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Is Monopod Allowed in Carry-on Backpack?

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When I decided to travel with my tripod and monopod, my friend told me that tripods and monopods aren’t allowed in carry-on luggage.  I never thought about it earlier but when I ask my other friends here is what I got.

Monopods are allowed in most airplanes as carry-on luggage if the monopod meets requirements. That means if the monopod is too long or the monopod has a sharp spike that can harm, then you have to think about it but as long as the monopod is folded enough you can take it in a carry-on backpack. 

Which Monopods are not allowed in airplanes?  However, it differs from airport to airport and according to some country rules, some of the airports are not encouraged to carry any equipment that can be used as weapons. 

The rules are for the safety of the Aircrafts. Every airport has rules that can have authority to stop you from taking any equipment that can be used as a weapon.  I’ve also written an article on ‘Are tripods allowed in airlines?‘ You can check.

Why are Photographers concerned? 

The goal is to make everyone safe and secure. So, it is mandatory to get your bags checked, and do not worry, officials won’t harm any camera equipment. My friends traveled with the monopods and it is fine to carry in the luggage. 

All they followed is to take those only monopods which do not exceed the carry-on size limits. Many photographers and bloggers are worried about taking the camera gear with them because of the problem. 

If you read the TAS rules in the past, it is fine and you can carry it on a plane, and the tools that are larger than 7 inches are excluded. Times have changed and now everyone is using Gimbals, tripods, and monopods. 

Traveling with the camera gear is like frustration. Most of the photographers are not allowed when the tripods and monopods do not meet the regulations. Before trying to pack all the gear you have, you must know the rules. Suppose if you take your premium monopod to the airport and if they do not allow it, you will be in trouble.

Which Monopods can you take as carry-on luggage?

The folded monopods won’t be a problem and you can take them to the airport and also it is better to have the printed version of the applicable regulations with you to avoid further problems. 

Airlines and destination airports may have a different set of regulations. In such a case, you should check both the regulations and take the print. 

As long as you meet the dimensions and weight limitations, you do not face any problems. And most importantly, make sure your monopod doesn’t have a spiked foot and there is a reasonable debate on this to avoid in airlines. So make sure about the spike or any sharp shaped tool in the camera gear. 

Some people on Forums claimed that there wouldn’t be a problem and some travelers from Australia have several mixed opinions. People are making vlogs on traveling and you can see monopods, tripods, and gimbals in their hands. It is obvious that airlines are allowing photo-related equipment. 

For most of the airlines when the monopod is attached to the backpack, there are no issues in several countries like the US, England, France, Germany, Canada, etc. 

Coming to the TAS, it allows the six-foot metal extendable tube on board with a small spike in the foot too. Because you have the camera and the premium monopod, you cannot ask them to let the monopod in. You can check the different opinions of the travelers from this Forum.

A traveler faced the issue and he has to remove all the spikes on the monopod. The monopod has the spike to have the good point on the ground and these are removed. He did not mention the height and weight of the monopod. 

While other travelers said, they didn’t face any issues. So the reason must be height, weight, and spikes that can be used to attack someone. Security is the main gate that may allow or not. 

Conclusion

Monopods are allowed as hand-carry in most airlines. However, you can call and ask them for confirmation. Just meet the requirements of the airlines’ regulations and if they are satisfied with the monopod and if the security believes there won’t be any harm with your monopod, you can easily manage.

Your tripod and monopod can be refused at any point after all it depends on the security. So, better to come with the compact monopod that can be carried in the backpack without any issues. Also, note that the monopod should not have the spike.

I always carry a cheap tripod and monopod when traveling via airlines. Even if they took away the monopods, I do not have any regrets. It’s better to check the airlines and do not carry your expensive equipment. 


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