I've come through a number of airports with other stuff in the ziplock besides the liquids since this started. Folding travel toothbrush, floss, travel size deodorant, that kind of thing. Never had anyone at TSA say anything. Just don't want a bunch of thing everywhere, so I just used it as my toiletry bag for the trip. I don't bring much. Actually forgot to take the bag out in Chicago and left it in the carry on. Ooops.

The only thing I could see them giving you a hard time about would be the 8oz deodorant, if they thought it was liquid or gel (given that you put it in the liquids bag). There's travel size stick deodorants if you like to travel light. Walgreens or Walmart in the samples section.

How can you tell if your toiletries are uncomfortably fitted? Mine rarely complain, but they do sometimes explode. I guess it's true that you really shouldn't keep things bottled up.

You can bring a big bottle of saline solution if you like... it's considered a medical product and you don't need to include it in your ziplock bag (hopefully there are no terrorists reading this travel forum). Technically you're supposed to "bring it to their attention", but every time I do they look at me like I'm an idiot and tell me to put it back in my carry on.

Definitely pay attention to the "3 oz or under" limit, though... I was screwed leaving Tokyo on a few products because they just exceeded the limit.

<<< My son left to study in London in January with around 30 pounds of carryon baggage, no problem. He was also permitted a carry-on bag plus a "personal" bag. While he was away the laws changed and the limit went down to 13 pounds, all in ONE BAG, and no extra bags or purses for women allowed!!!! >>>

The regulations changed in September 2006 - ie several months before your son went away and were (and still are) well publicised on airport & airline websites.

They replaced TOUGHER regulations which limited you to one clear plastic bag in which you were allowed wallet, passport & travel documents - NOTHING ELSE.

OK...here's another chapter from "Security Theatre" for you to laugh about:

last week when we returned from Palm Springs we were the first people to go through Security at the Palm Springs airport.

When we got to security I could see the look in their eyes: "Oh, no! Do we </really have tostart working?"

This was our first trip with carry-on only baggage so I made certain that we had the right size zip lock bag and that all the items were in 3 oz or less containers, blah, blah, blah.

Unfortunately, we failed to remove our two ziplocks from our carry-ons and put them into the trays separetly which is what the TSA <b>requires</b> officially.

BIG, <b>BIG</b> mistake!

We got a lecture about not following the rules and then had to wait while all the carry-ons were searched and subjected to the &quot;explosives residue&quot; test.

I remained unusually closed-mouthed and impassive...simply nodding during the &quot;lecture&quot; and I felt stupid for allowing this to occur.

My advice would be to ensure you put those baggies through and OUT of the carry-on but of course, we know that different standards seem to apply in different locations sometimes.

And about that deodorant..is it a gel in any way, shape, or form? Could it be considered as such?

Have a great trip.

And BTW..if you still want &quot;edgy&quot; in Paris..have a drink at Keller's bar LOL!

OK...here's another chapter from &quot;Security Theatre&quot; for you to laugh about:

last week when we returned from Palm Springs we were the first people to go through Security at the Palm Springs airport.

When we got to security I could see the look in their eyes: &quot;Oh, no! Do we <b>really have to</b>start working?&quot;

This was our first trip with carry-on only baggage so I made certain that we had the right size zip lock bag and that all the items were in 3 oz or less containers, blah, blah, blah.

Unfortunately, we failed to remove our two ziplocks from our carry-ons and put them into the trays separately which is what the TSA <b>requires</b> officially.

BIG, <b>BIG</b> mistake!

We got a lecture about not following the rules and then had to wait while all the carry-ons were searched and subjected to the &quot;explosives residue&quot; test.

I remained unusually closed-mouthed and impassive...simply nodding during the &quot;lecture&quot; and I felt stupid for allowing this to occur.

My advice would be to ensure you put those baggies through and OUT of the carry-on but of course, we know that different standards seem to apply in different locations sometimes.

And about that deodorant..is it a gel in any way, shape, or form? Could it be considered as such?

Have a great trip.

And BTW..if you still want &quot;edgy&quot; in Paris..have a drink at Keller's bar LOL!

Sorry for the double post. I'm not as proficient at changing my posts after they've appeared as some here seem to be.

Just to add to the last tale, flying from Manchester (the UK one) my GF packed her one bag and added non-liquids such as a spectacle case &amp; contact lens holders.

At security she then got a major bollocking for mixing her stuff like that

I think a lot of these rules depend on who is enforcing them and at which airport.

I would recommend taking out the baggie and having it ready to put in the security bin separately. But as I said earlier, it was very variable as to whether or not anyone even looked at it.

On our return home from Athens, they just glanced at the stuff in the baggie which my husband packed. For mine, the inspector read EVERY LABEL.

I wouldn't worry about things being crowded and overlapping in the baggie. That's the way I packed and had no problem.

For our last 4 trips to Europe we've gone carry-on bags only. This trip, with the new &quot;baggie rules&quot; presented a new challenge. But we DID manage to go carry-on anyway. You just have to get very clever about making things smaller and deciding what is essential to pack and what you can do without.

And I found that everywhere we went we were able to find stores to easily purchase any liquid necessities we had left out. Many hotels provide shampoo, conditioner, hand lotion, etc.

And since my husband needed only pre-shave and toothpaste, I used the unused space in his ziplock bag for my extra liquids.

Yes, gels ARE included in this category. Also..MASCARA and liquid lip gloss in a tube.

