Tag: TSA

Do you worry about traveling with pills today with all of the security requirements, the body scans, the pat downs? You hear about the plastic bags you need to fit your liquids in for your carry-on bags, but what about pills and medications?

Don’t worry…. you can take your pills and other medications with you in your carry-on luggage, and you don’t have to worry about the plastic bag.

Pills are not liquids and do not need to go in your zip-top plastic bag. When you are traveling with pills, they should ALWAYS go in your carry-on, not in your checked luggage so you’re sure to have them with you.

In the U.S. the TSA says, “Non-liquid or gel medications of all kinds such as solid pills or inhalers are allowed through the security checkpoint once they have been screened. We recommend, but do not require, that your medications be labeled to assist with the screening process.” Airport security checks have been trying to “harmonize” their regulations for the last few years, so if you follow the rules you find in you county’s security website, you should be OK.

We generally dump all of our pills together into one container each, and we have never had a problem. We do carry copies of our prescriptions. That’s a good idea for a couple of reasons. First it provides some tangible information about the pills you are taking, and second if you lose your pills or you are delayed in your travels and need more, you may be able to get them with that prescription.

You will probably not have problems with security screenings on domestic flights or leaving a country. You are more apt to run into problems with customs if you are carrying large quantities of unmarked pills. If you are traveling with a “reasonable number” of pills, you shouldn’t have problems here either.

We haven’t…. except for the time, years ago, in Africa when an overzealous customs agent wanted to know what kind of medication was in our “Lifesaver” candies.

What about liquid medications?

Here the TSA says liquid medications (and baby formula) “are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint.” This includes all prescriptions and over the counter medications including petroleum jelly, eye drops, and saline solution for medical purposes.

There is lots of information floating around on the internet about the best way to carry your pills. If you absolutely, positively want to avoid problems, carry them in the original containers… even over the counter pills like aspirin. Prescription medications should have the pharmacy label with your name on them.

Whether you choose to use a pill organizer, dump your pills all together like we do, or carry them in their individual original containers, traveling with pills shouldn’t be a problem if you travel with a reasonable amount.

I have an adult daughter I love to travel with and we have been fortunate to go several places around the world together. As the saying goes she would pack everything but the kitchen sink and I knew if I had forgotten something she would have it. When she would come home for Christmas we would always laugh that she had to bring two suit cases and a carry on for a seven day stay.

This same daughter came back from a trip to Switzerland and Prague this year and informed me she had only taken a carry-on bag. I was astonished. I asked her if she felt like she needed more and she said no.

Advantages to using only a carry-on bag when flying:

It is wonderful not checking bags and having to wait in line to check them, and then wait even longer for them to come off the belt to pick up. This saves a lot of time and frustration.
Knowing that your bag wouldn’t be lost.
Not having heavy baggage to lug up and down stairs and off and on trains or other modes of transportation.
Packing only the essentials.
Saving money by not having to pay money to check one or more bags.

So how on earth do you pack just a carry-on bag instead of larger bags? I just went to Japan for 10 days so I have some firsthand knowledge of how to do this. At first I had to receive constant reassurance from my daughter that I could do it because frankly I didn’t know how I could do it. When packing only a carry-on there is not the luxury of packing clothing “just in case I might want it”, planning ahead is very important. Everything you pack will be used.

