What Can You Bring On A Plane? | Smart Packing Rules

What You Can Bring On A Plane: Rules That Matter

Air travel rules sort items into three buckets: permitted, restricted, and banned. The line shifts by container size, battery watt hours, blade edges, and flammability. Add airline limits on weight and dimensions, and the picture gets busy fast. This guide trims the noise and gives you crisp, pack‑ready answers rooted in current agency rules.

Think in two lanes. Cabin bags ride through checkpoint screening with size and liquid limits. Checked bags sit in the hold, where larger liquids, aerosols, and sharp tools belong. Some things only live in the cabin, like spare lithium batteries and e‑cigarettes. Other things never fly at all, like fireworks and gasoline.

Carry-On Vs Checked: What Changes

Carry‑on favors small, safe, and easy to scan. Checked baggage favors bulky or sharp items that would slow the line or pose a cabin hazard. Value also drives the choice. Laptops, cameras, meds, and travel documents stay with you. Full bottles, big sports gear, and long tools go below.

Here’s a fast map of common items. Always match these with your airline’s size rules and local law.

Liquids And Toiletries: The 3‑1‑1 Rule

The cabin limit is simple: containers at 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less inside one clear quart‑size bag. That covers shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, gels, sprays, and creams. Airport duty‑free liquids can ride through in a sealed, tamper‑evident bag, and any item that alarms can still be pulled. See the TSA 3‑1‑1 liquids rule for the full checkpoint steps and the sealed‑bag caveat.

Liquid foods count as liquids. Peanut butter, hummus, soft cheese, yogurt, gravy, and sauces must fit in your quart bag. Solid foods are fine. Keep cans in checked bags unless the label shows small contents and the can sits under the limit.

Two big carve‑outs exist. Baby formula, breast milk, and toddler drinks can exceed 3.4 ounces and be screened separately. Medically necessary liquids also can exceed the limit when declared. Officers may test a small sample. Pack these on top so you can present them without digging through layers.

Batteries, Power Banks, And Electronics

Lithium cells are safest in the cabin where crews can act fast in the rare case of thermal runaway. That’s why spares and power banks belong in carry‑on only. Leave spares out of checked bags. Cover terminals with tape or use a case.

Small consumer devices with installed batteries usually ride in either bag. Most phones, tablets, and laptops sit below 100 watt hours, which stays under airline approval thresholds. Larger spares from 101 to 160 Wh are cabin‑only and limited to two, often with airline approval. The FAA PackSafe battery page spells out the watt‑hour limits, packaging, and approval notes.

E‑cigarettes, vape pens, and heated tobacco devices also stay in carry‑on. Don’t charge them in flight. If a device overheats, alert the crew at once.

Sharp Items, Tools, And Sports Gear

Blades draw bright lines. Disposable and cartridge razors can sit in your toiletry kit. Safety razors without blades can ride in the cabin, but the loose blades need a checked bag. Straight razors live in checked bags only.

Knives with points or sharp edges don’t pass in the cabin. Butter knives and plastic cutlery are the exception. In checked bags, sheath any sharp edge to protect handlers. TSA item pages for knives and sharp objects echo that rule across categories.

Hand tools at or under seven inches can ride in the cabin. Longer tools and all power tools go checked. A compact screwdriver set can pass; a full hammer set cannot. Sports sticks, bats, and similar hard clubs go in checked bags as well.

Food, Drinks, And Alcohol

Bring snacks through screening with no issue. Fresh produce travels freely on most routes inside the continental U.S. Routes from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands have agriculture rules. Many fresh fruits and vegetables are restricted unless cleared by inspection. USDA’s page on items from Hawaii shows what can fly after inspection.

Alcohol rides on three tracks. Tiny bottles can sit in your quart bag so long as each one is 3.4 ounces or less. Bottles between 24% and 70% ABV can travel in checked bags in retail packaging up to five liters per person. Anything above 70% ABV cannot fly in either bag. The FAA alcohol guidance lists the proof and volume limits in plain terms.

