Need tips on Packing a 3-1-1 Bag Properly

You do not need to put your solid deodorant or your razor in your 3-1-1 bag. It is for liquids only ( including gels, pastes, etc.)

It was once described to me that if the substance will keep its shape out of its container, it does not have to go into the 3-1-1 bag.

What they said. And why keep all the razors in their cardboard packaging? There is a guard on each razor, so they're safe. The packaging just adds unneeded bulk. If you want to keep them together, use a zip lock or an elastic band.

Liguids, gels, paste, cream products go in the 3-1-1.
It's surprising just what you can fit in these QT ziplocks when you pack 3 ounce or less of something.

Medications, OTC wellness items like eye drops, do not count. Pack these in separate Ziplocks and just place them in the bin for X-ray machine. Prescriptions on the bottles are suggested.
A good tip is to pre order your precriptions in smaller size bottles at your pharmacy. Do it 2-3 weeks before your departure as you'll need your MD to write it oit for you like this....but some insurances don't mandate this and someitmes the pharmacy can just do it for you without the MD order.

For OTC products I carry a copy of my MD prescription so I can pack them separate. Like Zadiator eye drops for my allergies.

You never know what TSA in US will do and outside the US I find it's the same, no one place I travel to is the same anywhere.

The other tip is to pack less of the 3-1-1 items and just buy stuff as needed.
The flip side to this is some products overseas can be only bought in larger volume like 6 oz or more.
The enjoyment to me is coming home with hand lotion from France and toothpaste from Germany!

Truly amazing what can fit in the bag; I brought back 12 miniature bottles of liqueur in one.

Zoe, did you happen to take a picture?

I tried to bring back a couple of tiny bottles of olive oil one year, but after a lengthy huddle, the security staff in Rome airport decided they were larger than the allowed limit. Something about milliliters... The vendor at Campo dei Fiori market had assured me they were legal. Sigh.

Thank you everyone for clarifying this for me. I was glad to learn that disposable razors are allowed and can be packed outside of the 3-1-1 kit. The few things I need to bring easily fit in a 1 qt. bag. 1 qt. of toiletries is quite a bit. Thanks for your time.

Disposable razors do not go in the 3-1-1 bag. I agree, there's no need to keep them in their original carton, unless that's easiest for you. When you say "the most secure way to pack them," I don't think of these as flimsy or easily broken. I just put a couple (with their little plastic blade guards, but nothing else) in the same place as my toothbrush, hair brush, solid stick deodorant, etc.

I also bring an extra 1 quart empty ziplock. It's easy for them to get damaged, and while you can go to a supermarket to buy more when in Europe, it's much easier not to have to do this. Actually, I travel with several each of the quart and gallon sizes, as I use them for all sorts of things, but even if I didn't, I'd make sure to have one extra for my 3-1-1 bag on the way home if needed.

Something about milliliters...

Each container is limited (by the TSA and EU security agencies) to 100 ml. The 3 fluid oz is a round down of 100 ml. If the container is marked as having 100 ml or less it should be allowed to the extent that it fits in a 1 litre bag (a little more than a quart).

https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/security/aviation-security-policy/lags_en

liquids in individual containers with capacity no greater than 100
milliliters packed in one transparent one-liter re-sealable
plastic bag

Thank you Harold for the helpful tips. I can see how having a few extra plastic zip locks can help. I have used them for trash on airplanes and just hand it over to the attendant collecting trash at the end of a flight. Easier for me and the attendants.

The problem with purchasing these disposable items on a trip is you end up with a whole bulky box-full rather than just the few you need. Then, you either have to pack, give away, or throw out the rest. They will get tossed if left in a hotel room. This has happened to my family with plasticware and paper plates, cups. So, I try to anticipate and pack these things as needed rather than buy on a trip.

Edgar, our problem was the bottles weren't labeled with a size (or capacity)! That's why our security person called a conference with some others.

And Harold is right; baggies are a great thing to carry with you. Some folks on the Forum do their laundry in the larger bags.

I find it interesting/puzzling that at least some of TSA's signage for the 311 rule shows outlines of cream/gel/paste-type containers in the 311 bag but no mini spray cans--yet the rule also applies to aerosols, as TSA makes clear in the written guidance.

