12 Weird Things You Can Bring On A Plane

When the TSA somehow finds and confiscates that little pair of nail clippers you buried deep in your carry-on, it gives the impression that commercial airplanes are locked down tight, security-wise. They're not. Just ask the passengers on a flight from Bangkok to Taiwan in 2023, whose trip was interrupted by the appearance of a rat and an otter — and later, it was discovered there was an entire menagerie of animals smuggled in via a suitcase. We've taken a look at some of the weirdest things ever confiscated by TSA officials, but even when security officers nab the not-okay stuff, there's still a laundry list of bizarre things the x-ray technician lets right on through.

In most cases, the list of forbidden items makes sense. The electronics the TSA doesn't allow in carry-on baggage, like tasers and nail guns, obviously present a security risk on a flight. But looking through the TSA's long, long list of allowed and not-allowed items, there are a ton that the average person would probably assume are very not allowed. Here are 12 in particular that might surprise you, permitted either in a carry-on or in a checked bag.

That's right, if the next time you're putting your carry-on into the overhead bin and there's a moose's full rack next to it, it wasn't because the TSA officer was too afraid to confront the burly owner in full camo. Antlers are allowed in both carry-on and checked bags and don't appear to require any special permission or proof of where you got them, at least as far as the TSA is concerned. The only requirement is that they fit in the overhead bin if you're bringing them on board. Airlines may have their own fees and policies. United Airlines, for example, charges $100 and asks that you wrap the antlers and protect the tips.

Having said that, there are obviously local regulations surrounding antlers that will come into play. Hunting rules aside, some states (Idaho, for example) require an antler-gathering certificate, which is free to obtain. There are further regulations that could land you in hot water if you're not careful. For instance, a pair of antlers still connected to a skull is a big no-no. Buying antlers is a different matter altogether and usually requires another kind of certificate. We've only touched on one state's regulations here; destination states or countries may have entirely different rules to contend with.

The point is, while the TSA may allow antlers, it assumes you've done your due diligence before and after the security checkpoint. There's a good chance authorities could get involved if you bring a rack to the airport without proof you obtained it through proper channels. And don't assume this applies to any and all trophy animal body parts; one man got busted big time in Delhi for trying to fly to Canada with a crocodile skull, thanks to local wildlife laws.

If you really wanted to (and assuming you stay under a carry-on's weight limits), you could bring a decent chunk of your kitchen with you on your flight. Not the knives, obviously, but other sharp objects (like blender blades) are a-okay. The TSA has a blanket requirement that any sharp objects permitted on the plane be "sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors." After all, the first thing TSA officers ask before rifling through your bag is: "Will anything poke me?" A blender's blades certainly might.

There's a surprising amount of kitchen equipment on the allowed list. Maybe the TSA has gotten one too many calls from grandmas asking if their mixers are allowed. You can bring a coffee maker, tortilla press, bread machine, chopsticks, bottle opener, cutting board, and more. Most of the rules about bringing them are just common sense. With your coffee maker, for example, you need to make sure the cords are wrapped and the glass is packed properly to avoid breakage. One thing worth mentioning — and this applies to every item on this list — is that the TSA officer who inspects your stuff gets to make the final call. Even an item that's technically allowed could still be confiscated if the officer says so.

It's fairly well known that people can bring cremated remains on (most) airlines with them — although there is a chance your recently departed could get confiscated if you use the wrong container. What's not as well known is that human skeletons are allowed, too. The TSA confirmed this on their X (formerly known as Twitter) account, clarifying that they need to be "properly packaged, labeled, and declared to your airline." Your airline, however, will have its own regulations, so check with them too.

As proof that this is actually possible, Kristi Loyall, a woman who had her foot amputated due to cancer, brought the bones with her on her travels with surprisingly little hassle (via PBS). Again, TSA officers make the final call, and they are obviously going to pounce on anything that looks suspicious. Back in 2013, two women were stopped when bone fragments were found inside their ceramic pottery (via CBS). Your best bet at avoiding a very uncomfortable altercation with officials is to give full disclosure, properly package human remains, and label them clearly. And if you're a medical student bringing your anatomical skeleton for study, fret not; it's 100% allowed.

Given how strict the TSA is about its electronics rules (airlines are increasingly banning power bank use on flights, for example), it might give the impression that a disassembled computer — motherboards, hard drives, power supplies — wouldn't be allowed. Thanks to Hollywood, some people might mistake the hardware for something more nefarious, like components for a bomb. But for anyone who needs their PC parts to come with, rest assured you can bring them. As proof, I've done it twice and had no issues.

