My Monopod Airport Experience: Everyone so often I see questions about carrying a monopod (with the rest of the camera gear) on to a plane and the typical response is that you can and...

KerryF

Everyone so often I see questions about carrying a monopod (with the rest of the camera gear) on to a plane and the typical response is that you can and it is allowed as stated on the TSA website. So here is my ACTUAL experience with my monopod.

A little back story first. I got my monopod for my Nikon 7200 with a Tamron 150-600 lens as I don't do enough upper body excercises to be able to hold it steady for long periods of time. I have taken my monopod strapped to my camera bag from San Francisco through a layover in London on our way to India and Nepal and back home without issues. I took it again from San Francisco, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and finally up to Churchill and back home again without issues.

Now it starts getting interesting on our trip to Antarctica. We flew from San Francisco to JFK (in case you are wondering why we went to JFK, it was because, for some reason, it was a lot cheaper than flying to Dallas), to Buenos Aires. Again, no problems. Now we fly from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and it makes it through the scanner without a problem, but instead of just picking up my camera bag and walking away unnoticed, I swung it around on to my back (it's a backpack) and that is when a security agent took notice and stopped me! After checking it out he told me I would have to check it in because we wouldn't let me carry it on board the airplane. When I explained that monopods are allowed on planes, he basically said leave it behind or check it in. So I had run all the way back to the checkin counter to say goodbye to my monopod since I probably wouldn't be seeing it again and then run all the way back to security to go through security again and then to our gate. So since I have a picture of my monopod with all the stickers, it did make it through to Ushuaia (since our suitcases were already checked in, this is how my monopod was checked in, naked!) without any problems...I guess monopods are not a high value item worth taking.

Now I am the first to admit that this big and could be used as a weapon, especially for the little tripod feets, but there are no stipulations in the rules of what kind, what size of monopods are or are not allowed and I hadn't had any trouble before this trip.

So the bottom line is, no matter what the rules say (about anything), the security agents have the final word on what is and what is not allowed for carryon. For the trip home, it went into the suitcase!

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

KerryF wrote:

Everyone so often I see questions about carrying a monopod (with the rest of the camera gear) on to a plane and the typical response is that you can and it is allowed as stated on the TSA website. So here is my ACTUAL experience with my monopod.

A little back story first. I got my monopod for my Nikon 7200 with a Tamron 150-600 lens as I don't do enough upper body excercises to be able to hold it steady for long periods of time. I have taken my monopod strapped to my camera bag from San Francisco through a layover in London on our way to India and Nepal and back home without issues. I took it again from San Francisco, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and finally up to Churchill and back home again without issues.

Now it starts getting interesting on our trip to Antarctica. We flew from San Francisco to JFK (in case you are wondering why we went to JFK, it was because, for some reason, it was a lot cheaper than flying to Dallas), to Buenos Aires. Again, no problems. Now we fly from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and it makes it through the scanner without a problem, but instead of just picking up my camera bag and walking away unnoticed, I swung it around on to my back (it's a backpack) and that is when a security agent took notice and stopped me! After checking it out he told me I would have to check it in because we wouldn't let me carry it on board the airplane. When I explained that monopods are allowed on planes, he basically said leave it behind or check it in. So I had run all the way back to the checkin counter to say goodbye to my monopod since I probably wouldn't be seeing it again and then run all the way back to security to go through security again and then to our gate. So since I have a picture of my monopod with all the stickers, it did make it through to Ushuaia (since our suitcases were already checked in, this is how my monopod was checked in, naked!) without any problems...I guess monopods are not a high value item worth taking.

Now I am the first to admit that this big and could be used as a weapon, especially for the little tripod feets, but there are no stipulations in the rules of what kind, what size of monopods are or are not allowed and I hadn't had any trouble before this trip.

So the bottom line is, no matter what the rules say (about anything), the security agents have the final word on what is and what is not allowed for carryon. For the trip home, it went into the suitcase!

Everyone so often I see questions about carrying a... (show quote)

I guess it could be thought of as a (delicate) police baton.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

KerryF wrote:

Everyone so often I see questions about carrying a monopod (with the rest of the camera gear) on to a plane and the typical response is that you can and it is allowed as stated on the TSA website. So here is my ACTUAL experience with my monopod.

