GPS and Airline travel

[+Rdut&Gabwp]

Hi all,

 

Getting ready to go TDY to Philadelphia and I want to Geocache some.

 

Question:

 

How much of a hassle is TSA with GPSs on planes? I'm planning on removing the batteries and packing it in my checked luggage, but just curious if anyone has recently traveled with a GPS and what to avoid/look for.

 

Thanks!

[Motorcycle_Mama]

I would never trust an airline with my electronics in my checked luggage. You will be fine with it in your carry on. You don't even need to worry about removing the batteries.

[+Rdut&Gabwp]

I would gather carry it on, but I don't want any issues with it being on the plane.

[+wimseyguy]

This discussion is already taking place on page one in this thread. I'm normally not someone who markwells someone to the previous ten times we discussed a topic in here, but I do think one thread a week should be enough?

 

PS Don't check anything you cannot easily replace. Bring your electronics on board. Read the inflight magazine's list of approved gear, or simply ask the captain as you are boarding if it is permitted to turn it on once he's reached 10,000'.

[+NorthWes]

I travel with a laptop computer, a PDA, a Blackberry cell phone, a Garmin Vista GPS, & two digital cameras in my carryon bag. The computer is removed & reviewed separately of course, and I often go through the thrill of having my backpack double x-rayed & then hand-examined, but they're just making sure the electronics aren't hooked up to something else. In and of themselves the electronics aren't a problem as long as you don't turn them on when you're told not to. As Motorcycle_Mama said, I'd never put anything in checked baggage of value like a GPS... when they search the carry-on they do it in front of you so nothing goes missing. Just be sure to pack your carryon well - nothing loose! And for goodness sake pack the fragile stuff well! In more than two dozen recent trips thru security I've had absolutely no problems!

[+boda]

What Wimseyguy said.

 

Also, take all your electronics as carryon. Never trust the airlines.

 

I envy you! I used to go TDY several times a month, and always had time to cache, but caching hadn't been invented yet.

 

(For the non-military - TDY means going on a business trip.)

[+Rdut&Gabwp]

This discussion is already taking place on page one in this thread. I'm normally not someone who markwells someone to the previous ten times we discussed a topic in here, but I do think one thread a week should be enough?

 

My bad. So sorry to do a forum mistake. Just getting back into geocaching and trying to get info. I'll just read every post from now on.

 

Thanks for the info about carrying on. I'll do that.

 

Looking forward to Philly!

[Motorcycle_Mama]

I don't think you did anything wrong. That other thread is about using your GPSr during a flight. Your question was completely different.

[+Arndtwe]

i recently traveled to new yorks capitol (from bloomington IL). we went through a number of different airlines and the same thing with all of them. you will no problem getting them on carry-on, but you not be able to use them while flying. if i were you, i would take my GPS in my carry-on (with batteries), and dont even bother to take it out of your bag. at least this is how it was for me 2 weeks ago.

[+MSwahoo & the Cache Hound Posse]

I fly 25k miles a year and carry on a minimum of 3 GPSr devices (sometimes 5 or 6) and have never been questioned by TSA, but for some reson they are infatuated with my Canon digital camera. I have even cached in B terminal at ORD which was a great way to kill a long layover.

[+Sileny Jizda]

We're planning on flying international (czech republic) and all our electronics are going with us carry on. We'll be carrying portable hdd, two digital cameras, three gpsr, two ipods, a camcorder, and god knows what else. It'd be a cold day in hell before I trusted any of it to the pick pockets under the plane.

[+Team Cotati]

What Wimseyguy said.

 

Also, take all your electronics as carryon. Never trust the airlines.

 

I envy you! I used to go TDY several times a month, and always had time to cache, but caching hadn't been invented yet.

 

(For the non-military - TDY means going on a business trip.)

 

(For everone) - "A temporary duty assignment, or TDY, refers to a U.S. government travel assignment at a location other than the employee's permanent duty station."

[+boda]

(For everone) - "A temporary duty assignment, or TDY, refers to a U.S. government travel assignment at a location other than the employee's permanent duty station."

Or - a business trip. Thanks for explainining it much better than I did.

When I traveled, I packed very light. And I did not have to worry about electronics. I mostly packed everything as carry on. Not so anymore. The bag with all my caching, etc. gear, puts me at the carry on limit. No matter what, the electronic stuff will always stay under my control.

BTW, I'm still sad that all my free travel to great caching locations was over before caching began. Life just isn't fair.