UKC

Hey All,

I'm flying to the Alps with easyjet in a few days and trying to work out the best way to bring all my gear over without going over weight limits. Ideally want to take as much as possible in my cabin bag with me since they measure it but don't weigh it. So does anyone know if security will let you take the following in plane cabin:

-Ropes
-Tent (without pegs but with guy ropes)
-Quickdraws
-Long climbing slings
-Nuts

Thanks for any advice! x

In reply to Aurelie: I took my tent, minus poles and pegs in my hand luggage a couple of months ago to the Alps with EasyJet. I cant see you having any problems with long slings, I also had sleeping bag in hand luggage which reduced the hold luggage weight significantly

In reply to Aurelie: slings, technically not because they could be used to tie someone up (yeah, whatever). However, they don't show up on X-ray scanners, and if you bundle them inside a sock or a pocket on clothing in your hand luggage then who's to know, even if your bag gets 'randomly' searched? Same goes for QD tapes. Wouldn't try metalwork because they get aresy when it goes through the scanner, and rope shows up quite easily too, better not run the risk of having it confiscated IMO

In reply to Aurelie: You defo can't take the rope onboard.

In reply to Big Steve:

Not sure if I'm being overly cautious. I just have images of being forced to leave my ropes and slings behind because some security guy thinks I'm about to strangle or tie up all the passengers!

In reply to Aurelie:

Also surely quickdraws and screwgates should be fine? I really can't possibly imagine a way to hurt anyone with a screwgate... unless you use it like a fishing hook... but still pretty far-fetched...

In reply to Aurelie: The only one I would take is the tent. I have heard of all of the other items being refused at some time or another over the years. Despite what the airline policy says, and they are not that specific when it comes to climbing gear, you are at the mercy of the airport security staff and the mood they are in on the day. Logic and common sense don't get a look in.

Al

In reply to Aurelie:

Hi I travelled with easyjet to the alps earlier this year.

I rang easyjet before i travelled and was advised that it would be fine to take my rope and climbing gear in my hand luggage. In the UK it is apparently up to the airline what you are allowed to take. And so i did take my rope on my person on the flight there.

However when coming back i got stopped by security and had a big kerfuffle in sorting out trying to take my rope home. (the country decide what is allowed in flight i was told)

So in answer to your question you can take ropes there in hand luggage but not bring them back. At least that was the case 2 months ago....

This is a real pain when your trying to stick to weight limits especially when they are after every penny they can get during the downturn.

Anyway rant over..... Hope this helps

In reply to Aurelie: Just do it the easiest and most logic way. Pack backwards, take your clothes and stuff on as hand luggage and pack your kit to check it in.
Simple and no need for drama.

In reply to Aurelie:
I seem to remember they check your hand luggage after you have checked your main bags in? Is it worth having someone come with you to the airport so just in case you cant get your gear through you can give it to them rather than have to hand it to the airport?

In reply to Aurelie:

you can take your guide book in your cabin bag.

helmet should be ok as well

In reply to Aurelie:
The answer is almost certainly no to all of it. Defiitely ropes and any metal are no no's (I speak from experience). You might get away with tent and slings but I doubt it. sorry!

In reply to Si dH:
PS as to quickdraws and screwgates...they would be pretty good knuckledusters if you were that way inclined. Not exactly harmless equipment.

In reply to Aurelie: I will be very impressed if you can get all of your alpine climbing equipment (assuming 2 axes) and camping gear on board in under 20kg and hand baggage without incurring some penalty. I could JUST do it when the allowance was 25kg. Ryanair is even worse at 15kg.

Al

In reply to Aurelie:
I flew easy jet and was told by security that a kab could be used as a knuckle duster so couldnt have it in hand luggage

In reply to Aurelie: We were allowed pretty much everything except ropes when flying Ryanair from Stanstead but we had cleared it all before hand, we were told to ask for Steve (or some generic blokes name, can't remember) when we went through security and lo and behold, all of us got stopped, the famous "Steve" showed up and waved us through. This included big cams and hexes. However, Croatian security said no to everything so we got ripped off for an extra hold bag, however a friendly Ryanair check-in person who happened to be a climber broke company policy and gave us the extra bag for the cheap online price because we were climbers. So basically, it's a lotery but best to assume that you won't be allowed anything. Some of the guys in the club have in the past year gotten away with ice screws and all.

In reply to Aurelie:

Ok, thanks everyone! Following the general consensus (and not wanting to leave gear behind) I've managed to fit tent and 2 sleeping bags in my cabin bag and have crammed all the rest of the climbing gear in a hold bag. Not sure if I'll manage to cram two people's worth of gear in easyjet lugage allowance *2. But will do my best, and wear boots and all my clothes!

