Can You Bring Climbing Gear on a Plane? TSA Rules for Carry-On and Checked Bags

Generally, most climbing gear is permitted in hand and checked baggage in the United States. In hand baggage, passengers can carry rope, helmets, carabiners, crampons, harnesses, belay devices, quickdraws, alpine draws, brushes, climbing shoes, chalk, chalk bag, cams, climbing tape, and headlamps. In checked baggage, passengers should pack stick clips, nuts, nut tools, trekking poles, screws, ice picks, and axes. Bouldering crash pads must also travel in cargo baggage since they’re too large to fit the carry-on size requirements. Liquid chalk is allowed in hand baggage, but it must be under 3.4 ounces / 100 milliliters and it should fit with other liquids in a 1-quart clear resealable bag.

Read Next: Can I Bring Snowshoes on Planes?

Sharp and heavy climbing gear that can be used as a weapon is banned from hand luggage in the United States. Banned sharp items include ice picks, ice axes, pitons, screws, spikes, hand saws, nut tools, and multi-tools with knives and sharp edges. Trekking and hiking poles are banned from hand baggage too as they might be used as a bludgeoning weapon. Ropes, crampons, and harnesses are usually permitted onboard, but depending on the TSA agent’s judgment they might also be considered dangerous to take on a plane. A crash pad is solely accepted as checked baggage for its dimensions and weight.

Most sharp and heavy climbing gear isn’t allowed in hand baggage, so it should travel in checked bags instead. Generally, it’s safe to pack climbing gear in checked bags, but the TSA requires it to be packed securely. Passengers should use an [amazon link= “B00RNJKCUO” title=”ice pick cover”] or other means for protecting sharp edges to prevent accidental injuries during luggage inspection.

However, with checked luggage, there’s always the risk that the bag might get lost or things could get stolen from it. That’s why climbers should keep their belay devices, carabiners, quickdraws, helmets, cams, and other lightweight, non-sharp climbing gear in hand baggage to prevent that from happening.

Read Next: Can I Bring GPS Trackers and Other GPS Devices on Planes?

Most climbing gear is allowed aboard planes in the United States, but passengers have to distribute it between hand and cargo baggage wisely to prevent triggering any airport security alarms. In general, you should pack non-sharp climbing gear in hand baggage (harnesses, helmets, carabiners, etc.) and sharp objects in checked baggage (ice picks, axes, pitons, screws, etc). In your checked bag, you can use a pouch to store together smaller sharp items like nut tools, pocket knives, pitons, stick clips, and screws. You should always use a [amazon link=”B00RNJKCUO” title=”protection cover”] for larger sharper items, like ice picks and axes.

You should at least carry the basic climbing gear when traveling, including ropes, harnesses, helmets, belay devices, chalk, climbing shoes, carabiners, cams, and quickdraws. However, the climbing gear you travel with will depend greatly on your skills, what type of climbing you are doing and how much luggage you plan on traveling with. If you’re traveling with ice picks, axes, whippets, pocket knives, nut tools, or any gear that might be get considered a weapon, you will need a piece of checked baggage. Generally, climbers try to limit their climbing gear to one carry-on baggage and one checked baggage to avoid paying extra fees. You can also rent part of your climbing equipment at your final destination to avoid bringing checked baggage.