In both cases, I was bringing a disassembled gaming computer with me while moving abroad. Everything was packed in separate anti-static bags with bubble wrap taped around it in my carry-on. In one instance, I was stopped by a TSA officer, but only to swab one of the packages. It's common practice for the TSA to swab your phone or laptop for explosive residue. This might seem to fly in the face of the TSA's important rule for electronics that a device must be able to power on, but when it's clearly disassembled parts, it's okay.

I don't remember getting any weird looks — aside from people wondering why I was crazy enough to bring such delicate components through the rough and tumble of an airport — and everything worked when I put it back together at my destination. That said, I don't recommend it, given the risk to fragile NVMe drives and motherboard pins. Just invest in a Steam Deck OLED instead, and then you can actually game during the flight, too.

Are you flying to a Halloween party where you need dry ice to create that spooky smoke effect in the punch bowl? Buy it and bring it with you. The TSA lets you have up to 5.5 pounds per FAA limits. This may come as a surprise since the TSA still has its liquid rule for carry-ons and even has limits on other frozen things like ice cream. However, dry ice is liquefied carbon dioxide (not water), and it sublimates straight from a solid to gas. So, it gets a pass.

Dry ice can be used to make primitive bombs when sealed in a container with water. These bombs can cause considerable injuries. This is what happened in 2013 at LAX when a baggage handler caused two dry ice explosions on the tarmac (via Weather). Another instance with a leaking dry ice container in Amsterdam caused a full-scale airplane evacuation and investigation in 2019. Because of this, the FAA has some requirements for packaging dry ice to avoid such incidents.

First, you will need airline approval in advance. Second, the package must be vented correctly and marked either as "dry ice" or "carbon dioxide, solid." Keep in mind that this is a 5.5-pound limit per package and per passenger, so you can bring more with your traveling companion. Granted, it's probably more sensible to just buy it at your destination since it will have sublimated a lot during your journey. Whatever the case, it's nice to know that this is possible if you, say, need to keep perishables cold without normal ice that will melt everywhere.

Formaldehyde, famous for being an embalming chemical for corpses and a known carcinogen, is allowed on flights. Why would this be a thing? That's a very good question. Perhaps there are traveling morticians and taxidermists, who knows. This is likely because of the TSA's allowance of biological specimens, which we'll get to later.

The same 100ml liquid limits apply to formaldehyde in carry-on bags, and it needs to be less than 10% potency. If it wasn't obvious, it needs to be in a sealed, leak-proof package. The last thing anyone needs while crammed into a small airplane cabin with screaming babies is the smell of a funeral home. Odor aside, formaldehyde also irritates the eyes and respiratory system and can cause coughing. So yeah, make sure the formaldehyde you bring for your, er, beach trip is sealed tight.

Things do get a bit tricky when talking about other forms of formaldehyde, like formalin, a water-formaldehyde mixture. The CDC says it clocks in at 37% formaldehyde. If, for whatever reason, you're bringing formalin on a plane, it needs to be 25% or less. So to all those aspiring travel-vlogger taxidermists: This is your year.

If your kid decides they suddenly want a goldfish while on vacation, worry not. You can bring it with you on the plane home as long as it's in a transparent container with water. If the fish is dead, at least make sure it's not rotten. During a 2024 Delta flight, passengers had their trip interrupted by raining maggots from a rotten fish stored in a carry-on bag in the overhead bin (via The Guardian).

Live coral is okay, too, but neither fish nor coral are allowed in checked bags. You know what you can bring in both your carry-on and checked bag? Live lobsters. In 2017, the TSA found a 20-pound lobster in someone's checked bag, according to CBS; it seems it was stopped only because it wasn't in a transparent container, not because it wasn't allowed. Some airlines may have policies about lobsters, so check ahead of time.

If it wasn't already obvious, you need to do quite a bit of research anytime you carry wildlife specimens. The TSA letting you bring the Little Mermaid's friends doesn't give you carte blanche. In 2022, a man was charged with a felony for bringing coral from the Philippines to the U.S. (via Long Beach Post). Transporting live fish will also be subject to local regulations; in Idaho, for example, it's illegal to do so without a permit.

At first glance, this might seem like a no-brainer. Lightsabers and Harry Potter wands are fictional weapons meant for kids — and ... some adults — to fight imaginary battles. If there's anything we know about the TSA, though, it's that appearances are everything, and anything could be a potential weapon; hitting someone with a lightsaber toy hurts, after all. You can't bring a realistic replica of explosives, like a toy grenade, on the plane. Luckily, lightsabers and Harry Potter wands are okay. The TSA even says humorously on its page for lightsabers, "Sadly, the technology doesn't currently exist to create a real lightsaber. However, you can pack a toy lightsaber in your carry-on or checked bag. May the force be with you."

