whitehall Loc: Canada

Be careful when you put items in your carry on bag. Airlines are getting rather strict about weight limits particularly in Europe. However, they never weigh tripods, so, so long as it is of reasonable size, ie fits in overhead compartment you should have no difficulty.

Dbotnick Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

i just flew from Philadelphia to Aruba and back. Had to take camera out of backpack & put in separate Bin as they consider it an electronic item. 3 lenses stayed in pack. Tripod was left strapped to backpack. Backpack was actually 2” taller then max carryon size but still fit into overhead. When I travel like this I usually pay extra fee for priority boarding to assure getting overhead space. I did not go through TSA Pre since wife was traveling with me.

Carl S

My wife photographs horse, and on one workshop was prohibited from taking over two lithium batteries on the plane! It was one of the Spanish airlines out of Madrid. She either threw the batteries away or was not permitted to board
. She cancelled that flight and came home vie Delta airlines. Most of us carry at least two bodies and at least two or three batteries/body.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

For longer trips diagonally in checked baggage might be easiest. I have a carry case for my carbon fiber tripod and monopod to provide some protection and for storage at home. Protect my investment...I would not carry them loose on a plane...

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

If I can't drive there I don't go. There are enough places to photograph in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, etc. to keep one busy with a camera for several lifetimes. Actually just I-395 and I-40 could keep one rather busy.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Easy. What is the length of your tripod collapsed? What is the length of the overhead compartment? Have you called your airline to see what their regulations are? It is not only a TSA question but a particular airline question. I believe it is time for you to OWN the question and make the calls yourself. I would not take the word of anyone on this, are any site to be accurate.

James Van Ells

I have an Induro 404 which extends to 74" without the center column. Keep in the case and there are no issues. Never had a problem in multiple trips with airline changes, and re-entering security.

George II Loc: Fayetteville, Georgia

Oh God not again!

mikeroetex Loc: Lafayette, LA

I have the aluminum equivalent, an AT313 or something like that. Flown many times, no issues. I carry tripod in it's case, camera gear in back pack with me on board. Shove them both unopened thru TSA machine. Both are carry on items, because I don't want the two to get separated, in case my checked bag goes to the wrong city. I don't have to take anything out, because I'm a known traveler status and TSA pre-check. that just speeds me through. It would not be a big deal to pull the laptop out.
The tripod fits easily in overhead and I throw the camera backpack in front of it. The two are safely above me the whole flight. By the way, don't put the camera gear anywhere you can't keep eyes on it. If no overhead space available, mine slides under the seat. And I often fly with a full Lowepro AW400, which is just about the size of a carry on luggage bag.

So no fears, have fun in Seattle!

Mr. SONY Loc: LI, NY

I flew up to LI,NY from Florida to visit family.
While here I went to Cameta and purchased a tripod.
To fly back to Florida I tried to carry it on board.
TSA said 'NO WAY' it had to placed in as checked luggage.
'It could be used as a weapon' I was told.
So I guess it's up to whose is working that day.

CaptainBobBrown

I've got an Induro carbon fiber tripod with its own case but it always gets stowed as "special luggage" along with golf bags and skis. A nuisance to travel with so I've stopped doing so by switching to a Nikon 500mm PF lens which is light enough and with such good vibration reduction that hand held and a monopod work as well as a tripod.

al13

Just flew to Colorado and back with tripod attached to camera bag that fit under the seat. I only had to take out my iPad and phone not my camera.

Bill Munny Loc: Aurora, Colorado

The size is not a TSA issue, that resides with the airline requirements. Check your airline website for luggage restrictions. I just got back from Portland, OR, and had no problems checking in with my carbon fiber tripod and all my camera equipment that went in my Lowe Pro Tactics 350 pack.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Most TSA agents know many cameras are mirrorless and it is useless to "look through" the viewfinder. They normally take a random approach to having one show the inside area of the body and clarity of the lens. With fewer and fewer cameras going through and more and more smartphones, tablets, and laptops going through, the emphasis on what is being checked has changed a little. The newest X-ray machines are quite capable of density classification of the items it scans and has eliminated much of the need for hand inspections.

Slik makes a good carbon fiber tripod that is less than 15" long folded and under 3 pounds. It comes with a ballhead but is only rated for about 6.5 pounds of camera. Reviews by photographers indicate that some have used cameras heavier than 6.5 pounds (they did not indicate by how much) and have not had any problems. Since I own an Olympus system, 6.5 pounds is not much of a worry. It is worth some consideration especially if you have a higher rated ballhead to put on it. At that size, the tripod can fit just about anywhere. But I usually place my tripod in my checked baggage or carry it on with it's own shoulder strapped carrying case. Because it is so small and looks like a personal item, no one has ever questioned its status.

Bill P

I've flown with cameras multiple time abroad. I ve had TSA Nazis open the bag, look in, then their eye roll back in their head and they zip it up and I'm on my way.