Traveling ... Airport security ...

It looks like I will be traveling on business in Europe pretty extensively over the next 6 months and I don’t want this to get in the way of my PE.

The good news is that during the weeks that I am on the road, I will have a great deal more privacy and can be a little bit more aggressive with the number and duration of my hanging sets.

I do have one concern though, what is going to happen when the TSA folks see the 5 pound cast iron weights in my carry-on bag?

I use a wrench so there is no concern about the hanger itself … but am I gonna get any grief for the weights?

I recognize that there are 2 simple solutions to the concern: 1. Switch to a fully manual routine while on the road or 2. Check the bag when I travel.

I am willing to do either of these but my strong preference would be to continue (and even increase) my hang-time while i am on the road.

Does anyone have any experience with Airport Security and weights?

Printman

How about just using an empty jug and filling it with water to hang with?

Sleepy
Thanks. That is a good practical suggestion … I did think of something similar.
But I am currently hanging with 15 pounds and that would mean about 2 gallons of water.
That would be a little awkward but I am sure that I could be creative.

Printman

I use 5 lb weights for physical therapy on my shoulder. That is all you need to tell the TSA.

I’ve been thinking on the same problem, though I don’t have as extensive travel plans.

I recently ordered a watertight bag used to pack supplies in for travel on rafts and kayaks. I can’t remember where I first saw it mentioned, maybe on Bib’s forum. In any case, it is a black bag that is 10L, which when filled with water would weigh up to 22 pounds. I just got it in the mail today, so I haven’t tried it out on a test run, but the hope is that it can pack down with essentially no weight and be unnoticeable in the bottom of a suitcase or travel bag, hold water in (since it seals it out) and weigh up to a reasonable weight for almost anybody to at least get to fatigue eventually (I imagine there are people who hang more but these are probably in a minority). It even has a ring to attach to the hanger which hopefully can support that much weight, since it is designed to tie a rope to it to prevent it from being lost from the boat.

It is a SealLine Baja Dry Bag 10L. I found it through amazon for $20 before shipping.

Once I’ve given it a whirl I’ll post back and let you guys know how it worked out, but if I remember correctly someone was already using it successfully on the forum where I read about it, so I think it should be a go.

Also, they sell travel weights that look like normal weights, but are just empty plastic, you fill them with water. Travelers can’t afford to be lugging around 25 pound weights everywhere they go. TSA should be used to seeing things like that, just make sure you don’t try to travel with liquid in them, they can get kind of cranky if you have too much liquids.

I think that I am gonna do a little experiment.

I will check a bag that has the 15 pounds of weights in it. That bag will be sent through without incident if I put the weights in a transparent bag that is marked “Physical therapy equipment”.

I will also put a single 2.5 pound weight in my carry on bag and see what happens at the TSA scanner. If they put up a fuss, I will just tell them to keep the weight as my special early Christmas gift to them.

I’ll let you know how it goes when I get to Germany

Just so you know:

Weights can be conveniently be bought in Germany and a set of 0.5kg, 1.25kg, 2.5kg shouldn’t set you back more than 30 EUR. If you’re here for longer, I don’t see why you would do it any other way.

SirKyle,
Another excellent suggestion.
Unfortunately, I will be traveling back and forth on a weekly basis for 10 to 12 weeks and staying at different hotels …
There isn’t a practical way for me to store the weights there and I would prefer not to buy 7-8 Kg of weights in a weekly basis.

Printman

WTF would you carry any weights when 2gals of water do the trick?

As to Drysack— they aren’t meant to hold water, just to keep your shit dry.

Head to any store that sells distilled water and buy two one gallon jugs for ~ .75 each and then leave them behind— you’ll pay more in overweight checked baggage fees than the ~$1.50 per location you’ll spend.

Any pharmacy will carry distilled water if you have trouble finding it— and if you can’t find gallon jugs just bring along one of those shoulder sport sacks to load up with liter bottles.

Tested out the Dry Bag tonight.

Easily holds water in—I filled it and held it upside down, which is actually not the way you will hang with it. Not a drop spilled. Which is intuitive, since it is watertight from the outside.

It is a perfect size between half full and full for standing SD hanging. It is also much less bulky than gallon water bottles for the space between your legs and ready for use out of your suitcase without having to shop for water. It actually has a plastic D-ring for the hanger, but even though it is pretty heavy duty, I don’t know it is made for continuous 10-20 pounds of weight, so I think I’ll just use a caribbeaner or even a loop of rope through the wrap loop created to make the seal to avoid the plastic d-ring breaking unexpectedly while out on the road.

Overall, I think it is ideal for keeping up your hanging regimen on the road!

I’ll report back after actually using it on a trip.

TD

Well I am now convinced that a water solution is the right answer. I put 15 pounds of weights into my checked bag and it went through just fine but I had to wait for my bag on the other end of my trip and the extra 15 lbs is really a lot more heft than I expected when it comes to schleping the bag around.

I am liking the drybag idea over the gallon jugs because the bag will fold up nicely into a carry-on bag and it sounds like it is a good deal less bulky. Seems to solve the problem.

Thanks everyone

Wy fold it— why not fill it with your stuff.

After all, it is a DrySack.
;)