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/liquids-rule

Maybe aerosols just aren't that common anymore?

The only thing we pack is mini liquor bottles. We like to shop for personal hygiene items in the countries we visit.

Since I move around to several places on a trip, I don't plan on buying locally. I don't want to have to leave room in my luggage beforehand, and don't want to have an extra bag of 'stuff' to keep track of while moving to my next town. Nor do I want to waste it or have to check a bag in order to bring it home. Due to allergies, I tend to bring what I need from home as I know I can use it. I can easily manage with what is in my 3-1-1 for 5 weeks on the road. But then, I also have changed out a number of liquids for solid equivalent. Lush solid shampoos are good for well over 100 hair washes, and is a safe substitute for body and laundry soap. You can even get bar lotion.

On the subject of the 3-1-1 bag, I always bring a gallon Ziplock to place the TSA quart bag into after going through Security. It adds a 2nd layer of protection since I pack the quart bag full of items.

Hey Julie - aerosols still exist - mini shaving cream cans. I am still surprised that aquanet exists. Probably not in miniature form.

Ronald and Zoe - I really like your idea of using the 311 bag for miniature liquors instead of toiletries. That's a vacation way to pack!

Jane, no photo, but each tiny bottle was wrapped in tissue paper and they still fit. Gifts and personal use.

I pack extra ziplock bags, too. Snack size is good for - snacks!

You can buy disposable razors at any supermarket, probably the brand you use at home.

If everything you need fits into your ziplock bag then this tip probably isn't for you, but if you find your ziplock is pretty close to full, try using one of those square-ish, zippered 3-1-1 bags you can buy at CVS, etc. Same volume as a quart ziplock but the shape means less wasted space and better ability to fit the things you're trying to bring.

Assuming that anyone traveling with miniatures are doing it homebound and not out. You can return with bottles of alcohol larger than 100 ml by packing it in your checked baggage. You can bring back one liter of alcohol per person (to the States) by checking your bag.

Unless you are departing back to the States from a preclearance customs site, take care buying alcohol at a duty free airport shop if you need to connect to another flight. If you do buy alcohol in bottles larger than 100 ml at a duty free shop, you will need to put the large bottle(s) in your baggage after customs and before re-checking the bag to your final destination.

I was connecting homebound at SEA and rechecking by bag after customs. The baggage agent noticed that another passenger had a duty free bag and kindly suggested that he needed to put his 750 ml bottle in his checked bag.

My face creams are labelled in grams rather than ml or ounces. Am I right in thinking that 65g is within the permitted quantity? This is for hand baggage on airlines generally, not ex-USA. What about those small plastic jars sold empty in chemist shops: they aren't usually labelled with their capacity.

65gms is just over 2 ounces, so should be fine. As to the unmarked tubs, you'll need to do a volume check. Buy one, fill with water, then pour water into some sort of measuring cup to determine size in ounces or ml.

I use this TSA approved bag to hold my 3-1-1 items. It's a quart-size bag, but it seems like it holds sooooo much more than a ziploc bag. I've used it a number of times, and I have never been questioned by any TSA agent. It also contains liquids quite well. We had a shaving cream can leak during flight, and it kept all the foam within the bag. On a side note, we now use this shave cream. We simply transfer it to a container within the 3-1-1 guidelines. It won't explode all over everything, and it takes up much less room than a can of shaving cream. My husband now likes it better than his old can of shaving cream, and he uses it even when we aren't traveling.

What about those small plastic jars sold empty in chemist shops: they
aren't usually labelled with their capacity.

I believe TSA rules state that each bottle must be clearly labeled with the amount in the bottle. We can't write the amount on the bottle, the bottle has to be produced with the liquid amount on it.

What is your experience with not making a big deal about the 3-1-1 rules? I have not packed my toiletries separately, nor pulled them out for separate inspection, in probably 7-8 years. I always carry on. I'm still following the rules about each individual amount being under 100mg, I'm just packing them in my regular small toiletries bag from Muji (this one: http://www.muji.us/store/nylon-hanging-travel-case-l-navy.html). Once in Oslo the inspector took away a small tube of hand lotion with just the dregs in it, that had been in my purse, but other than that I haven't had any issues and I'm not wasting time with ziploc bags and whatnot. Anyone else?

