when they were in my luggage so i never carried on again however off on a tangent
has anyone had their gear lost by an airline before?
whats the deal if it happens. do they pay you in full or do they shrug say sorry and give you a free coffee voucher.
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dogyote
Jan 1, 2005, 3:00 PM
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I agree. Relax, don't act like a criminal and things will be fine. My wife and I flew to Aruba a couple year and put together a pack with our gear and a small sport rack so we could climb at the Grapefield. When the pack was going through the X-ray machine, the TSA official stopped the belt and started giving it a long hard look. I just smiled and said 'Climbing gear'; she smiled back and sent it through. When I travel with a trad rack, I check it in and have never had a problem.
Dog
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smearhound
Jan 3, 2005, 10:14 PM
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In reply to: This question comes up every winter and every summer. Unfortunately, the people who ask those questions never come back to supply the answers.
I'm afraid you'll have to look, once again, to someone else. I decided on the shipping option.
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maculated
Jan 3, 2005, 10:19 PM
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I've flown with my rack checked (and it is always inspected) and as a carry on. I usually get stopped for my nut tool, but never is it an issue. Airport security people aren't crazy, they know to look for actual weapons. If you can explain the point of the stuff, you should be golden. I would imagine perhaps a tiny airport would be harsher, but SFO, SLC, OAK, LAX, Denver, even Lexington have all been fine.
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toaster_rancher
Jan 4, 2005, 1:02 AM
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Has anyone flown out of JFK with a carry on rack, i'm going to england for the whole summer, and my checked bags are going to whack me enough
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dynoguy
Jan 4, 2005, 2:44 AM
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I always carry my rack on. The most trouble I get is having to unpack it and show them its nothing dangerous.
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baja_java
Jan 4, 2005, 6:46 PM
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flew to Mexico last March. made sure one luggage full of gear was checked in at LAX without incident, but it was still detained when arriving in Monterrey, according to an airline sticker on the missing luggage when it was finally delivered a day later. they probably had no idea what to make of all that gear. i've saved the multi language manuals that came with the gear when you buy them. next time flying out of the country i'll paperclip these booklets to whatever pages with the appropriate language and toss a few in. some pages out of brochures with diagrams and photos would work too. likewise flying domestic
your harness and shoes, carry those on. if your checked-in gear go missing, those would be two items you might not be able to borrow on short notice
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never
Jan 4, 2005, 7:29 PM
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One of my partners put his entire lead rack in a carry-on bag going to Red Rocks this fall. Got inspected a bit, but made it through both ways.
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onbelay_osu
Jan 5, 2005, 4:38 PM
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on christmas 01 is when i first statrted my rack, unfortunaltly i was in new jersey and had to fly home with a bunch on nuts, a nut tool and two cams, i decided to put it in my carry on, so if they had questions i could tell them what the gear was, and this theory paid off, yes i was stopped and questioned, always am :roll: but ever since then i always carry my rack via carry on. and always get stopped and questioned but they always let me fly with my gear. just be polite answer the questions and you'll have no problems
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david.yount
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Jan 6, 2005, 1:54 PM
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In reply to: The quesion is usually asked in consideration of security measures taken after sept 11. My personal experience in bringing gear happened in mid-December, 2001 (that same year). It was long enough after the event that increased security measures were in effect, but short enough that paranoia was at it's height. We're talking 2 hour lines to get past the metal detectors. I had my full trad rack as carry on for both departure and arrival legs of my trip. Nuts, hexes, cams, rope. They didn't even slow me down. someone above suggested you call the airline. This won't really be much help. The person who you will talk to at the airport is trained to tell you that if you question whether you can carry it on, you'd better check it. Their job is to eliminate the problem, before it arrives at the airport, and they are sensitive about it. You are not likely to hear them say "oh, bag full of metal? sounds okay... yeah sure, I suppose that should be fine..." When you walk up to the metal detectors and and x-ray gidgets, make eye contact with the workers, smile, and carry on a nice conversation. If you don't give them reason to be alarmed, they won't be.
I fly with a partial rack 6 or 8 flights a year, carry on. Never had a delay. I don't carry the nut tool nor hammer.
I chose to carry on many years ago when 2 cams were damaged in checked luggage. The damage was frayed trigger wires, no biggie. Besides cams' trigger wires I'm concerned with wires on nuts.
So, I carry on all cams and nuts including Lowe Ball Nuts. As it gets scanned I always tell them, ".....ah, climbing gear....." and look at them directly.
I check on Big Bros, Tricams, Hexes, biners, slings, ropes, etc.
david yount.
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pawilkes
Jan 6, 2005, 3:24 PM
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About a year ago i got stopped when i tried carrying my rope in my carry on. they made me go back and check it, i guess they didn't want me typing people up (???). when i went back they started hastling me about my sport rack even though one of the guys said it would be fine when i went through the first time. i managed to get on the plane though. on the way back i packed it in my checked bagage b/c i broke my leg during the trip and didn't feel like carying the extra wieght on my back.
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