Carry on liquids
 

I know that TSA says liquids in your carry on luggage must be in containers not larger than 3 ounces, and must fit in a one quart plastic bag. Do the containers have to be the original ones? Can you fill a three ounce empty bottle with an allowed liquid and put it in your plastic bag in your carry on?

Yes, as long as the other bottle is 3 oz. or smaller.

You can use any bottles. They even sell empty bottles for travelers.

And don't fixate on "3 oz". For many products just 1 or 2 oz (or even less) is plenty for a week or two.

Does anyone know how TSA considers small sample foil packets of items like sunscreen? I have some samples that are .07 oz -very small amounts. Do they have to be put into the 1 Quart ziplock bag or can they be stowed in the carry on bag as loose items? The reason I ask is that I want to carry on my bag and not check luggage, but need sunscreen and lotion, etc. for my very dry skin, but only so much will fit into my quart baggie. If I can stow the foil packets outside that baggie, it would help.

the official rules? you have to put any liquid container in the quart bag.

unofficially - you may get away with few packets of sunscreen, (just don't quote me on that), BUT

the bigger question is - where are you going that you don't think you can purchase sunscreen once you get there?

yes - you can buy sunscreen just about anywhere.

But if you just must take your own, that 1 qt baggie will hold a lot. You can likely squeeze in several of those packets along w/ everything else. It is amazing what will fit and the bag still zips . . . . .

My one-quart baggie is already stuffed. I have very sensitive skin and the dermatologist gave me samples of something I would prefer to use for sunscreen, and the brand is not likely to be available where I am going, if I can purchase sunscreen at all there. So I am looking for other options.

And yes, I am looking for more than what the TSA site offers, wondering about someone with actual experience with these small packets.

Nobody can give you more. I have walked through security with a bottle of shampoo or liquid soap and nobody was wiser but I also forgot once that my cologne bottle was about 5 oz but only half full in a see through bottle but that didn't matter and when they saw it on the x-ray screen they gave me a choice. Leave it or ship it. I chose to ship it because it was very a very expensive bottle of cologne. The shipping was about $12. TSA has a little shipping station with envelopes right there. It's the luck of the draw, but nobody can tell you for sure. If TSA finds it and it wasn't in the bag, it's gone, or you're shipping it, no mercy.

In London, I just totaly forgot to take the quart bag out for inspection. Guess what? The only choice they gave me was to check in the carry on or lose the quart bag entirely just because I didn't declare it.

These little nazis don't use logic. The rules are rules.

Thanks.

I matters not one bit what we've experienced, nor what the TSA site says. It is up to the TSA screener you met that day.

But if those packets are that important - then find things already in the baggie to either downsize or eliminate. There is tooth powder that replaces toothpaste and doesn't have to be in the baggie. There is solid deodorant. Shampoo bars to replace liquid - and so on. If you need more room in the baggie, I'm sure there are way you can make it work.

I had small foil packets of toothpaste that I carried. I took them loose and in a ziplock bag with no problem. The packets were maybe 4 inches long by an inch or less wide and very thin.

But all you need to do, wanderlust123, is put your lotion into the bag. Put the bag into the bin, the bin on the belt and thru the x-ray. After the xray separate the lotion from the baggie.

This reminds me of my quarrel with the German security agent in Frankfurt, 2 years ago, who refused to allow me to pass thru a beautiful box of tiny liquor-filled chocolate bottles, made in Denmark, which I purchased at the ORD Duty-Free shop...

You couldn't even hear the liquid inside, but she took the box and was going to trash it... I told her I know at the end of the day she's gonna take it home. Her English was very limited, but she became nasty, and I simply refused to let her take it away.

It got bad enough for a local policeman to arrive. He was extremely polite, and suggested we open the box and divide the bottles among us 3 in the family, which we did, to her chagrin... I should have thought about it myself...

I know a lot depends on who is doing the screening. Some TSA folks are quite reasonable and some are not. But does anyone know if moistened towelettes in individual foil packages need to be placed in "the" zip lock baggie or can they be carried loose in the luggage? They make those for applying lotion, cleansing wipes, etc.

You answered your own question -- it &quot;<i>depends on who is doing the screening</i>&quot;

But the official line from the TSA website: &lt;&lt;<b>All</b> creams and lotions including Neosporin or first-aid creams and ointments, topical or rash creams and ointments, suntan lotions, moisturizers, etc.&gt;&gt;

The <b>Bold</b> emphasis is from the website. &quot;All&quot; would seen to mean &quot;all&quot;.

