What NOT to Take
Now on a final note, just as there are things that you should pack, in the post-9-11 travel world there are also things you shouldn’t take with you. When you backpack part of the ease of travel is that you do not check your bags with the airline. Your entire travel bag is a carry-on and that means that there are certain things that you can’t take with you because they are not permitted as part of carry-on luggage. Travel with these things and they will likely be taken from you. In extreme cases you could even be detained or searched further if these items are found in your carry-on bag. These include:
- Scissors,
- A pointed metal nail file,
- Pointed metal hairclips,
- Razor blades,
- Metal razors,
- Tweezers,
- Knife including Swiss Army knife type all-in-ones,
- Travel cutlery,
- Butane lighters,
- Medications or controlled substances that you do NOT have a valid prescription for or that are not prescribed in your name (never carry another person’s meds for them).