In reply to Aurelie: I've never had a problem with metal work, but any sharps I always put in the hold. Carabiners seem fine, but I haven't flown for 2 years, so I don't know now. Ropes are sometimes fine, sometimes not. Depends not just on the airline but airport security - in Australia the airport security made me check a rope in, elsewhere it's not been a problem.

Sam

In reply to Aurelie:

I wore my belay jacket with the pockets stuffed with my heaviest items of clothing.

Carry your guide books on in your hands. These are heavy and you dont want them "in" in the hand luggage.

In reply to Sam L:

Not nowadays, Knuckledusters are specifically banned, and a crab can be seen as a pretty effectivr knuckleduster

In reply to Aurelie:
Hate to burst your bubble but I think there might be a weight limit on hand luggage too.
When I went climbing back in the spring, I took my harness and shoes along with as many clothes as I could in my hand luggage, figuring that if they lost my hold luggage I could still enjoy my holiday. I didn't have to take a tent or cold weather gear though.

In reply to Aurelie: I've been stopped for having a rope. They were OK with metalwork though

In reply to Aurelie: When I was on the BMC Exec a bit of name dropping got me through to the head of security at Manchester who was very helpful. His position was that he was not allowed to permit onto a plane as hand luggage anything that could be used as a weapon (e.g.Knuckleduster)or used to restrain someone (e.g. Slings, harness). This was the position of the government advice to airports. If his staff at airport security found any of this type of stuff they were instructed to confiscate and latter destroy it as they would blades etc. Any other luggage in the hold was at the discression of the individual airline. A call to a very helpful B.A. even got my petrol stove on as hold luggage and through paranoid US security! My advice is to go along with this position, pack clothes in hand luggage and gear in the hold. I've tried many times to speak to sleasy jet and an irish carrier to discuss this matter in a sensible way but have never got through to anyone with more than the inteligence to repeat a prepared script about blades, liquids and explosives.

In reply to teflonpete:

No weight limit on hadn lugage with easyjet. There's a size limit to how big your pack can be (just big enough to take a slightly squashed pod rucksack with the back support out!) but the only weight restriction is you have to be able to lift it.

In reply to Aurelie: I had my screwgate confiscated in Paris CDG airport but thr gri gri was OK. I also have a friend who had to check quickdraws into the hold as this was not allowed as cabin baggage.

In reply to Aurelie:

You have to remember that the security people don't have to be able to imagine a way you can use cabin baggage to cause damage - they can decide to take the opposite tack - If there is no possible justification for having the stuff with you for the journey they may refuse to allow it.

I find that clothes, footwear maps and guidebooks are not bad things to put in hand baggage and leave the climbing stuff in the hold. If you decide to risk climbing kit, give yourself enough time (and a spare bag) to be able to put the stuff through the hold if you are refused.

In reply to Aurelie: They can confiscate anything that they think could be a weapon or used to restrain. Therefore you'll be lucky to get any of the items listed through the x ray. We've had members of our climbing trips that have had single screwgates taken off them. Just bag it all in your main luggage and pack your hand luggage with your clothes.

In reply to Aurelie: Wear as many clothes as you possibly can, and boots of course. Once you're through security you can remove the unnecessary layers and stow them in a duty-free carrier bag.

I've always got away with putting harness and rock-boots in hand luggage (on the basis that if my hold luggage ends up in Honolulu I can still climb on my mates' gear) but I wouldn't try to get anything metal through. A friend forgot to take a nut-key off her harness and it took a lot of persuading to let it through, even though it doesn't have a sharp edge.

I can remember more innocent days when a friend flew out to the Alps wearing all his krabs in a chain round his neck, and with an ice-axe as hand luggage.

In reply to Aurelie:

Was climbing in Bulgaria last year and flew out with easy jet.

Hand Luggage had harness, sling, krabs, boots and helmet - no problem UK-BG

On return, had kerfuffle at x-ray machine and I had to check all the gear in. They tried to charge me for extra baggage however, i refused, saying my bags were packed exactly as they were on the outflight. The waived the fee but i wouldnt try it again.

So, i'd go with the pack backwards approach as mentioned above. Clothes and anything fabric etc in cabin bag, gear in hold luggage.

mike

In reply to Aurelie:

no quick draws and screwgates aren't ok. apparently they can be used as knuckle dusters. my husband had one confiscated

In reply to Aurelie:

Just back from a week in the Dolomites climbing and camping with Easyjet. Previously done an alpine trip as well with them. Make sure you trim everything back as much as possible with your climbing partner eg one tube of toothpaste between you etc as 'every little helps'.