Does anyone know what stores sell the shampoo bars and toothpaste powder? I haven't seen toothpaste powder in years. I know you can buy this stuff online, but it's outrageously expensive. The liquid ban has been in place for quite a while, so you'd think by now more stores would sell them.

Whole foods and other natural foods/health foods store tend to stock tooth powders more than regular shops do. Also some specialist travel/luggage shops sell it. But I've got my last two at Whole Foods.

Lots of places carry solid shampoo - drugstores, LUSH, health food stores, Body Shop, REI, etc, etc

I bought tooth powder at Whole Food right after the liquid ban. But that was <b>before</b> they allowed the &quot;3oz inside the zip lock&quot;. Now, everybody can just bring their travel size toothpaste in the ziplock.

Do some of you really fill the zip-lock so full that you can't even find room to put in a travel-sized toothpaste?

&quot;<i>Do some of you really fill the zip-lock so full that you can't even find room to put in a travel-sized toothpaste?</i>&quot;

Nope, not me. Most anyone should be able to fit in everthing needed for a 2-4 week trip. But wanderlust123, who topped this old thread, apparently cannot squeeze in even a few packets of sun screen wipes. So I suggested she try to substitute things like tooth powder and solid shampoo to make room. And then Brian asked a follow up question.

I went through security at LAX a few weeks ago and had 3 - 3 ounce containers filled with alcohol. It was labeled, shampoo, conditioner and hand lotion. They made the comment, thats a lot of liquids, but if it fits in the ziplock bag, it is ok.

I've taken several international trips since this rule was in place and never had a problem with moistened towelettes in individual foil packets, or even in regular store-bought containers. A TSA screener told me that it was liquids, creams, lotions or ointments that were limited to the baggie.

I only took a carry-on for my 3 week trip a couple of months ago, and as usual had a few individual towelettes in my purse and a box of &quot;wet wipes&quot; in the suitcase, and had no trouble going through ten different security checks.

Thanks for the feedback. I know I hijacked an old thread. Sorry about that. And the reason my zip lock is so full is that I have a medical condition that requires a number of items that fill up the bag - and not all are presecription items. But I am continuing to work on getting non-liquid items that don't have to be in the baggie. Thanks again.

Wander - would a reasonable person see the non-prescription items for your medical condition as for medical purposes. For example saline nasal spray, contact lens solution are both non-prescription but considered medical and do not have to go in the bag.

Gail...ok..so are you saying my 6 prs of one wear and my 6 prs of regular contacts ....all in their original wrappings DO NOT have to go into my plastic bag????

That is where I have them now....but I would pack other things in there if this is true.

GAD...I just cant keep up on this stuff!!!!

thanks.....

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...ted-items.shtm

You can take them (OTC meds, saline, etc) - declared, and separate from the qt baggie.

I'm just wondering, if your checking luggage, can't you just stick all of this in your luggage and not worry about whether you will be able to close the ziploc bag?

I am flying through the States, on my way to the Caymans, at the end of February, and am just planning on packing my toothpaste in my carryon....all my shampoo, sunscreen, etc., will go in the checked luggage.

Just curious.

camelbak - you understand it right. you can put all the liquids and gels you want in a checked piece of luggage. This discussion centered arround &quot;carry-on&quot; luggage, in which case you have to follow the 3-1-1 rule i.e. 3 oz. bottles in a 1 qt ziplock bag and 1 bag per person.

As for your toothpaste, if you are putting in your carry-on the tube cannot hold more than 3 oz. and you still have to put in in a 1 qt. zip-lock bag. You may put as many 3 oz. tubes of toothpaste in the zip-lock bag as will fit.

The answer to what camelbak is wondering about is: Yes, sure you can throw all your shampoo, sunscreen, etc in your luggage.

3 things to take in consideration:

A. Luggage can be lost and may take days to be found and get back to you. If at all...

B. Luggage can be opened and things stolen. It happens.

C. But more important, checked-in luggage is exposed to low pressure and there is a good chance that plastic bottles containg liquids will explode, or at least leak. You need to pack those in double and triple layers of Ziplocks, so not to find shampoo all over your clothing (happened to us couple years ago)....

Check in bags are exposed to low pressure?? That's an old wives tale.

The entire plane is a the same pressure - passenger cabin and baggage hold.

It ismy understanding that contgact lenses do not have to go in the 1-qt bag. My dtr has flown many times with them just in her carry on and never been questioned.

Gail, as others have noted, whether something passes security screening or not just depends. My contact lens solution at the bottom of the waste bin at KIN is proof of that!!