First off: This post is about a tiny Leatherman multitool. Not a gun, not a sword, not something that can actually hurt someone. Just a small, harmless tool that is unfairly banned from planes because of onerous TSA regs. No one is going to do 9/11 with tiny pliers and a fingernail-sized screwdriver.
Now that that’s cleared up…
There are 2 things I hate: Going without my keychain-sized Leatherman, and checking a bag at the airport. Unfortunately, these things are in conflict, as TSA won’t let me take my precious Squirt (actual product name… ew) in my carry on. Over the years, I’ve probably lost half a dozen multitools to overzealous airport security, both in the US and abroad.
I’ve probably gotten it past security over a dozen times, but there doesn’t seem to be any consistency to it. Packing it between my razor and my beard trimmer worked for a while, until it didn’t. Lining it up with the handlebars of my suitcase worked a couple times. But then I lost another one.
“Did you know they sell airport-friendly Leathermans that don’t have a knife?” Yes I do. Did you know that several overseas airports straight up don’t care, and will take it anyway? (I’m looking at you, Philippines and Costa Rica.)
I don’t need a different tool. What I really need is a reliable method to get this tiny tool past security, so that I can peacefully open beers, fix janky hotel showers, and open the occaisional package without having to buy a new Leatherman every year.
Thank you in advance for your calm, measured, and helpful responses.
Put it in a bag that is checked in, not carry on.
They just said they didn’t want to check a bag, though. :/
Then they are shit out of luck.
Which is cheaper:
Check a bag.
or
Buy a new leatherman every flight.
Honestly… it’s getting close these days
Do I have a warped sense of what leathermans cost? I thought they were $5 in the 90s, so $20-$30 today?
Meanwhile I know for a fact that checking a bag on united is $60. Plus the cost of buying the luggage, which is probably in a $300 set.
Last Leatherman I bought (10 years ago) was $80.
Who flies to the Phillipines and Costa Rica without any luggage?
Edit: Disregard this. Someone commented on this old post which put it at the top of my feed and I didn’t realize how old it was.
Send your tool in a small parcel to yourself at the hotel’s address.
Get a multitool in a form of a credit card. Those usually go unnoticed, but no guarantee.
lol getting downvoted in Unethical Life Pro Tips is so funny. Y’all are posers.
I don’t think you’re getting downvoted because of this. You’re not sharing a tip, but asking for advice.
I don’t have any real advice. I forgot my swiss army knife in my backpack a few times. Seems to be completely random if it gets detected. Maybe if the operator of that machine is paying attention. But these x-ray machines and metal detectors seem to work.
Edit: Sorry. Didn’t see this post was already kind of old.
No apologies needed, but I think you’re mistaken about the reasoning. Requests are explicitly welcome in this community. From the sidebar:
Post titles must begin with “ULPT” or “ULPT Request”, and should be descriptive. [Emphasis added]
Yeah. I’m mistaken. Sometimes I read things too fast. Thx. And good luck with your multitool. I feel you. I don’t leave the house without my trusty swiss knife, a spoon, some duct tape and cable ties. And I use these regularly in everyday life and even more so while travelling. I can eat yoghurt everywhere, MacGyver me out of situations and fix somone’s broken-down trolley at the airport with the cable-ties. With those things you’re not only prepared for every situation, but you occasionally make someone’s day.
I feel you on those cable ties! I keep some on my bike for exactly the same reason.
Two words…Prison Wallet.
If it’s keychain-sized and fits on your keychain, just put it on the keychain and take it through normally. I’ve done so many times in many countries.
I’m jealous. This has been the exact opposite of my experience, as you no doubt read above
No advice for you, I’ve only flown twice. :/ but they really should have, like, a lock box in the cabin that flight attendants can put all personal items in. That way of you’re just traveling with a carry on, you don’t have to choose between bringing an entire bag to check, or just foregoing some small item. Then, no danger, and you don’t have to check a bag. Just give whatever small item it is to flight crew, they keep it in the cabin until you’re disembarking.
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Fly out of smaller airports. International airports put on the whole security theatre with strip searches and sniffer dogs in order to placate the Americans. If you fly out of small regional airports you can arrive 20 ninutes before takeoff and walk straight onto the plane without anything more than a glance at your boarding pass.
No one is going to do 9/11 with tiny pliers and a fingernail-sized screwdriver.
Everybody forgets about the shoe bomb incident. I think it was early 2002. He had a full bomb in his shoe. He got the shoe past TSA. He just needed to make a small incision in the shoe to detonate it. They somehow figured it out, and stopped him as he was fiddling with the shoelaces. They wrestled that style pocket knife away from him, and then the shoe. Then beat the shit out of him and did an emergency landing. THAT’S why that one, and also liquids over 3.74oz are on the list.
Fun fact though, you CAN freeze your water and bring it through. As long as it’s still ice when you go through the checkpoint, they don’t give a shit. If it’s melted back into water? Nope.
THAT’S why that one, and also liquids over 3.74oz are on the list.
Bullshit. There is literally nothing you can do with 4 oz of liquid that you can’t do with 3. And there’s 0 evidence that binary liquid explosives are even feasible to get through security. And if they’re worried, they would actually test the liquid not make you dump it into the trash next to them.
I am also amused by the fate of a terrorist who attempted to bomb the plane he was on with an underwear bomb. Which ignited rather than exploding and in doing so seriously burned his junk. That was a nice add on for someone who will spend deservedly the rest of their life in a cage.
The Shoe Bomber was caught because he was trying to light a fuse with a lighter. You cannot light a bomb with a pocket knife. If you want to ban something from planes, ban lighters