But STICK deodorant did NOT have to go in the baggie. Other items that did NOT have to go in the baggie were moistened wipes like handi-wipes, clorox wipes, make-up remover wipes, and lipsticks....the solid tube kind.

There is confusion over some of these items. But at one stop in Athens they made me take EVERYTHING out of my carry-on luggage and there was no problem with any of these items or the baggie items...at least with this inspector that I encountered.

However, if you are flying out of a UK airport...things are stricter....and a bigger problem if you are travelling carry-on ONLY.

What's the point of any of this if a 12 oz bottle of what purports to be contact lens solution is allowed?

Are we 100% sure that I won't have a problem bringing that in carry on?

Cimbrone, I understand completely. I actually managed to find a less-than-four-ounce size of solution for my contact lens and for saline I actually took some small individual packets we use to administer nebulizer treatments.

I probably should have just taken my large bottles and if they had been taken away bought more on the other end.

As I said, &quot;Security Theatre.&quot;

Another entry for the Security Theatre

I was at an airport recently where the TSA &quot;agent&quot; went through a woman's &quot;baggie&quot; LOUDLY yelling at her that &quot;THIS IS NOT A LIQUID, WHY IS IT IN HERE?&quot; He then held each item up for public viewing.

So if you don't want to risk the public humilation by the TSA keep your liquids seperate.

IMHO your risk of harrassment is much greater at small airports. I fly out of ATL and never have a problem. Mobil, AL spent about 45 mintues doing a DETAIL inspection of my computer bag....

I agree that small airport TSA seem to have something to prove. In the last 21 days I flew in and out of ORD, ATL, SFO, SNA, SJU, LAX, BUR, SEA, and SJO (CR).

Of course, Atlanta, San Francisco, O'Hare, LAX, and even Seattle are huge major airports but I was only hassled at the tiny airstrip: Bob Hope Burbank Airport. I was amazed at ATL security which was more strict than any airport I've been to in the U.S.

I went through all airports with 2 ziplock bags -- one with prescription liquids (ointment, benzaclin, contact lens stuff) and the other bag with my liquid toiletries (lotion and sunscreens, haircare, and cleanser).

I slipped in a few small non-prescription items into my scrip ziplock and no one ever noticed or said anything.

9 airports, no consistency about wanting ziplocks in/out, just have to wait and hear their instructions in-line.

I sometimes put things that are not liquid/gels into my one-quart bag if I have room, because it's just then my toiletries bag within my carryon, basically. So I like to not have many different bags in my carryon.

I've flown that way maybe 6 times since those rules began and never once has any TSA agent blinked an eye at my one-quart bag and what was in it (which was more than liquids). They never have even paid much attention to it, actually, and I notice that a lot of people don't have one and wonder what their story is -- I guess a lot of people just check bags, but even when I do, I want some toiletry items in my carryon in case of baggage loss/delays. I thought that was just common good traveling habits.

Who knows what rules the UK has, they seem to really be very rigid over there, but the TSA does not have any rule on their website that the bag cannot have other items in it. I really dislike it when TSA agents make up their own rules. I have never liked authority figures, though (especially dumb ones), I always fail those psych tests. US customs agents are another category of employee who perpetually are on power trips with petty little rules they make up or to harrass you just because they know they can. I had a customs agents hold me and my boyfriend up two hours at the Canadian border while they searched every inch of our car with no case, intent on finding illegal drugs (obviously they thought we looked the type or something, as others were all just waved through). They really were POd when they couldn't find any, but I was more because they held us up two hours for no reason.

They do say items should fit &quot;comfortably&quot; in the quart bag, but I love this quote from their website:

&lt;&lt;We ask for your cooperation in the screening process by being prepared before you arrive. We also ask that you follow the guidelines above and try not to over-think these guidelines.&gt;&gt;

Christina, I am sure your &quot;good traveling habits&quot; are no better or worse than anyone else's.

Sorry alanrow if my post was not completely technically accurate. The laws I was referring to that caused difficulty for my son's return journey were not the plastic bag ones but rather the EU carry-on baggage ones. I don't know the date when those rules changed, but they did not go into effect until April 2007, and there was no indication on the website of my son's airline prior to his departure from the US that there would be changes to his carry-on baggage allowance by the time he was heading home. If there had been, I'm pretty sure he'd have left the heavy Nikon 35mm camera and associated lenses HOME. As for the plastic bags, he was bagged and ready with the best of 'em, coming and going!

As far as I can tell, the UK is the only place you have to worry about the 1 bag rule with limited weight. I was told that the reason was to cut down on errors and make the security people's job easier, therefore shortening the wait in the security lines.

Thanks to everyone on this string. I am in the final stages of planning for our trip and I this was the topic I was currently researching.

I had read the TSA rules however their website did not give me the definitive answers I was looking for (how much we could &quot;cram&quot; into the baggie, could we have seperate baggies for liquids vs non-liguids).

Your real life examples gave me the information I need. Thanks to all!!

Hi C,

The only liquids and gels that you can carry on must be 3 oz or less and fit into the 1 qt ziplock bag.

You may NOT bring any other liquids or gels in your carryon. They have to go in checked luggage.

For example, your 8oz deodorant gel or aerosol is not permitted in carryon.

You may not bring larger bottles that are partially full in your carryon.

See http://tinyurl.com/mydvw for a list of allowed and prohibited items.

What is the weight limit for the one carry on, for UK airports?