Discussion: Compass on Airplane

Do the new TSA regulations have any affect on me bringing my liquid-filled compass in my carry-on? Anyone know?

I would not take a chance. The whole thing is 99.99% "cover their butt" anyway. On the way back from the COC, my 14 year old daughter forgot about a miniscule container of (what was obviously commercially produced) lip gloss that was in her pack - and it is now in the Hamilton landfill.

I inadvertently had a compass in my carry-on on a flight last week. Seemed to get through Ok ; at the same checkpoint they were pulling out toothpaste, nail polish, tiny sample size bottles of shampoo from other folks.

Well, the stuff in a compass is in fact flammable, so it should be more of a concern than other liquids, although it wouldn't surprise me if the TSA people have no idea that there's liquid in a compass.

You think they'll know what a compass is?

I was going to reply - but then I became afraid that I'd be listed as someone who associates with people that carry compasses on planes.

All kidding aside, it's disappointing that it has come to this.

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both. "
Benjamin Franklin

What about o-shoes on a plane? there is metal in them... Also, you could put them on and go rampaging about stomping on people ;)
I always like to keep my compass (and some other essential O stuff) near me in case the luggage gets lost. I always wondered if it was better to keep your compass in the pressurized environment in order to help it not get a bubble?

Surely the whole plane (including the luggage hold) gets pressurised during flight so that putting your compass in hold would be no different from having it with you in carry-on in causing a bubble?

We've reached a sad period in history where one must chose between hiding drugs or saving the space to hide cologne, chap stick, and compasses

I actually phoned the airport (in Canada) to ask this question and the guy didn't really have an opinion, and just said to put it in my luggage to be sure, until I mentioned that there was liquid in it, when he said that it should definately go into checked luggage. However, Ben brought his compass on the plane through that same airport and they never said anything. I have had a compass crack while being checked too, and this summer on another one the plate around the thumb snapped off, granted they were both the really cheap Moscow ones and they break really easily.

One of the few upsides of the whole 9/11 security thing is that luggage is tracked more carefully so it doesn't get lost nearly as often. Still, I always try to have my hard-to-replace stuff with me in the carry on. A few years ago I started getting flak about O-shoes in the carry on, but more recently they haven't cared. With this latest scare, they might need to go back in the luggage.

The cargo hold is pressurized for the protection of any pets that are traveling, but not to the same extent as the main cabin. I'd expect that if your compass can handle 15,000 feet, there would be no downside to having it in the cargo hold. I've had compasses develop bubbles at significantly lower altitudes.

I took a compass through in my carry on a couple of weeks ago, and it was completely ignored. There were, at that time, two levels of security - the x-ray scanner/metal detector checkpoint, and then they were also opening up carry on bags at the gate. I'm pretty sure the scanner doesn't pick up the liquid in a compass, and like JJ said, the security guys don't know compasses have liquid in them, so that checkpoint is unlikely to cause problems. And the added security measures at the gate really didn't go beyond opening up the bag and taking a quick peek inside. I think in both cases they're looking for more bottle-like vessels than a compass.

Based on a few minutes of web searching, it looks to me like the cargo compartments of jet aircraft are kept at the same pressure as the passenger cabin. The floor of the cabin can't sustain a pressure differential, so the easiest way to design it is to pressurize the entire fuselage. Temperature is a different story, although I'm not aware of that being a problem for compasses.

I am with upnorthguy regarding ‘cover their butt’ comment. I had this backpack which I take everywhere and I store many miscellaneous things in it for all occasions. It has many compartments and I have put stuff in it over time that I don’t remember what I have in it. It was my first commercial flight after 9/11 when everything was scrutinized, extra checkpoints, extra checking, national guards with guns patrolling. My backpack went through 2 x-ray machines. While waiting for my second flight to depart I felt light headache and I knew I had aspirin somewhere in my bag. While looking for aspirin all in sudden I found scissors in my backpack. I was so surprised/shocked that I made it so far with scissors in my backpack that I pulled them out and I showed them to the lady sitting next to me. I remember telling her “Look! Scissors!” Then I quickly realized that for a guy who speaks with an accent it is not too wise to hold scissors in my hands on regardless of my intentions and I quickly hid them back in the backpack.

I made it through security in San Antonio, NYC, and inbound at Dakar, Senegal with a 3-inch knife in my bag. Couldn't find the knife anywhere when I got there because I didn't think it was in that bag (how could it be?). It wasn't until I took a domestic flight in Senegal that the nice security guards found it for me and held on to it for safe keeping.

I wouldn't be too worried about a compass, because unless it looks like something that holds liquids, they're not going to be looking for it or probably even notice it. Or maybe we're just giving terrorists another idea for their next plot.

One thing you must factor in though, is that there is often inconsistentcy in how the rules are interpreted or applied. Your O-shoes and compass might make it through at your home airport, but then if you are switching planes and going through a another security check at a different airport they may question it and you would be stuck.

