chollie

Just out of curiosity, have you ever taken your Lekis completely apart? Mine are just a bit too long to fit properly in any of my bags, so I have to break them down into three pieces. I have no idea why, but one of the components (with a screw end) comes to a razor sharp point - pencil sharp, not ski pole sharp. I don't know if it would be visible on the xray or not if I just collapsed them as short as they would go.

Stakes aren't a problem - I can always get by without stakes if I have to, and many times I stake the tent for set-up but still tie off to rocks/trees/etc.

sitrus

I'm a newbie so please forgive me if I post this in the wrong place.

I have been trying to figure out (by googling and searching here) if walking sticks are allowed as carry on luggage. Due to my familysituation I now have to travel from Europe to Asia and I am worried that the long-haul flight (economy) will trigger my condition.

gobluetwo

If you're asking if they are allowed through security, the answer is yes.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/pract...ng-sticks.html

shouldn't be a problem on any airline, although check their sites or call to be sure. Can also check the airline-specific forum for information. I've seen plenty on United.

frankmu

Don't bring your light saber walking stick: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/...ited_past.html

exbayern

TSA has nothing to do with this thread

OP you are fine. And usually what we define as crutches are different from what they commonly use in the US

wackyflyer

This is hysterical if its correct. What is the permitted length? Do they determine that on the basis of patient height?

Presumably what really happened here was they took offense to what they perceived as a novelty item and thought that someone was testing their authority.

sitrus

Haha! I'll leve my light saber stick at home (although being extremely tall is not a problem of mine)

Thanks! And curious about the difference?

exbayern

Forearm crutches are pretty rare in the US, except for people with certain chronic conditions. In fact, they are often listed as Euro Crutches. Under arm crutches (which are difficult and painful to use) are more the norm than the exception in cases of injury, etc.

sitrus

Thanks again!

FXWizard

I had to fly with a cane a couple of years ago; I was handed a cane to use to get through security while mine was run through the x-ray, and that was that.

relangford

I use a cane. It gets x-rayed with my carry-on. I have been asked by TSA agents if I can get to the scanner without it (which I can). Onboard, it goes into the overhead. But, using a cane means you are not allowed in an exit row, so you might lose your well-chosen seat.

WillCAD

While medical assistive devices like canes, walkers, crutches, etc. are permitted items, there was a famous case last year when actor Peter Mayhew, known as the man who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars trilogy, was stopped and harassed by TSA at DEN, on his way home from a ComiCon.

Peter uses a geek-tastic cane shaped like a lightsaber. Any Star Wars fan finds such a cane outrageously cool, and the fact that one of the main cast from the original trilogy chooses to use such a cane is awesome beyond words. But TSA held Peter up for about 20 minutes, I believe, while several TSOs stood around discussing whether to allow the cane to pass (as it has many times over the last few years at many US and UK airports), or to steal, er, confiscate, er, require its voluntary surrender.

They made up their minds right quick when Peter Tweeted a pic of himself in a wheelchair explaining that they were considering taking his cane. When the TSOs heard they were being outed, they let him pass immediately.

Excuses for the extra scrutiny were thin and laughable - the cane is "too long" or "extra heavy". According to one of the TSOs here on FT, an extra heavy cane poses a security threat because it can be used as a bludgeoning weapon. Of course, a 5lb cane may be considered a weapon, while a 5lb laptop computer or a 30lb carry-on bag is not.

The body of the cane is made of translucent blue Lucite, meaning that it cannot hold any hidden surprises, and the handle is, I believe, lathed aluminum, which can easily be x-rayed and shown to hold no hidden weapons. The only factor that has been mentioned is that it was big and heavy. Which is understandable, because at 7'-2", Peter Mayhew is a big, heavy man. Or, as Peter himself put it in a follow-up Tweet: "Giant man need giant cane.. small cane snap like toothpick.... besides.. my light saber cane is just cool.. I would miss it.."

My own personal opinion is that the TSOs wanted to steal the cool cane, which means that you should keep that in mind if you happen to have a really cool cane that you want to use while traveling.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/...ited_past.html

exbayern

It is really unfortunate that the thread that sitrus started was merged into a thread about the TSA considering that their flight does not include the US, or TSA rules.

They are flying BGO-LHR-HKG-ICN and TSA rules have zero impact on their flights. Unfortunately however the first people to reply immediately quoted TSA, again not being overly helpful to those of us who are not based in the US and who do not have to deal with TSA on a regular basis.

Bonehead

A woman boarded my IAH-DEN flight last Friday with two hiking poles attached to her rather large backback, with the roughly 2" pointed, spear-like tips clearly visible. Now come on...I can't bring my favorite pitching wedge (that's a golf club for you non-golfers) on a plane but someone got those things on????

The TSA website specifically says that they must be checked; I know because I had our hiking poles FedExed to the hotel this past summer.

Good grief.

Jeannietx

I put mine in checked bag so have never tried to carry on. Mine have different tips that can be changed out, they don't travel with the sharp tips, don't want anything else in the bag punctured.