In Frankfurt in 2015, security opened my 3-1-1 bag and read the size labels on several of the containers. I had nothing unusual and all were approved sizes.

We also have had our 3-1-1 bag opened and checked. That's how I lost the olive oil (see above.)

Astoriene, at some point you may get unlucky.

Is the rule that they need to be labeled a new one or a European one? The TSA site doesn't say anything about labeled bottles and I was planning to put some things in smaller bottles this year as I did last.

As for not using a 3-1-1 bag and getting away with it, what's the point? It's not at all difficult to put things in a bag, after all, and if I think it's worth packing then it's worth not having it confiscated or having to try and talk my way out of trouble in a foreign language in a foreign country all the while trying to not miss a flight. All to save having to put some bottles in a plastic bag? The risk vs. reward equation just doesn't work for me on that one!

I just don't like getting slowed down. All my bottles are under 100mL (they do not need to be labeled!) and they're in a toiletries bag, and I always have a handful of various-sized ziploc bags in the bottom of my suitcase. If they want to be annoying about it I'll shove the bottles in the ziploc.

The whole setup is plainly visible on the xray and I've never had a problem, domestically or internationally. I'm just saying don't waste a ton of time obsessing about it. It's not going on your permanent record.

It (3-1-1 baggie) seems like a simple enough rule to follow, especially in times of heightened security where protocol details can change in an instant.

And if your bag has to stay in the scanner longer so the agent can discern what the "plainly visible" containers hold, it is slowing you down, as well as slowing the line behind you.

I'm not trying to make a political statement or be a rebel; I just forgot to pull them out one time and realized they don't really care anymore, so I decided to just stop wasting my time fiddling with special bags. Haven't had a problem and I could list off all the airports I've been through: LGA JFK EWR IND LAS LAX LHR CDG TXL AMS CPH AMS OSL ARN.

Long answer short: does it have to be a special bag you buy from a travel company, can it be regular ziploc? No. It doesn't have to be either. Put your toiletries bag at the top of your bag so you can pull it out if asked and follow the overall rule about individual and total sizes and just go enjoy your trip already.

On a side note, even though it's thicker than peanut butter and would hold its shape if you scooped it out of the jar, you cannot bring Macedonian Cocoa-infused tahini through security in unchecked bags. That, or the TSA staff at LGA know what's good and wanted some for themselves. But I always bring back Kinder Surprise Eggs and nobody cares. Who knew?

Astoriene, at some point you may get unlucky.

And do you know what will happen if that happens? I will reach down in my bag and pull out a ziploc (or they'll hand me one) and I'll shove my shampoo and toothpaste in it and zip it up and they'll let me through and I'll get on my plane. I'm not worried.

I am far from the only person I see in line just putting their bag down on the belt and going through. :) Just saying, don't stress over it.

All my bottles are under 100mL (they do not need to be labeled!) and
they're in a toiletries bag

But, if you don't have them in a 3-1-1 bag, how do you know that you are under the max allowed volume?

I've gone through security many times where I've been told to leave my 3-1-1 bag in my carry on. But they were still together in that bag. And I've also been thru security as recently as 3 months ago where the bag had to be pulled out of the carry on before going thru the scanner. So I'll still take that extra 30 seconds to pack the 3-1-1 bag, then transfer the contents to my toiletry bag at my first hotel.

Some of those people you see putting their bags on the belt and not removing the 3-1-1 bag could have TSA Pre-check, where you don't have to pull out the bag. But it is still the rule that your liquids must be in a bag, not put into one if you get caught. Seriously, how much would it slow you down to put them in a baggie when you pack? It is people who don't abide by the rules that slow things down for everyone else.

I'm not even sure that's still the rule if it is never enforced. I think it's busywork, frankly. Is it possible I have been granted Pre-check without applying for it? There's never been a delay getting my bag off the belt, either--I like being efficient and flying through security.

I have a bottle of shampoo and a tube of toothpaste, and a travel size contact lens solution. Everything else is solid/stick form. Not going to change my way of doing things now when it has never been a problem.

Astorienne, if you have TSA pre-check, it will be stated on your boarding pass. I haven't paid for it but have been given it on Delta flights, only.