There is some nuance here that's worth noting. Airport personnel are on high alert, so even with these allowances, it never hurts to be careful. In 2024, The Guardian reports, officers raided a hotel in Leicestershire because a man had been carrying a Harry Potter wand that someone mistook for a knife. Thankfully, it was all smoothed over, and officers later reported that there was "no sign of 'Voldemort.'" So even if you're totally innocent and within your rights to bring an allowed item on the plane, exercise caution and use common sense. Planes in the past have been escorted by fighter jets for an emergency landing in response to one joking comment about a bomb; waving around a wand and saying "Avada Kedavra" may not be the best idea.

Perhaps one of the most humorous entries on the TSA's allowed list is for parachutes. Commercial air travel is many, many times safer than driving. Sure, the pilot wishes every commercial airline passenger would pay attention to safety briefings in the unlikely event the plane goes down, but it's still ironic that they'll let you bring something you'd likely never need.

Perhaps even more surprising is that parachutes have some of the strictest requirements of any item on this list. First, the TSA requires them to be packed separately. Second, you must account for an extra half hour for inspection and be present if a TSA officer flags the parachute for screening. Unless you're off to skydiving lessons, it's understandable why the TSA might be a bit suspicious that you're bringing such an apparatus on the plane.

It brings to mind the case of D.B. Cooper, a still-unidentified man who hijacked a plane in 1971. Cooper used a bomb to demand a ransom, had everyone but the crew removed from the plane at the destination, and then, as the plane flew to a second destination, jumped out the back with a parachute and the ransom money. Now, it's a myth that you can open the door on a plane mid-flight; the air pressure difference would stop you. But closer to the ground (below 10,000 feet), it's possible. So we're going to assume the TSA, in addition to making sure there's nothing illegal folded into that parachute, wants to be sure you're not a potential D.B. Cooper.

In the wake of 9/11, it might seem like no sharp objects of any kind can come anywhere near an aircraft. The 9/11 hijackers, after all, used knives and razor blades to coerce their victims instead of guns. Some sharp objects, however, are totally acceptable as long as you put them in checked baggage. So yes, you can bring a sword or saber — one that's capable of stabbing and/or cutting — on the plane in your checked bags. Like with antlers and other sharp objects, they need to be sheathed so baggage inspectors don't get hurt.

The same goes for fencing foils. Even though fencing foils aren't designed to actually cut or puncture, they are nonetheless limited to checked bags. And don't be like that guy who brought his cane sword to the airport in Boston in 2022. If you need a cane to walk, and that cane has a sword, then you'll have to find a different way to get around for the rest of your trip — after the TSA asks some questions, of course.

You might be shocked at how much military and law enforcement paraphernalia is allowed on the plane in carry-ons. For example, night vision goggles. Given that you're unlikely to see them outside military and law enforcement operations, it makes you wonder who's bringing them on their flight and why the TSA made a point to include them on the allowed list. The same goes for Geiger counters and handcuffs. Handcuffs immediately bring to mind plane hijackers, so it's surprising that these are allowed in carry-on baggage for anyone but an air marshal.

Most surprising of all on this list are realistic replicas of firearms. Obviously, these aren't allowed in your carry-ons, but you're free to bring them in checked baggage. Oh, and you can travel with real firearms in checked baggage too, but they have uber-strict requirements. They need to be declared to officials and kept in locked cases — and you need to double and triple check that you're following the laws and regulations of whichever state or country you're going to, of course.

Yep, you are fully within your rights to bring biological specimens (in carry-ons and checked bags) on a plane like a mad scientist. The only major limitation is that you can only have up to 30 ml of preservative solution inside, and a liter in the container's outer portion — preservatives like, you guessed it, formaldehyde. It makes sense when you think about it; lab technicians working on important or expensive projects probably want to transport the material with their own two hands to make sure it gets safely to its destination.

In true mad scientist fashion, the FAA requires you to include a label that says "scientific research specimens." The specimens can't be infectious, to be clear. So if the person next to you on the flight has a strange piece of luggage with "scientific research specimen" on it, rest assured that you're not about to become patient zero in a "The Last of Us" type outbreak situation if it falls from the luggage rack and breaks open. There don't appear to be any further requirements (such as providing paperwork about the nature of the biological specimen and where it comes from), but the TSA can always investigate further if they feel the need.