Everything You Can’t Bring With You In Your Carry-On

Packing for a trip can often feel like trying to crack a secret code. There’s always the uncertainty of what to toss into your bag and what to leave behind, what items are allowed and what are not. No one ever wants to be that one traveler holding up the security line just because they accidentally bought an item that shouldn’t be in an aircraft.  

To ensure you soar through the skies without a hitch, here’s a list of things that shouldn’t be in your carry-on bag, according to the Department of Transportation and Office of Transportation Security (DOTC-OTS).

  1. Liquids, aerosols, and gels (LAGs)

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  • Bottles of LAGs exceeding 3.4oz or 100ml in size including:

    • Shampoo

    • Conditioner

    • Hair gel

    • Toothpaste

    • Deodorant

    • Shaving Cream

    • Lotion

    • Perfume 

    • Other toiletries

  • Filled up water bottles

You may still bring the above mentioned items inside the cabin provided that they are in correct travel size containers. 

These items must be carefully stored inside a transparent plastic bag, approximately 20cm x 20cm with a maximum capacity not exceeding 1 liter. The bag should be independently sealed and must not be sealed with sticky tape, rubber bands, or ribbons.

  1. Food and beverages 

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  • Alcoholic beverages 

  • Canned fruits

  • Hot drinks bought from outside the plane

  • Icing 

  • Jars of mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup

  • Jars of peanut butter

  • Large quantities of sauces and gravies 

  • Liquid soups exceeding 100ml 

  • Soft cheeses like brie 

  • Any strong-smelling food 

Cooked meals and frozen goods are typically allowed inside the plane as long as they are in a secure packaging. Fruits and vegetables within the permissible size limit can also be brought inside the plane. However, strong-smelling foods like durian are usually not allowed on board. When in doubt, always check with your airline or destination country. 

  1. Objects with sharp points and edges

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  • Axes

  • Bayonets

  • Bolos

  • Box cutters 

  • Butterfly knives (Balisong)

  • Canned products with easy-open lids

  • Cleavers 

  • Cock fighting knives and blades 

  • Corkscrews 

  • Diving knives 

  • Hatchets 

  • Ice axes 

  • Ice picks 

  • Knives 

  • Letter openers 

  • Medical scalpels

  • Musical instruments with sharp edges or protruding parts

  • Nippers / pushers /nail files

  • Nail cutters with knife 

  • Open razors / razor blades

  • Pocket folded knives 

  • Sabers 

  • Scissors 

  • Swords 

  1. Guns, firearms, and other harmful items

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  • Acid sprays 

  • Air guns 

  • Bolt guns

  • Bow and arrows

  • Chlorine

  • Crossbows

  • Gun and firearm components

  • Flare guns 

  • Insect and animal repellent sprays

  • Martial arts equipment

  • Nail guns 

  • Pellet guns 

  • Pepper sprays

  • Pistols 

  • Revolvers 

  • Rifles

  • Shotguns

  • Slingshots

  • Spear guns 

  • Stun guns

  • Tear gas 

  • Any sport-related firearms 

  1. Workers’ tools 

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  • Chainsaw

  • Drills 

  • Extension cords 

  • GI wires (Alambre)

  • Hammers 

  • Nails 

  • Pliers

  • Portable power grills 

  • Portable generators

  • Retractable metal tape measures 

  • Saws and cordless portable power saws 

  • Screwdrivers 

  • Small-gas powered engine

  • Tapes (Duct tape, packaging tape, masking tape, etc.) 

  • Wrenches 

  1. Blunt instruments and large sports equipment

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  • Baton sticks 

  • Battery-powered non-mobility devices (Hoverboards, solo wheel, e-bikes, etc)

  • Battery-powered wheelchairs or other similar mobility devices

  • Billiard sticks 

  • Boat paddles 

  • Bowling/billiard balls 

  • Cane umbrella 

  • Clubs / sticks / bats / rods 

  • Cricket paddle 

  • Dumbbells 

  • Hand weight

  • Fishing hooks 

  • Fishing rods 

  • Grindstone knives 

  • Ice skates and skateboard 

  • Kayak / Canoe paddles 

  • Knuckles 

  • Lacrosse sticks

  • Large tripods 

  • Magnetized materials

  • Metal chains 

  • Paintball equipment 

  • Scuba diving equipment 

  • Surfboards

  • Ski poles / Hiking poles 

  • Tennis / badminton / squash rackets 

  1. Explosives, pyrotechnics, and incendiary substances and devices 

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  • Aerosol spray paint

  • Ammunition

  • Blasting caps 

  • Detonators and fuses

  • Grenades 

  • Dynamites 

  • Disguised lighters

  • Flares

  • Flammable paints and thinners

  • Fireworks

  • Fuels (including cooking fuel and any flammable liquid fuel)

  • Gasoline

  • Imitation explosive devices

  • Kerosene / petrol

  • Lighters

  • Lighter fluids / refills 

  • Matches

  • Mines 

  • Military stores / replicas 

  • Oxidizing materials

  • Plastic explosives

  • Smoke-generating canisters or cartridges 

Bookmark this article so you’re guided next time you fly! 

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