Sporting and Camping

Planning ahead and packing properly can facilitate the screening process and ease your travel experience at the airport.

Even if an item is generally permitted, it may be subject to additional screening or not allowed through the checkpoint if it triggers an alarm during the screening process, appears to have been tampered with, or poses other security concerns. Read about civil penalties for prohibited items.

For items not listed here, our AskTSA team looks forward to answering your questions 365 days a year; live assistance is available from 8 am - 6 pm (ET).

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Item	Carry on bags	Checked bags
Ski Poles	No	Yes
Sleeping Bag	Yes	Yes
Small Compressed Gas Cartridges Except for personal medical oxygen cylinders, you can only carry an EMPTY compressed gas cylinder onboard a plane. To be permitted (in either carry-on or checked baggage), it must be clearly visible to the TSA officer that the cylinder is empty. Personal oxygen is permitted if the regulatory valve has not been tampered with or removed. Unless being used for personal medical oxygen, the gas cylinder regulator valve must be completely disconnected from the cylinder (in other words, the cylinder has an open end that allows the TSA officer to visually inspect the cylinder). TSA officers will NOT remove the seal or regulator valve from the cylinder. If the gas cylinder is sealed (i.e., the regulator valve is still attached) and not required for personal medical oxygen, the gas cylinder is prohibited, regardless of the reading on the pressure gauge indicator.	No	No
Small Fishing Lures Sharp fishing tackle that may be considered dangerous, such as large fish hooks, should be sheathed, securely wrapped, and packed in your checked luggage. Like other high-value objects, you may wish to pack expensive reels or fragile tackle that does not pose a security threat (small flies) in your carry-on baggage.	Yes	Yes
Snow Cleats Sports equipment that can be used as a bludgeon (such as bats and clubs) is prohibited in the cabin of the plane and must be transported in your checked baggage.	No	Yes
Snowboards Please check with your airline for any size or weight restrictions.	Yes	Yes
Snowshoes	Yes	Yes
Spear Guns	No	Yes
Sports Cleats Sports equipment that can be used as a bludgeon (such as bats and clubs) is prohibited in the cabin of the plane and must be transported in your checked baggage.	Yes	Yes
Tennis Rackets	Yes	Yes

The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint.

Officers may ask you to power up your electronic device, including cell phones. Powerless devices will not be permitted onboard the aircraft. TSA does not read or copy information from your device.