No sir, that is not a weapon it is for protection.

On a plane, what can you bring on with you? What can you check?

I'm flying domestically DIA to SEATAC on southwest and back on Alaska, hoping to bring a harness, belay device, shoes, and a couple draws and cams in my pack on the plane with me (no rope, but curious if I could for the future). I worry cams could be very suspect and obviously expensive to lose.

-Ben

I got pulled up for having carry on draws a few weeks back - apparently they could be used for tying people up...

You're good with all that. Ropes are good too. One thing they might not like is a nut tool. I seem to remember carrying on a bd nut tool before but they are not as sharp as say a WC pro key.

biners can be used "as a chain" Jet Blue

I guess the A5 hammer is a no ?

you should also be good with nomics as they are just cheater sticks

I've flown with a rope, draws, some cams, biners, all of my gear, as a carry on no questions asked. I do know some rare cases where people have been pulled aside and asked questions, but I also have flown with a small knife in my bag on accident with no problems. I'd say the risk factor is pretty low, and you should be good

I've flown multiple times with a full rack, and a few times with the rope as well. Once my luggage was over the weight limit coming back from a trip and I tied the rope to the outside of my carry-on. No problems with that either, although certainly some odd looks and I got asked if I was planning to rappel out of the plane. The two things I do not carry on are my nut tool and my chalkbag. Chalk could look like cocaine and might lead to delays. I almost always get taken aside and get the contents of the rack inspected. Keep a climbing magazine in your carry-on to aid in clarifying what the gear is in case you get someone new.

I've taken rope+rack in carry on. Left the nut tool home just to be sure, but they didn't even open the bag. YMMV

Rope should be OK as carry-on. I have brought it on board multiple times.
So far, draws have been OK too. We have always checked the cams.
One weird thing to avoid bring onboard is large, beefy locking biners. Apparently they are too much like a "brass knuckle". Go figure!
Good tip about packing along a Climbing or R&I magazine. I never considered it before but will do so from now on!

A hammer, John? Get real? :):)

I always carry on my full rack, I would recommend not taking on a nut tool if you can avoid it because I have had it get my bags pulled and checked multi times due to them thinking it was a knife. Alot of it will depend on where you are flying out of and if they have people who know what climbing gear is.

I have also had my bags flagged as possible explosive material, I am thinking maybe this could be chalk residue?

As long as you don't mind dealing with a pat down etc you can take everything on, probably leave anything sharp and ice climbing related off, don't take a nut tool that has a knife on it, all the rest should be fine.

Also worth being aware that enforcement will vary depending on the mood of the TSA agent and the area. Specifically, I've heard (2nd or 3rd hand) that French airlines have more strict screening for brass knuckles, and you will be much more likely to get grief over simple carabiners.

Per the tsa website climbing gear is fine. Just come with the right information from their site and be understanding that the agent may not know what the hell all that stuff is and they may take a look in your bag. Denver to seattle they will likey have seen it or a supervisor will be familiar with it and the tsa guidelines. Budget a little extra time and be respectful and you'll have no issues. That being said, check the ice tools and the giant medieval ice piton. Hammers are considered tools, tools are for checked bags. Again, familiarize yourself with the TSA list of permitted items.

NC -> Fresno CA got me a team of like 8 people going through my stuff. Fresno CA -> NC they didn't even blink at it.

I put my nut tool and chalk bag in checked luggage, everything else in carry on and haven't had any issues. Someone else recommended in an older thread to have at least one guide book or climbing magazine with your gear so you can explain what it's for to the TSA agents.

I'd say if you can just bury your entire rack in a jar of peanut butter and reseal the lid, you should be gravy! worked for me coming from home from Amsterdam!

One more vote of confidence for bringing everything (minus nut tool) on board. Have flown many times with full rack, rope, and chalk in a carry on. Never internationally though. I could imagine that being a little more complicated?? maybe.

There doesn't seem to be any consistency with the TSA.

Two years ago my wife and I flew from the North-East to Salt Lake City to visit City of Rocks. Unfortunately I waited until mid-night before the flight to mindlessly, throw together the climbing gear into the carry-on pack in a hurry.

Without realizing, the carry-on pack (which eventually was stuffed in the over-head bin weighing a ton) arrived in Salt Lake City with cams up to Number 5, two harnesses, 4-pairs of stinking climbing shoes, two chalk bags full of chalk, a block of chalk, a tube of liquid chalk, two nut tools, 13 alpine draws with biners, a full set of nuts, a set of slinged biners and other assorted stuff.

All this went through the X-ray machine without the slightest of concern. True story.

I've never had a problem with carry-on gear domestically or abroad. However, I usually delete the nut tool and chalk from the carry-on bag.

Were-as, my wife was almost strip-searched when they found a barrette in her carry-on coming back from J-Tree one time.

Go figure.

Blissab wrote:There doesn't seem to be any consistency with the TSA. Two years ago my wife and I flew from the North-East to Salt Lake City to visit City of Rocks. Unfortunately I waited until mid-night before the flight to mindlessly, throw together the climbing gear into the carry-on pack in a hurry. Without realizing, the carry-on pack (which eventually was stuffed in the over-head bin weighing a ton) arrived in Salt Lake City with cams up to Number 5, two harnesses, 4-pairs of stinking climbing shoes, two chalk bags full of chalk, a block of chalk, a tube of liquid chalk, two nut tools, 13 alpine draws with biners, a full set of nuts, a set of slinged biners and other assorted stuff. All this went through the X-ray machine without the slightest of concern. I've never had a problem with carry-on gear domestically or abroad. However, I usually delete the nut tool and chalk from the carry-on bag. Were-as, my wife was almost strip-searched when they found a barrette in her carry-on coming back from J-Tree one time. Go figure.

how about something like a jetboil stove? no fuel canister of course...

I fly with a full rack regularly. I have only gotten questioned about it once in Atlanta until someone who worked for TSA was able to point out it was climbing gear.

I'll usually throw a Rock & Ice on top for TSA to reference.

Flew from Boston to Denver with full rack in June, no one batted an eye. Just flew from Boston to Albuquerque this Sat with rack, nut tool and all (probably better to just toss it in checked bags next time). Went through my bag for <30sec simply because there was so much metal they wanted to make sure it wasn't camouflaging anything.

As with anyone in authority (police, TSA, etc), just try not to get an attitude, or they will find reason to be dicks. But it was a bit difficult to not ask about the 97% of weapons that the Red Team had gotten through recently :)