Winter storms. Mechanical delays. Other people. There are many factors beyond your control that can snarl your travel day. But one that is squarely on you can slow you down at security: how you pack.
The contents of your carry-on can make or break your efficiency at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint. One rogue water bottle can eat up precious time better dedicated to magazine browsing at Hudson News.
As you start shoving belongings into your bag, if any make you pause to think “Is this going to be a problem?” take a spin through the TSA’s “What Can I Bring” webpage.
But some permissible items can still get pulled for a second search. Matthew Schieler, a TSA supervisory transportation security officer at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, said that’s usually because those items have a similar consistency to explosives or are difficult to decipher in an X-ray screening. “We just see a mess of whatever it is,” he said.
Here are some of the most common items that get flagged.
Food
Sandwiches, dips, steaks — you name it, “food will almost always get pulled,” Schieler said.
Obviously, the food you bring must follow the TSA policy that “liquids, gels and aerosols are limited to 3.4 ounces or less in carry-on baggage.” (If you need a refresher on what counts as a liquid or gel, TSA says it’s anything you can spill, spread, spray, pump or pour.)
So your food could get pulled because it doesn’t follow that rule (peanut butter, for example, gets intercepted a lot). But solid food is a frequent target of the second search to test for explosives. Don’t worry, they won’t cut a slice into your figgy pudding to take a sample. Instead, an agent will swab the outside of the container with a test wipe.
Play-Doh
You can definitely spread Play-Doh, but TSA considers the malleable children’s toy a solid (to the delight of parents and kids everywhere). However, canisters of Play-Doh are a common flag. “Those are okay, they will get pulled just to get tested [for explosive material] though,” Schieler said.
Candles
Schieler said candles are very popular over the holiday season, but “we have to test them,” he said. “They alarm quite often, so your best bet is to just put it in check baggage.”
Snow globes
Even though snow globes are sealed tight, they fall under the 3-1-1 rule because their contents can technically be poured (should you be so unlucky to drop one, that is).
“If it’s under a tennis ball size, that’s 3.4 ounces or less, so those can go through the checkpoint,” Schieler said. “But if it’s larger than that, you’re going to have to either get rid of it, or you have to put it in check baggage.”
Or, you could wait to do your snow globe shopping until you’re inside the airport, where the post-security shops sell products that have been cleared for carry-on.
Lotions
They’re good for stocking stuffers and dry skin, but lotions cause a lot of problems for TSA agents. “We see a lot of lotions, especially in gift packs,” Schieler said. “If it’s over 3.4 ounces, it’s a no-go. So check those.”
Dried beans
Whether your dried beans are for coffee or chili, they are ripe for a second search.
“On the X-ray, we can’t tell exactly what it is until it gets pulled,” Schieler said. “Once we see it’s dried beans, you’re good.”
Wipes
Whether for makeup or a baby, wipes of all sorts are allowed in a carry-on, but they are a frequent flag. “It’s the same consistency on the screen as food,” Schieler said. Also, because they’re wet, sometimes TSA has to test them for explosive residue.
Books
Because of the way they’re stacked, books can have the same issue as wipes and get pulled for a second look, Schieler said.
Guns
While you can actually travel with firearms, there are a ton of rules to do it legally. You cannot, for example, just toss a gun in your carry-on and expect to get through TSA. But people still do (or forget they had one in their bag and do so by accident). “We get several guns every week,” Schieler said.
According to TSA data, the number of firearms detected and intercepted at U.S. airports has been on the rise for the last decade (excluding 2020, when the pandemic shut down travel). Don’t add to the statistic, if only to avoid the time-consuming hassle of being arrested and missing your flight.
Your ID
Okay, so this one is not getting scanned in the X-ray, but it can slow you down at security so it’s worth mentioning. TSA started enforcing the Real ID rule earlier this year, requiring domestic travelers to show a compliant license or acceptable alternative, like a passport, when they go through security checkpoints. If you don’t have one, you could face extra screening — and in February, the agency will begin charging travelers without an appropriate ID $45 to clear security.
Wrapped gifts
Wrapping alone won’t trigger a second search, but Schieler does warn against bringing them through security. Should the contents inside require a second search, TSA may ask you to rip into your wrapping, which “doesn’t make us feel good about it,” Schieler said.
Unless you don’t mind redoing the job, wait to wrap your gifts until you reach your final destination.
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