traveling with hiking poles

Hiking poles with a metal tip are still not permitted in the cabin, even if the tip is covered with a rubber cap. Either check them or buy a cheap pair when you arrive.

It comes down to the type of poles you have. I routinely have traveled with walking poles over the last several years, and have not had issues with airport security.

The keys? The type that release and fold work much better, they break down to about 16 to 18 inches, and fit in a carry-on or a day bag. Telescoping poles tend to stow longer, a problem if they do not fit in your bag. Most important though is the tip. It cannot be a sharp point or blade. The type I have has a carbide tip, it looks like a flat nub, but is hollow, so it grips rock. Mine also came with a rubber tip to put over them, for use in a city or other places.

Mine are similar to these: https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/quest-cork-folding-trekking-poles-23queucrkfldngtrkcac/23queucrkfldngtrkcac?color=Sunburst but there are many models out there from many sources.

Here is the TSA update on hiking poles: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/hiking-poles

Or try these! I have NOT used them yet, but for $20 on Amazon it's a decent idea. I would look carefully and leave any metal tips at home. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/packing/collapsible-hiking-poles-and-summer-hiking-shoes

Your question is coming up more and more on this Travel Forum, and a range of responses have been posted. We normally do carry-on only baggage, but we’re in Wales right now, and checked our bags (with poles inside), so that we would be certain that our poles didn’t get confiscated at TSA. Mine are the folding type, with a shock cord running thru the poles. They fit in my carry-on suitcase, but I’m checking it anyway. My husband has folding poles, too (different brand), but as they sometimes annoyingly pull apart when hiking if a tip sticks for a moment on the ground or in a small space in rocks, he brought his older telescoping poles, which don’t compress enough to fit in his carry-on. He’s using a rolling duffle bag this trip that holds the poles, even though its length means having to check the bag, which we were doing anyway.

In Ireland two years ago, doing carry-on luggage only, I bought decent poles there (on sale!) from a sporting goods store in Cork. They were less than €40, and although I’d have loved to bring them home, I donated them at a near-new Irish charity shop, as I wasn’t about to have them taken away at the airport. In Italy five years ago (Cinque Terre), I hadn’t brought poles, and looked around to see if any place was renting them. No shops were renting, just selling, and the cheapest were well over €100, so I hiked without poles that trip.

The Website on the link at the bottom of Paul’s posting above, regarding TSA, says, “Please note that even if an item is generally allowed, our officers make the final decision on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint,” and reiterates, “The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint.”

I’m not risking losing my poles on the whims of a TSA agent. As Clint Eastwood once said in a Dirty Harry movie, “Do you feel lucky?”

Last week, our bags made it to the luggage pick-up carousel at Heathrow before we did. No waiting, no delay, no lost luggage. Your past experience might possibly happen again, but I would personally rather take the risk of a luggage delay than the risk of A: losing poles at TSA, meaning that I have no poles on vacation when I land, and have to go without, or buy some over there; and B: losing poles at TSA, meaning I no longer have my own personal poles to use at home, either. I need quality poles for hiking in the Rocky Mountains, and I’m not losing them to the TSA … if I’m planning on hiking, I’ll now check my carry-on bag to ensure that never happens.

We recently flew with folding (rather than telescoping) poles. We took the attitude that we'd rather try it and have them confiscated than not try at all. They went through TSA three times and a foreign airport security (where a pair of short scissors was confiscated) without any trouble. We'll take them again, but always be prepared for them to be confiscated. YMMV.

“The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint.”

Worth pointing out that this is a boiler plate statement that applies to anything you take through security, from your nail clippers to your dirty underwear, not just applying to hiking poles. It is always up to the discretion of the agent what gets through.

As I said, I have been through security with my poles probably a couple dozen times since they allowed poles, twice so far on this trip, probably another three to go, they are not even looked at twice, never had an officer look at them after x-ray, they are simply not a concern for them, or me, and these are a pair of $100 plus carbon fiber poles.

I do not take my expensive poles, but I’d try with cheap ones or better yet just buy them there, leave them if you don’t intend to check bags on the way home. I bought some in Sardinia in May for ten euros, easy to leave behind and served me well on my hikes.

We will also be in the Dolomites in Sept. Our hotel has them to use, so even though I love my poles, I'm leaving them at home. If you don't mind using "borrowed" poles, you might check with your accommodation.

Just be careful using your poles! This man from Billings, MT had a freak accident with them last week and impaled himself on one, then hiked 10 miles out of the mountains with the dang pole sticking in his side.

https://www.ktvq.com/news/billings-hiker-survives-impalement-by-trekking-pole-on-granite-peak