traveling: I want to know if I can bring my Osprey Ariel 75 pack on the plane

TSA and airport website so difficult to navigate and doesn't answer my questions.
are these ok for a carryon:
32oz Nalgene allowed as well? 16oz camelbak water bottle? even if they empty?
1 Disposable razor blade? Hair dryer? Hair straightener? Make up? Headlamp? Painkillers? Inhaler?

I don't know if the Osprey bag is too big and don't want to go through bag check or even get new luggage just because I'm staying for a week. Also might be an issue due to the straps on the bag?

I haven't been on a plane since I was 17 so I don't really know what has changed. I don't even know what to do when I get to the x-ray part. Am I suppose to take out only the toiletries in the 1 quart ziploc?

Measure your pack and compare the dimensions to allowed carry ons. Worst case scenario is you have to check it.
Camelback must be empty.
Water bottle must be empty.
Not sure about razors.

All liquids, toiletries etc must be in 1 oz travel size and all in one zip lock.
I'm sure there are tons of travel sites out there that have clear info on travel regs, they aren't that hard to figure out.

Forget about razors, nail scissors or metal nail files. Won't be allowed. At X-ray they will want you to pull out any laptops, your liquid baggie and any metal coins etc that might be in your pockets.

Aerosols count as liquids - containers must be no larger than 100 ml (not 1 oz, it's about 3.5 oz) - and all your personal liquids have to fit in a 1 liter ziploc bag. In the USA they call it the "3-1-1" rule ... 3 oz containers in one, one-quart baggie.

Water containers of any size ARE allowed as long as they're empty. Once you get through security you can fill them at the water fountain.

Medical liquids are exempt from the 3-1-1 rule. Not just prescription liquids, but your inhaler, contact lens solutions, baby formula, anything medically necessary. You DO still have to declare your medical liquids if they won't all fit in your personal liquids bag.

Razor blade cartridges and/or disposable razors for shaving are fine. Straight razors, not so much.


When you go to the main TSA website, over on the right there's a script "When I fly, can I bring my ..." and you type in what you're wanting to bring. I tried it a couple of times and it worked fine for me. Maybe you've got too many script blockers running? Try doing whatever you do when other websites don't work with your level of browser security.

Prohibited items. http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-informat...ohibited-items
311 rules (how to carry liquids) http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/3-1-1-carry-on
Easy to read from "About.com". http://seniorliving.about.com/od/tra...velpacking.htm

A simple search should bring up lots of websites. I used the terms "TSA info for dummies" (not meaning you are a dummy but its a great way to being up the basics of just about anything) and even found a site for first time flyers that walks you through everything you can think of.

Nail scissors are now allowed. They weren't originally (after 9/11) and mine got confiscated, but some rules have changed. Have carried them back and forth on the last several flights with no issues. I read on the TSA site that they were now allowed.

I have more problems with the 1 qt ziplock handling all my toiletries in 3 oz. or smaller sizes, since I'm always taking sunscreen and other things -- that bag fills up quickly!

We also see people carrying on larger bags than the allowed sizes all the time. My carry-on is actually a little deeper than what is allowed but has never been flagged. Depends on your airline and how crowded the flight is.

Just to add - if security is like here it's a good idea to not wear a belt with a metal buckle or shoes or boots that may have metal in them when going through, you'll probably have to take them off. Not that that's a huge deal, but it's a bit smoother if you don't have to deal with pants falling down and exposing the holes in your socks to everyone :-)

In the USA you have to take your shoes off regardless. Sensitivity of the metal detectors varies, but these days you're more likely to have to go through a visual scanner (millimeter wave or X-ray) than a metal detector, so you have to take EVERYTHING out of your pockets whether it's metal or not.

Wow. You'd think they'd be able to recognize a couple of coins or keys through that visual scanner thingy. Ok, so then I guess you can wear any shoes you want.

Clogs or slip ons are way easier to deal with than, let's say, lace up knee high Doc Martins. :-)

it's actually an osprey ariel 65. I have to bag check and I'm flying southwest. What do I do with all the straps?

If you're going to have to check it anyhow, bring a real suitcase and put it inside. A pack like that is not meant to survive the abrasion and impact it will get in airline luggage handling, straps or no.

Soft luggage of any kind is a single-use item for air travel. It WILL be dragged far enough to leave a hole, and it WILL be dropped/have stuff dropped on it hard enough to bend or break the frame. We learned the hard way that it's cheaper to buy hard sided luggage to begin with than to replace them every single trip.

If you have a cheap worn-out duffel that you were about to toss anyway, that should be enough to protect it from abrasion and from the straps getting hooked on other things. I don't know what kind of an internal frame that pack has, but I would make sure to protect that at least with a couple of cardboard boxes and styrofoam at a minimum, if a suitcase isn't in your budget.

Agree that a cheap duffle with pack sounds like a good option if you have to check the pack. I'm in the outdoors equipment business, and I've never heard of packing a pack into a box with styrofoam for travel. I don't agree with the "disposable luggage" concept. We have softer (zippered) luggage that we've been flying with for dive trips for ten years now. It's not el cheapo stuff from a box store, but its not high end either. We got it at Macys for 70% off some years ago. It's held up just fine.

For OP, if you are going just for a week, why not pick up some sort of bag that you CAN use as a carry on? Not having to check stuff is really really nice.

My carry on is about the same size as your pack and I have no problems with using it on Southwest. You should be able to tuck most of your straps so they aren't hanging all over the place.

When I fly with my backpack (we backpack hike a lot on vacation), when I get my boarding passes I ask for the giant plastic bag if they have them and TSA will put it in there after it's been checked -- kind of like what they do with child carseats that go through as baggage -- they have done it several times and the straps are fine. The alternative is to tie the straps to each other. I've done that a few times and it works fine.