Monopod and TSA

[sk8teacher]

I will have a monopod in a soft bag, strapped to the side of a Think Tank Airport Accelerator bag. When going through airport security, will I have to take it off the bag and out of it's bag? Would it be better to not use the monopod bag at all? Or just pack it in my checked luggage?

 

Cheers,

[chipmaster]

Totally YMMV with big sturdy monopods. I have a 3 section Manfrotto 681B, no question fully extended I could likely take out a 300lb bouncer :o

 

If the question is carryon or check-in I think this is YMMV here. Take it out who cares about that! I have successfully carried it on, I did ask after going thru about it. They did say its a judgement there, but I was carrying about $10,000+ of photo equipment so didn't have any problem both times. There have been a few threads on the various photo forums, there is no hard and fast rule with TSA these days :D If you are checking baggage anyways check it, each time I was going carryon all the way so it was a risk carryon, snuck it by twice now.

 

I will have a monopod in a soft bag, strapped to the side of a Think Tank Airport Accelerator bag. When going through airport security, will I have to take it off the bag and out of it's bag? Would it be better to not use the monopod bag at all? Or just pack it in my checked luggage?

 

Cheers,

[awboater]

From the tripod thread...

 

Exclusively for cruises, I take a cheap, and I mean cheap Dolca WT-1003 monopod that I got at Amazon for less than $12. While it is a cheapie, and tends to be a bit crooked when it is extended, it is sturdy enough to use with my DSLR. But I had to also buy a head for it, as it doesn't come with one. A $25 Giottos head works just fine.

 

I don't usually fly if I can help it, but if I did, I would simply pack it away in checked baggage as it isn't exactly valuable, and there would be no questions during check-in at the airport. Perhaps I am a bit anal, but when I go through security checkpoints or check-in, I like to have everything minimized and organized so the process will go smoothly. It just seems dumb to me that some people have to go through the magnetometer three and four times while removing one piece of jewelry at a time. But that is another story.

 

However, when I board the cruise ship, I always take the monopod in my carry-on as the cruise lines also have restricted items, or "weapons" policies, but they have never denied me bringing the monopod.

 

But I suppose it is a judgement call here too, and I take the monopod as carry on as if there is a question about what it is, I don't have to go down to the "naughty room" to explain (which I might have to do if they x-rayed my checked luggage and didn't know what it is).

 

And if the monopod is denied on the cruise ship, I can just throw it away as for $12, it is not a huge loss. However, this has not happened, at least not yet.

 

I always pack the head separately. Although it is not that valuable either - well it is about $25, but the monopod will not fit into it's case with the head on, and if I ever have to chuck the monopod, I won't have to remember to remove the head.

 

The only issue I see is if you are going directly from the airport to the cruise terminal, and had to figure out how to get the monopod from your checked luggage to carry-on, if that is what you wanted to do.

[pierces]

I have been through airport security more than 300 times over the last two years and I can say without a doubt that chipmaster's "your mileage may vary" is the rule, not the exception. I doubt that they would even blink at a monopod in its case strapped to a camera bag but I carried a tiny bladeless key-chain multi-tool in my computer bag for probably 150 flights before I was told that it would have to be confiscated because "they couldn't allow any tool that someone could use to disable the plane". I asked if they themselves would fly on a plane that could be disabled from the passenger compartment by a 2½" pair of folding pliers and received a very stern look, a pat down and a complete inspection of my carry-on and computer bag. In retrospect, keeping my sarcasm in check would have been a better choice, but the point is that at any time, some inspector may deem almost anything as a risk.

 

To be fair, I have taken a full kit, including a tripod and monopod on twenty-odd cruises since going digital in 2002 and other than the occasional swabbing of the camera case for bomb residue (???), I've never had a problem.

 

Dave

[sk8teacher]

Thanks everyone. I think I will err on the safe side and put it in my checked luggage. We are flying to France and I really don't want any hassles.

 

Cheers.

[pilotdane]

I've had security raise an eyebrow at my monopod but having it with lots of other photography equipment helps. I think you might have trouble if you were just carrying it and no other gear but all the other stuff adds some context.

[HomePlanet]

I agree with YMMV. I have always checked my monopod, but that has more to do with the fact that I forgot my monopod on a train a long time ago....

 

That said, after a recent cruise we spent a day at a Disney park, and my son got a build-your-own light saber. It was very light plastic and too fragile to check, but we had to get approval from a particular person at Orlando airport to carry it on the plane. They decided we could, as long as we separated it into two parts. I didn't ask what might stop us from reassembling the saber on the plane, and given Pierces' experience, I'm glad I didn't.;)

[NHsnowpup]

but the point is that at any time, some inspector may deem almost anything as a risk.

 

To be fair, I have taken a full kit, including a tripod and monopod on twenty-odd cruises since going digital in 2002 and other than the occasional swabbing of the camera case for bomb residue (???), I've never had a problem.

 

Dave

 

We never check bags. I left my favorite beefiest monopod home, since it has a nasty looking, but blunt, tip on the end and didn't want to take the chance. Took a less tough looking one and got pulled aside with everything being swabbed down, because of my contact lens solution. The contacts solution was less than 3 oz., in my allowed quart baggie, still sealed and had come in a box that had a green airplane with "travel size" clearly on the front. The monopods have always made it through, but I'm through with that contact lens solution. Hydrogen peroxide-based won't fly. Find that anywhere on TSA without big digging.

[Aplmac]

We now have to take our shoes off becoz of the shoe bomber,

-remember Richard Reid?

 

We can't take liquids more than a mouthful on board

becoz some other NCT (non-Christian twit) rigged up a bomb by mixing whatever.

 

 

But then a guy from Nigeria rigged up an underwear bomb. :eek:

 

So how come they don't check our underwear? :confused:

 

 

Shouldn't we have to take our underwear off, put them in the plastic tray

have it go thru the Spook Machine, and then put them back on?

What's up with that?

 

I want my (and everyone else's) underwear checked thoroughly.

 

I just went thru JFK 2 wks. ago

and didn't even have to stand with legs spread in front of the much-feared Expose All X-ray machine.

I coulda had anything in my underwear!

 

Just sayin... :)

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