How "Comfortable" Does Your 1 Quart Baggie Have to Be?
 

Hi! I'm going to be moving to Australia in 8 days, and the one thing I've already packed is my 1 quart baggie with liquid/gel/aerosol products (I'm such a girl, I know...). I've read on the TSA site that everything has to be 3 oz or less (obviously) and fit "comfortably" into a 1 quart zip-top baggie. The thing is, I'm wondering what the definition of "comfortably" is...

Everything fits into my bag, and it zips up easily (no, "Hold on - it'll close, I PROMISE!"), but it's a far cry from the 4 items in a baggie that they show on the TSA site all lying flat so that you can spread everything out and it's essentially 1 item flat, nothing on top of each other.

What I'm wondering is what those of you who have travelled recently's (especially us girls, haha) experience has been. If everything fits comfortably, and there's no problem zipping and unzipping the bag, is everything okay? Has anyone been told, "Your bag is too full," when it's been full but by no means stretching the bag and pulling on the zip-top?

Thanks for your responses (And please no responses saying, "Take less stuff!" Between medication which is less than 3 oz (and therefore must go into the baggie and can not be declared) and minimal make-up/lotion/etc. so that I don't look like a monster when I see my fiance for the first time in almost 6 months, it fills up that tiny 1 quart bag pretty quickly.)!

Reassess what is in the bag. You mention medication - that does not have to go into the bag, even if it is a liquid. We have carried eye drops, contact lens solution outside of the bag without problem - actually we put it in its own bag with non-liquid medication and never take it out of carry-on.

Dry makeup does not need to go into the bag - just liquid foundation, lotion. Assuming you are checking luggage since you are moving there and bringing things like shampoo, conditioner, big lotion in 3 varieties - that should all go in checked luggage.

So perhaps you have a small tube toothpaste, lotion, foundation, mascara (still not certain if that has to go in bag), even add small hair spray/mousse. If you eliminate items above, what am I missing?

I've had my 1 qt. bag pretty full. I can close it, but things are piled on top of other stuff in there. Never a comment or second look.

Except I had to toss my contact lens solution because it was in a container larger than 3 oz. Sometimes depends on the agent's mood at the time.

Contact lens solution can be up to 4oz, and doesn't need to go into the ziplock bag.

"comfortably" = will close and stay closed. If they want to get in it, they will.

These are the items I am pondering if they need to go in my 1 qt. bag.
1. Stick hair wax
2. Hair molding product - It's a creamy gunk in a 2 oz. jar.
3. stick deodorant
4. mascara wand

Non of these are actually liguid or gel except the mascara might be considered liquid. Seems 1,2 and 3 would be OK not in the baggie. Anyone have experience with these items?

Oops..see another poster says deod. is OK..

Gail, thanks for the detailed response. I've checked to be on the safe side, and the TSA site says the only time liquid medication (Rx or OTC) DOESN'T have to be in the bag is if it is OVER 3 oz and declared to the screeners. If it's eyedrops or nasal spray under 3 oz, it's gotta fit in the bag. I just don't want to bank on getting luck of the draw, you know? You got lucky, in my experience I've had my bag pulled out like they found a ticking bomb and the screener, 5 minutes later, emerged victorious with a less than half ounce bottle of Rhinocort. I've considered buying a giant bottle of eyedrops or nasal spray just to get it through, but can't find anything that big.


"So perhaps you have a small tube toothpaste, lotion, foundation, mascara (still not certain if that has to go in bag), even add small hair spray/mousse. If you eliminate items above, what am I missing?"


Not much, actually. I'm not bringing anything like shampoo, big lotion, etc. in my carry on, but I've got eyedrops, nasal spray, mascara (does have to go in the bag, per TSA), lip balm (even something as solid as Carmex is considered liquid, again, per TSA), a small can of mousse, a small spritzer of hairspray (my hair is too long and thick to not need help looking good after a flight like that!), a spritzer of mouthwash, and a small bottle of lotion. But that really fills the tiny bag up. And I still don't know if my foundation has to go in there - it's in a compact, and by the laws of PHYICS, is a solid, haha, but since it's a creamy consistency, I don't know if I'm going to be told that has to go in the bag as well...

I'm also wondering about the deoderant. I specifically skipped the gel and bought a travel sized on that says "CLEAR SOLID" on it, but I don't have any idea what these people consider solid or liquid...I can tell you for sure though, that TSA states the mascara has got to to in, and while the hair stick seems okay (but they also say Carmex is a liquid), it seems like the hair "goop" would definitely have to go in the bag.

I remember checking my bags in London, and it was ridiculous how much stuff people tried to get past. The tables were a graveyard of expensive bottles of lotion and hair products. I've got a few things that need clarification, but you know what? You're not getting your litre bottle of Paul Mitchell shampoo through, haha.

I'm just frustrated because, scientifically, it's a no brainer that a solid stick of deoderant isn't a liquid, but with them, who the heck knows, you know? Obviously gel deoderants are a no go, though, unless they're small enough to go...IN THE BAG.

rkkwan..I know that, but tell it to the guy in KIN with the gun. Hardly worth arguing about. :-)

I didn't put mascara in the quart bag, if I can turn it upside down and it runs out, that is the stuff I put in the bag. The security personnel I came in contact with did not dig it out of the makeup bag.

Wednesday - I LOVE IT! That really should be the damn test of what a LIQUID is...

<<These are the items I am pondering if they need to go in my 1 qt. bag.
1. Stick hair wax
2. Hair molding product - It's a creamy gunk in a 2 oz. jar.
3. stick deodorant
4. mascara wand

1. No If it's solid
2. Yes (creamy)Less than 3 oz.
3 No It's solid
4. Yes - It's liquid

The Islamic terrorists now have us afraid of "death by toiletries". They are laughing there a$$es off in the caves of Pakistan.
regards - tom

A thought to ponder...rather than the spritzer of mouthwash, how about taking the Listerine Strips (or similar) Not liquid and smaller, in any event.