Duty‑free alcohol can transfer to a connection if it stays sealed in a security bag with the receipt. Some airports rescreen liquids at the next checkpoint. If the bag gets opened before screening, the bottle may be refused in the cabin and must be checked.

Medical Needs And Mobility Gear

Bring meds, EpiPens, inhalers, and supplies in your carry‑on. Keep labels visible to speed screening. You may also carry larger volumes of liquid meds, gels, and creams when declared for inspection. If a liquid must ride with cold packs, tell the officer.

Baby formula, breast milk, and toddler foods can exceed 3.4 ounces. You don’t need to travel with a child to bring milk. Officers may test containers or swab the outside. Pack these items where they’re easy to present.

Mobility aids such as canes, walkers, crutches, and medical devices pass screening every day. Let officers know about implants or external devices at the start so they can choose the right method.

Firearms, Ammunition, And Safety Items

Firearms never ride in the cabin. In the U.S., unloaded firearms may be checked in a locked, hard‑sided case after you declare them at the counter. Ammunition follows strict packaging rules. Pepper spray, bear spray, and stun guns are not cabin items and often face airline bans in checked baggage. Read your airline’s instructions before you leave for the airport.

International Differences To Watch

Core ideas stay the same worldwide: small liquids in the cabin, blades and long tools checked, spare lithium in the cabin only. Still, limits can shift by country and airport. In the U.K., most airports list a 100 ml cabin limit, with some locations trialing larger liquid allowances with new scanners. EASA guidance repeats the cabin‑only rule for spare lithium cells and power banks. When a trip crosses regions, follow the stricter leg so you avoid a mid‑trip repack.

Pack Smart: Layout That Speeds Screening

Start with an empty bag and clear all pockets. Build simple layers. Toiletries and your quart bag sit on top. Laptops and tablets are reachable for bins unless your lane says leave them inside. Shoes off or on depends on the line program. Keep batteries in cases and blades in checked bags. Think “light layers, edges covered.”

At screening, place your quart bag, any large electronics, and any declared medical liquids in a bin first. Then load your bag and shoes. A tidy layout moves faster and cuts bag searches. Keep a few zip bags handy so you can shift items fast if a lane rule changes.

What Happens When An Item Gets Pulled

If an officer spots a problem, you’ll get clear options. Surrender the item, step out to mail it, or move it to checked baggage if timing allows. Stay calm and ask short questions. Officers can point to the rule page and suggest a safer packing method for next time.

Battery And Liquid Limits Quick Reference

Edge Cases That Trip People Up

Solid Candles Vs Gel Candles

Solid candles pass in both bags. Gel candles read as liquid at screening and can trigger a pull if oversized. When in doubt, pack gel types in checked baggage.

Ice Packs And Frozen Foods

Frozen items must be fully solid at screening to count as “solid.” If an ice pack is slushy or partly melted, it can be treated as a liquid. Keep spares in checked bags or use dry ice within airline limits.

Drones And Spare Batteries

Drones with installed batteries usually ride in either bag. Spare drone packs sit in the cabin with taped terminals. Carry a fire‑resistant sleeve if your kit uses larger cells.

Musical Instruments

Small instruments can ride in the cabin if space allows. Larger cases go checked. Loosen strings and pad any sharp edges on stands or accessories to avoid snags during screening.

How We Built This Guide

The rules above come from agency sources used by airlines and checkpoints: TSA’s searchable “What Can I Bring?” database, the 3‑1‑1 liquids rule, FAA PackSafe pages for batteries and alcohol, and USDA guidance on produce from Hawaii and U.S. territories. We cross‑checked terms like the seven‑inch tool threshold, spare lithium limits, and liquid exemptions for infants and medical needs before writing packing advice.

Policies can shift by country and airline. When your trip spans regions, glance at the departure and return rules during packing. A two‑minute check now can save a re‑pack later.

Pack With Confidence

Now you know where the lines sit. Small liquids and valuables stay with you. Sharp edges and long tools go below. Spare lithium rides in the cabin. Food is fine, with a few produce limits on island routes. With those anchors, your bag sails through screening and your trip starts smoother.