Guidelines For Carry On Liquids – Find out how to fit liquids in a quart bag to carry the maximum amount of liquid carried in your TSA-approved liquid bag and get important hand sanitizer updates for 2020.
On some trips, the liquids you need may determine whether you can travel carry-on only or need to check a bag.
Guidelines For Carry On Liquids
I avoid checked bags whenever possible because they are expensive, take more time to deal with, and I assume that what I check will be lost or damaged.
Checked And Carry On Baggage Restrictions Simply Explained
I’m a firm believer in traveling with just a carry on bag whenever possible, and I’ve even started paying a few extra dollars for priority boarding so it’s less likely I’ll be forced to check my bag at the gate.
Carrying liquid restrictions can be a problem, especially for women and on longer trips. That’s why today I’m going to show you how to pack your liquid bag so you can fit more into your TSA approved liquid bag!
Yes, that’s right: more fluid in your hands carrying luggage! I can practically hear you thinking from here: “But wait! There’s a limit to the amount of liquid you can carry, so how can I fit more in my liquid bag?
The size of your entire liquid bag is limited to one quart (this is true in almost every country today), but how you pack it has a huge impact on what you can carry in your bag.
The Tsa Liquids Rule For Carry On Bags (3.4 Ounces)
In this post I share my best space saving tips on how to pack your liquid bags to help you avoid checked bags.
This article may include affiliate links, which means I may make a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.
Although some of these tips may be old news to experienced travelers, I have some new ones to add.
There are many links in this article. Some of them are informative, but many of them link to specific products on Amazon. These are almost all products that I personally use and I am happy to answer questions about them. Leave me a comment!
How To Take Prescription Drugs Through Airport Security
First of all, I want to clear up a misconception that many people in the US seem to have about the liquid ban. The actual rule is that each bottle must be 3 oz or less. The TSA calls it the 3-1-1 rule because it’s fun, but each bottle can hold 100ml, which is 3.4 fluid ounces. Isn’t that nice to know?
The second thing I want everyone to know is, yes, all your liquids should be in clear plastic bags.
Many people wonder if your liquid should be in a ziplock bag. It doesn’t have to be a “ziplock” bag like the one you put in your freezer. You can use the more durable, reusable TSA toiletries bag.
After all, all your liquids should fit “comfortably” in the clear top bag. It can’t be opened!
Air Canada 2022 Baggage Allowance
There are very important temporary changes to the 3-1-1 rules that are currently in effect. You are temporarily allowed to carry one bottle of liquid hand sanitizer
The TSA warns that these extra bottles of hand sanitizer must be screened separately, which could result in a longer wait at the checkpoint for you. They also pointed out that it is ultimately up to the TSA’s discretion. Individual TSA handlers may refuse your large bottles of hand sanitizer (although I have not heard any reports of this happening).
If you feel overwhelmed by thinking through TSA, I have a FREE resource for you! Grab my cheat sheet and 7 tips to get through security faster!
Many different lotions, shampoos, conditioners, toothpastes, etc. have TSA-compliant bottles of products available for a dollar or two. It’s a good place to start if you plan to travel with instead all of your full-size bottles in a checked bag.
Faq Hand Luggage
However, as a general rule, I don’t end up buying a lot of travel-sized items when I’m planning a trip. Why not?
Over time, I used some cheap-y plastic ones, but they started to break and were still too big.
Although more expensive, reusable silicone bottles are much more durable and come in a variety of sizes, so they are now my go-to travel bottles.
Unfortunately, the GoGear tube pictured above is not available, but this set of travel bottles is a great alternative. They come with a little “loop” on the lid so you can clip them onto a carabiner or hang them from a hook in the shower. The company also makes several color schemes and sizes.
Liquids In Hand Luggage: What Can You Carry On?
I don’t recommend repackaging something like contact lens solution that needs to be sterile. Just pack your travel size, instead!
Understand that you don’t have to bring something in the original package just because it’s technically allowed.
Many women use lotion and foundation, and many of these containers are 100ml or less. Think about it – will you be using the foundation container on your travels? Is it all from face lotion? Maybe not.
I bought a set of 25 5-gram containers on Amazon very cheap. They also come in slightly larger and slightly smaller sizes, so you can choose whatever size you need.
Tsa Rules For Cosmetics In Carry On Luggage
It’s clear, so it’s very easy to tell the lotion apart from the makeup and the lid is on instead of popping off. It can also be a good choice for things like face wash and hair gel.
As an important note – orange essential oil can ‘melt’ plastic, so be sure to use silicone containers for products that contain real orange essential oil! There are many options available, such as this beautiful 20 ml silicone container and this container set that uses a spatula to transfer the cream.
Simply transfer some of your liquid from the original container to the small container and you’re good to go!
They make a special little spatula for this purpose that helps you transfer things like foundation without using your fingers and potentially contaminating what you’re trying to transfer.
Air Canada Baggage Allowance For Carry On & Checked Baggage 2019
The same goes for essential oils. I know a lot of people love to travel with essential oils, and all of these bottles are the right size.
Again, you may not need all the containers on your trip. Consider taking a few small “sample size” bottles and transfer what you need with a pipette.
Soap Dr. Bronner’s is a great example of a multi-use liquid. You can use it as a shampoo, body wash, or even wash your clothes! Plus the smell is pretty awesome.
I usually use peppermint, but they also make lavender, tea tree, and more. I had (literally) Costco-sized bottles of peppermint, so I just transferred some of them to one of my handy silicone bottles.
The Tsa 3 1 1 Rule: Liquids In Carry On Bags
Now that I have kids, I prefer to use the unscented Dr. Bronner’s Baby so everyone can use it.
Travel-sized toothpaste is easy to find, but for shorter trips why not consider a pack of toothpaste? They’re often billed as “single use,” but they tend to have enough toothpaste for two or three brushings.
If you can’t find it locally, try searching online for products like Grant’s Australia toothpaste sachets or look for DoTerra OnGuard sample packs.
I know marketing has done a great job convincing us that body wash is awesome, but it’s liquid and soap soap is not. There are also some very nice shampoo bars available. I personally use the Etica line of shampoo bars and conditioner bars at home and on the go.
Baggage General Restrictions
I always, always carry hand sanitizer on the plane with me, but I like to choose hand sanitizer wipes instead of liquid bottles.
Okay, who am I kidding – I actually usually carry both, but liquid hand sanitizer is one of the first things I throw away when I’m on a short run in space! You can get individually wrapped wipes, like these from Purell, or larger containers like these hand sanitizer wipes.
If you think I’m paranoid, check out this recent article about how dirty airplanes are. It repeatedly recommends cleaning your tray table before use!
I also found this at the store the other day. I haven’t used it yet, but I’m excited to try it out soon!
Surprising Tsa Carry On Rules
Update: this sponge is fine. It’s not my favorite thing, but it does the job and definitely saves fluid. The texture is a bit odd and takes some getting used to, but it’s pretty good. I’ll probably use it again, if the price is good and I need to save fluid.}}
In my opinion, if you are going backpacking, trekking, to the beach, on an amusement park vacation, etc., maybe you don’t need a product like this.
As someone who has lived near the ocean most of my life, I can assure you that the humidity will probably ruin anything you do with your hair. And, believe me, the fashion police do not live in backpackers’ hostels.
If you really need a hair product, consider switching to some hair pumps (not aerosols).
What Items Are Allowed In My Tsa Approved Quart Size Bag? 2023 Update
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