I'm writing this at DTW (Detroit) with a compass in my cabin baggage... no issue this morning at Rochester, where the security lines are always so short, they could screen each passenger individually for 2 minutes each and the wait would still be less than 20 minutes.

Worst comes to the worst, use the checkpoint mailer services to mail the compass to yourself. The time this will not work is if you happen to be screened at the gate. In that case, become Pasi Ikonen, 2002 vintage, and don't use one.

I won the US Championship once at French Creek in Pennsylvania without a compass. It made me focus on the map more, and be more precise. (It also probably gave me a big boost of adrenaline just before the start when I realized that I didn't have my compass.)

Yeah and I got lost for 1h30 once without a compass - okay, I was a beginner back then, but still. It makes it really tough to use the safety bearing (or what was it called the other day, panic azimuth?!!!) when you don't even know where north is.
Come to think of it, it was Grizzly's idea to make us do that. Now I am scarred for life and don't even go in the forest without a back-up compass!!! Grizzly you should pay for my group therapy.

what happens to snakes on a plane? would they get through security? do they need a ticket? does air pressure have any effect on them?

Speaking of airport security checks – I have another story. Don’t laugh out loud but I own red pants (let’s just say besides orienteering I like doing other crazy things and see how people react to it). Couple years ago in post 9/11 era I was flying from Rochester, NY to Reno, NV. Considering final destination I decided to wear red pants for the trip. It was time when airports would do random searches by selecting “randomly” few passengers from the crowd. I think I was on 3 previous post 9/11 trips before Reno trip and I have never been randomly selected before. Just as I was approaching the security check point I got a sense that will be the one “randomly” selected. Sure enough – I was checked at the security check, near the gate in Rochester, NY; checked once again in Chicago near gate. When flying back I intentionally wore red pants again (even I had “normal” pants with me) just to see what happens with “random” selections. In Reno they let me in without checking (figures… they probably have seen bigger nut cases in Reno and Las Vegas, so, I was “normal” for them) but I was checked in Chicago again. I flew few times after for business and I was dressed “normal” and I did not get checked even since.

liquid inside compasses perfectly fits for making explosives - its a glycerine.

Do they know it about?

I didn't have problem (prefer to have compass and e-stick with me) when I travelled to Denver and back to Phila.

Just short artical about what it takes to prepare supposed explosives on board. Doesnt sound achievable.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/17/flying_toi...

also, check this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloha_Flight_243


full info from here:

http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0609.html

I once had my bag pulled over at the hand luggage scanning machine for search for an object the TSA employee thought was suspicious. Turns out it was one of those generic USOF championship medals.

My solution going forward is to train less ...

Do like Spike and deliberately wear your medals under your shirt through the metal detector just so you can pull them out and so "Oh, I completely forgot about my US Championships medals." :)

Do like Spike and deliberately wear your medals under your shirt through the metal detector just so you can pull them out and so "Oh, I completely forgot about my US Championships medals." :)

Then you will have to answer the question "What is Orienteering?". Do you think explanation: "Running fast in the woods wearing spiked shoes with compass that contains glycerin" will get you far?

I thought that compass fluid was just kerosene, roughly? Or that's what a chem professor friend said after analyzing a compass I broke. Plenty of kerosene already on planes (or hopefully anyway, lest an unexpected glide to the Azores). Of course, security folks might not buy that argument either.

US Champs medals look just like grenades to an X-ray machine, but they're hard to find in a hand search because they're looking for something spherical instead of flat. Wearing them is the best bet.

Hmmm, maybe time for a redesign.

What's wrong with red pants?

And liquid in compasses is definitely kerosene.

>>What's wrong with red pants?

Or yellow pants, for that matter.

Are you picking on me just because I'm French?
You are just jealous of my great taste for fashion, that's what it is.

I'm not picking on you, it's just that "pants très bien!" seems like something you would say. While wearing red pants (not yellow ones). But I am jealous of your great taste for fashion. I could never figure out which color pants would enhance my skin tone.

Yellow pants certainly work. They distract the competitors. But they get negative fashion press if combined with a yellow jacket I find.

What´s wrong with yellow jackets?

I don't think there is anything wrong with red, yellow, purple or black pants for that matter. However airport security gards for some reason would find non-conservative dressing code more suspicious.

I think it's more the combination of yellow pants and yellow jacket.

And for God's sake don't go carrying a copy of The Monkey Wrench Gang as your reading material.

Oh my poor darling Christina, I will help you figure out your color chart at the NAOC's. You will be très cela in no time!

...and the leaves will be in so many colours to choose from. Who needs fabric swatches?

I knew you had some French in you, Jacques Boulanger (although that yellow suit?)

I avoid yellowjackets in general. Had a nasty encounter with a whole lot of them when I was age 4.

> Temperature is a different story, although I'm not aware
> of that being a problem for compasses.

I have seen a few different compasses go from no bubble or small bubble to big bubble in a matter of minutes when taken outside for a ski-O. But many have no problem with this.

I believe there's a Yellojacket on AP these days, JJ. Better watch out. (But at least he doesn't dress like this.