First of all check with your airline, this can be done on line, to find out what their measurement restrictions are. Domestic and International can be different. Measure your bag three ways; length wise, the depth and side to side. Add these three together and you have the size of your bag.
I still pack everything in plastic bags, by squeezing out the air you can get more in them. Rolling your clothes takes up less space. If you are concerned about wrinkles you can buy wrinkle free clothes, use the hotel’s iron, or lay them flat for your outgoing trip and then as you collect things on your trip roll them up for the return trip.
Wear one blouse and take two other blouses for a total of three. These can be two short sleeves and one long sleeve if going to a warm climate, or reversed for a cold climate. Check the local weather before you pack.
Wear one long pair of pants and pack two short pair, or reversed depending on the weather. If you like to wear skirts or dresses, change out one of these.
Take as many socks and underwear as you are willing to wash outI mean if you don’t want to wash only every four to six days then take that many.
Wear your bulkier shoes and pack your lighter ones. If you will only need one pair, that saves even more space. Two pair might be a good idea if you are planning on going to the beach, out for the evening, or if you think you may get your feet wet.
For cosmetics take as few as possible and in 3 oz. or smaller sizes as those are the TSA rules. Put all gels and liquids in a quart size plastic zip bag before getting to the airport. Place them in the outside pocket of your luggage and you can take it out easily to go through security.
Pack enough medications for the duration of your trip and a few extra pills in case of emergencies. Keep these in their original bottles, ask the pharmacists to put them in the smallest bottles available with a label.
If you need a curling iron or blow dryer buy a travel size. Everyplace I have been are now providing blow dryers. Buy smaller hair brushes.
Use a bungee cord to attach a jacket to your bag to stroll through the airport, doesn’t take up valuable space on the inside of your bag.

I do not recommend the hard suitcases as a carry-on bag because they don’t have any pockets on the outside you can put things in. Like your plastic bag with liquids. And other things you may need to tuck in at the last second.

If you travel often within the USA to relatives homes keep things like blow dryers, extra tooth paste, brushes and so forth in a closed container that can be kept out of their way on a shelf or under the bed at their homes. This saves you space when traveling and keeps you organized.

If you travel often keep small size products in the plastic zip lock and keep them with your travel supplies. The next time you travel your personal items will be all ready to go and this will save you time.

If you are traveling with children get them carry-ons they can not only pull, but holds all their clothing and stuff, even if you have to carry it along with yours, a paying customer is allowed one carry-on and one personal item. Too often I see kids just pulling little dinky carry-ons.

You are also allowed a personal item so use your back pack for your book to read, whatever you take to hold your I.D., money, treats, and other things you want to get to without opening the overhead bin. For the children load their backpacks with things they will need for the trip, activities and treats would be the main things to include.

Time management is important to all of us and you will not only make the most of your time but you will see that being organized has its distinct advantages even when traveling.

When packing for a travel abroad, the first thing that comes to any travelers mind is-Is the luggage lightweight enough? Most avid travelers love to backpack around the world and they would essentially require very lightweight luggage. This makes the trip a breeze through and very enjoyable. Durability and robustness also score several brownie points for the tourist.

This is where Rimowa luggage comes into play. In the market since the early 1950s, this luggage maker has proved to be a favorite with all the kinds of travelers. The most important and likeable characteristic of Rimowa luggage is the fact that it is extremely lightweight, but has a huge area for storing everything.

Now a days most of the people traveling by flight have to be accosted by the heavy airline fee. It is severely harassing when the airline authorities charge an obscene amount of money for a few extra pounds. It is a very taxing routine and most of the travelers whether at the beginning or the end of their journey want to steer clear of it. Rimowa luggage makers have come up with interesting innovations that make the luggage incredibly lightweight and also look stylish and chic.

Rimowa luggage is famous for its aluminum finish bags and baggage. These provide a sturdy storage for all kinds of important documents as well as for other travel requirements. They have a wide assortment of luggage styles to choose from. The Salsa collection is made up of 100 percent polycarbonate which is one of the toughest and quite elastic materials known to men.

When given a lot of pressure, the luggage made of this material becomes distorted. However, once the pressure is released it returns to its original position. This makes it very popular among travelers visiting rough terrains.

Rimowa luggage makers are also fairly renowned for their infallible security system and locking. Most of them come with keys that are almost impossible to imitate. They are also available in a wide variety of locking systems like the TSA lock or the combination locks.

Another very important factor about this particular luggage store is that they are very pocket friendly and affordable. They can be afforded by almost everyone and hence are preferred over other companies.

A very vital characteristic of Rimowa luggage is its portability. These are fitted with 360 degree turning wheels which are manufactured with ball bearing wheels. These have a smooth trajectory and are virtually indestructible. They can also be run on any kind of terrain. This makes Rimowa luggage more desirable.