Tent, minus poles and pegs were in hand luggage but all the other stuff you list was in hold luggage. I just got through with a 45L rucksack for hand luggage so view that as max hand luggage size, better if a bit squashy to fit into the size gauges as well. Sleeping bag can be very heavy for its size when compressed whilst thermarest is quite a low density so take this view with all your kit and you should get through - just.

Good luck for the trip.
Marq

In reply to Aurelie: If you pay £18.50 each way (on easy jet ) you can put up to 32kg of sport equipment in hold

In reply to mickch01:

search previous threads for whether Easyjet class climbing gear as sports equipment, as usual seems to be luck of the draw

In reply to mickch01:

Easy Jet do not class climbing gear as sports equipment. I tried this one and it didnt work.

In reply to Aurelie: I know someone who had 35 carabiners confiscated as they could be used as knuckle-dusters!

In reply to Aurelie:

Basically, I wouldn't take anything I couldn't live without. The airlines / security just randomly confiscate stuff. There's no standardisation of rules and no 2 people you ask (ie. check in / security / airline) will give you the same response.

I guess from their point of view, you could tie someone up with rope / draws, guide ropes or poke em in the eye with your gear and your nuts. If you, erm, see what I mean.

Everything else in check in. If you whack all your clothes, tent & shoes in hand luggage they weigh loads anyway.

In reply to Aurelie: I wrote this a while ago. Some things may have changed, but the general gist is still there

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=165

In reply to Aurelie:
As someone said above, it is a complete lottery - so lets play the game "Which of these items were not allowed in hand baggage at the security check-in?"

- Penknife with pointy blade 3.9cm long
- 2x carabiners for VF kit (twist lock)
- Full rack of wires and cams
- Nail clippers with blunt metal "blade" (no edge < 1mm thick) 1.5 cm long
- Christmas crackers with "poppers" removed

(All different flights)
Answers in a few days when I get back from Austria.

In reply to Aurelie: Just come back from spain and had this problem before setting off. However...

1x 50m 10mm rope
11 quickdraws
2 harnesses
3x climbing shoes
belay device + GriGri
Tent
All clothes
All toiletries
(all in 1 bag!)

=15kg -and the Easy Jet limit was 20kg

In reply to Aurelie:

I have had prussik cord and nail clippers confiscated before so I wouldn't take any of that stuff on as hand luggage. These two incidents were both back in the days when you could still take a full bottle of wine on board, and either club people to death or smash the botle and cut peoples throats!

In reply to Aurelie:

So to sum up: it's pot luck. Don't take the chance if you can't afford to leave/lose stuff and pack accordingly.

In reply to Aurelie: they really dont want people to climb abroad do they hahaha im hesitant to take gear. if it gets taken off you youre holiday is screwed.

In reply to Aurelie: we put all our shoes in the hand luggage, as they weigh quite a bit.

In reply to Aurelie:

theres a picture in "the hard years or "the villain" of 2 climbers going through airport security with a few hundred snapgates draped around them - how times have changed!

In reply to Aurelie:
Have flown to Verona [Easy jet] and Dudrovnic [Croatian Airlines] and had no problems with hand luggage stuffed with climbing gear.
Did get some strange looks when they found my friends however [ The cam action ones - I know Martin does look a little odd !]

Allowed by a security guard at Innsbruck - apparently anything under 4cm is ok as far as the Swiss are concerned.

Had to be checked-in at Carcassone airport.

OK both Manchester -> Bergamo and on return (after a careful inspection). This was just a couple of months ago.

Confiscated at Manchester for a US flight (but this was some time ago).

Confiscated at Manchester

In reply to Aurelie:

Hiya Aurelie

We've climbed in Spain a few times and flown with easyjet.

One time I foolishly forgot and packed my mallet in my hand luggage which was duly confiscated!

On climbing kit however, there are lots of signs when you check in that no sports equipment is allowed in your hand luggage. Whether or not the average xray operator knows how to spot climbing kit is another matter. Basically, don't take anything which could be deemed as being something that could tie someone up, or could be classed as a weapon, by someone who doesn't know what they're looking at.

My boyfriend's climbing shoes are technically an offensive weapon - the smell alone could floor you at twenty paces!

In reply to Aurelie: I came back from Oz in 2000 after 9 months so overweight with baggage )60 odd kg that I had slings racked with carabiners around my waist. Not a problem with security in those days