A little back story first. I got my monopod for my Nikon 7200 with a Tamron 150-600 lens as I don't do enough upper body excercises to be able to hold it steady for long periods of time. I have taken my monopod strapped to my camera bag from San Francisco through a layover in London on our way to India and Nepal and back home without issues. I took it again from San Francisco, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and finally up to Churchill and back home again without issues.

Now it starts getting interesting on our trip to Antarctica. We flew from San Francisco to JFK (in case you are wondering why we went to JFK, it was because, for some reason, it was a lot cheaper than flying to Dallas), to Buenos Aires. Again, no problems. Now we fly from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and it makes it through the scanner without a problem, but instead of just picking up my camera bag and walking away unnoticed, I swung it around on to my back (it's a backpack) and that is when a security agent took notice and stopped me! After checking it out he told me I would have to check it in because we wouldn't let me carry it on board the airplane. When I explained that monopods are allowed on planes, he basically said leave it behind or check it in. So I had run all the way back to the checkin counter to say goodbye to my monopod since I probably wouldn't be seeing it again and then run all the way back to security to go through security again and then to our gate. So since I have a picture of my monopod with all the stickers, it did make it through to Ushuaia (since our suitcases were already checked in, this is how my monopod was checked in, naked!) without any problems...I guess monopods are not a high value item worth taking.

Now I am the first to admit that this big and could be used as a weapon, especially for the little tripod feets, but there are no stipulations in the rules of what kind, what size of monopods are or are not allowed and I hadn't had any trouble before this trip.

So the bottom line is, no matter what the rules say (about anything), the security agents have the final word on what is and what is not allowed for carryon. For the trip home, it went into the suitcase!

Everyone so often I see questions about carrying a... (show quote)

Who'd have thought?

Alafoto Loc: Montgomery, AL

jaymatt wrote:

Who'd have thought?

How can you be surprised at anything TSA does.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I have a long, straight tree branch. It's about 5 feet long I've had it for more than forty years and use it as a stage prop -- for a staff or walking stick in various Christmas and Easter presentations at church. The last time I used it, a friend who is a police officer in a neighboring city and a church member, cautioned me that I need to be very careful how I transport and handle my staff. It seems that it also is a weapon...it fits into the definition of a club or fighting baton, even though no part of it has a diameter any larger than 1.5 inches.

Mike D. Loc: Crowley County, CO.

What's even worse is the TSA released a report some years ago regarding the top 10 things that they found with their overpriced scanning equipment.

On the top of the list was breast implants. I am soooooo glad that they are pissing off our time and money on such ridiculous disoveries and that they had the complete lack of couth to make the report public...

John Matthews Loc: Wasilla, Alaska

If people bother to read this has nothing to do with the TSA. The event occurred in another country and they make their own rules.

KerryF

Alafoto wrote:

How can you be surprised at anything TSA does.

Well TSA is a Federal Department and only has authority over flights in or into the USA and I was in Argentina when this happened and I am bound by their rules, what ever they may be.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

John Matthews wrote:

If people bother to read this has nothing to do with the TSA. The event occurred in another country and they make their own rules.

Why read the narrative - it’s much easier to look at the picture, glance through the write up, make assumptions, and post comments...

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Shellback wrote:

Why read the narrative - it’s much easier to look at the picture, glance through the write up, make assumptions, and post comments...

LOL!! Wait till the day-2 participants get involved ...

Alafoto Loc: Montgomery, AL

John Matthews wrote:

If people bother to read this has nothing to do with the TSA. The event occurred in another country and they make their own rules.

Guilty as charged. However I stand by my statement concerning the TSA.

Mike D. Loc: Crowley County, CO.

If people bother to read this has nothing to do with the TSA.

Not entirely true, he did go through a TSA checkpoint to get to the problem zone. Still, when in someone else's house, you play by their rules.

It is what it is...

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I would have stuck in a suitcase to begin with.

rwoodvira

[quote=KerryF]
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/camera-monopod
They are allowed.

John Matthews Loc: Wasilla, Alaska

[quote=rwoodvira]

KerryF wrote:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/camera-monopod
They are allowed.

Try reading the original post