What should/can I carry?

dlee12

dlee12

Hey big man, lemme hold a dollar.
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So with my job change about 9 months ago, I’m on a plane 2-3 times a week, generally covering SE US. Most of my trips are turn and burn, depart and return same day. Occasionally an overnight, but never enough to warrant a checked bag. Not looking for tacticool/defensive stuff, but just useful items that will make it past TSA, since I can’t carry my pocket knife. Makes me feel nekkid.

What items do you have in your carryon?
 
These happen to write real good too. At $10 buy 3-4 for over zealous TSA agents.

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Going to the same places over and over again? if so, maybe you can stash a cheapy knife at the location. I used to do that on my monthly trips to a remote office, had a trusted employee hand me my local knife when I walked in and i handed it back when I left the next day.

Otherwise, the pens are good. I ordered a few from amazon to see which cheapies sucked the least. Ended up with this one as the best of the lot:

amazon link

The glass breaker feature on some are dumb and snag on stuff and make it look enticing for a TSA drone to steal. The ones with the glass breaker on the end where you would put your thumb if you wanted to use an ice pick grip... even dumber. Unless you like holes in your thumb, then there ya go.
 
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Improvisation is key.

A walking stick of some kind. NOT something like a sword cane. Simple, decent hardwood.

If you wear lace up shoes/boots, you've a garrot. Two, in fact.

No need for a fancy tactical pen...and sturdy metal pen will work well, and many single piece plastic pens. The kind that have the plastic caps, not "clickers". If you want to go with a professional look, go with something like a Cross pen.

You can't have a knife or many sharp point things. But you know what you CAN have? Hard plastic objects that when broken are surprisingly sturdy and have decent sharp and pointy edges.

Just don't try any of the fancy tactical things disguised as something else. TSA is actually quite familiar with many commercial varieties of such. Look for ways to utilize common items people routinely carry/wear.
 
Depending on attire i.e. if wearing business suit a large black umbrella would not be out of place. My grandmother beat the crap out of a mugger with one years ago.

I like the water bottle on a lanyard - might suggest that for dear wife as she will be working overnight shift in a few weeks.
 
I second the cane. They cannot deny you being allowed to have it unless it has a weapon stored inside it.

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I've had a Cold Steel "Walkabout Stick" for several years. It's solid polypropylene, not heavy, and amazingly tough. I use it for my general "walking stick" when mucking about just about anywhere. I have plans to make my own take-down hickory stick for more conveniently traveling with it. Or maybe I'll decide to spring for an Irish blackthorn cane (and convert to 2-piece). But the Walkabout works perfectly well for that so far. If you look on YouTube you can see a video from Cold Steel where one of the Cold Steel guys absolutely destroys an oak pallet with a Walkabout in a few seconds. Since it's totally plastic, it has no issues in going through metal detectors -- unlike my knee. :rolleyes:
 
Scsmith42 said:
Personally, I'd check a bag,....
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I agree especially depending on destinations a small checked bag with a NanoVault for a budget friendly carry gun (in case it gets re-routed for a day or two) if you’re heading to a cesspool areas is just peace of mind. I also would have a good sturdy flashlight that can be useful in many ways.
 
I know that at this point I'm totally confused about what the intent of the original question was: that is, what you're trying to accomplish and what you might mean by "useful items". Could you maybe remove some of the mystery and sketch what you're trying to avoid?
 
711b said:
I know that at this point I'm totally confused about what the intent of the original question was: that is, what you're trying to accomplish and what you might mean by "useful items". Could you maybe remove some of the mystery and sketch what you're trying to avoid?
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Sorry for any confusion.

Basically, I’m looking for stuff you carry when you can’t “carry”. I have a couple TSA approved multitools, etc. but I’m new to the whole traveling constantly thing and figured there were a few here that had been doing it awhile and had their “must haves” down pat.

Doesn’t even have to be self defense related. Just your everday carry stuff that makes life easier on the road.
 
dlee12 said:
Sorry for any confusion.

Basically, I’m looking for stuff you carry when you can’t “carry”. I have a couple TSA approved multitools, etc. but I’m new to the whole traveling constantly thing and figured there were a few here that had been doing it awhile and had their “must haves” down pat.

Doesn’t even have to be self defense related. Just your everday carry stuff that makes life easier on the road.
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I still say a cane.
Carrying a bag the cane will help you walk, just like hiking in the mountains with a hiking stick.
The cane will also get you a little more space from most people as you are walking also.
 
dlee12 said:
Basically, I’m looking for stuff you carry when you can’t “carry”. I have a couple TSA approved multitools, etc. but I’m new to the whole traveling constantly thing and figured there were a few here that had been doing it awhile and had their “must haves” down pat.
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It really depends on the kind of traveling you do. I generally didn't do any "day trips" and so I really quickly got to the point where I'd always check a bag. Yeah, ya gotta wait and pick it up at baggage claim, but there are tradeoffs to that.

I very quickly got to the point traveling internationally where I had a pack with immediate (and any possibly necessary or emergency, including snacks!) needs that I'd use as a carry-on. And checked the bag with all the other stuff (including knife, tools, clothes, etc.). The pack was really necessary for trips like Raleigh/Atlanta/Zurich by plane and then Basel by train. I can understand it if you don't want to (or can't) spend time waiting for your checked bag to appear. I have no ideas what rules they use now for checking a bag at the gate. That might be a reasonable alternative -- or not. I lost only one knife -- by forgetting to put it in the right bag coming home from Philadelphia once. On the other hand, my wife has traveled by air many times (including London and Copenhagen) with her small Buck folding lockback in her purse and no one ever noticed it. Probably couldn't pick it out of the clutter. 😂 I almost lost a colleague once in Philadelphia, headed for London, while getting ready to board -- when security came and took him away for an "interview". It took them surprisingly long to figure that this 28-year old guy wasn't the 82-year old Patrick O'Reilly who was on the "no fly" list because he was in the IRA.

I'm glad that I don't have to fly any more, and will gladly drive for two or three days rather than take a day to fly. I wish you luck. You'll discover what works best for you after a few trips. My daughter has just gone through the same thing, having to take trips back and forth from Greensboro to Orlando now and then. She started out with a massive suitcase, but quickly has dumped that for a minimalist approach -- even though the trips are for a week at a time. I don't know whether she checks it or not, but I'd guess that she does.
 
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