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Put your toiletries in a 1 qt baggy.. just the liquids?

We are flying Northwest Vancouver BC to Paris. When they say put your toiletries in a 1 qt baggy.. do they mean just the liquids like shampoo and mouthwash? vs bar of soap, toothpaste, razor etc.

Posted by
521 posts

Yes, they mean that, but those are only the carry-on items. Leave the things you don't need with you on the plane (ie razors) in the check-in bags.

Since you are departing from Vancouver, take a look at the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority's regulations.

Posted by
14811 posts

Liquids, gels, pastes go in the baggie. No individual item can be more than 100ml/3.4 oz. (Liquids, toothpaste/gel, deodorants except for solids, shaving cream/gel/oil, are examples of what go in the bag.)

Solids, pills, razor, bar of soap do not go in.

Posted by
12172 posts

If you can pour it out or squeeze it out, it's liquid. If not, it's solid and can go in a different bag.

Not sure about Canada, but the US doesn't allow gel insoles at all unless they are part of the shoe.

Posted by
2193 posts

You didn't specify as to whether or not you will be checking luggage, so to clarify, both U.S. and Canadian regulations allow disposable razors in carry-on and checked luggage, and they don’t need to be in the one-quart plastic bag for carry-on.

Posted by
44 posts

Can you wear your gel insoles in your shoes and send them through the x-ray machine?

Posted by
780 posts

Brad thanks for pointing that out! I was planning on buying some for my next trip to London because its too painful without when youre walking 6 hours a day and last time I was kicking myself and could only find the cheap foam kinds in the drugstore.
I will be sure to put them in my checked luggage.

Posted by
45 posts

Hmmmm. What a pain! At the advice of my chiropractor I wear one gel heel insert, to balance my gate. One leg is slightly shorter than the other, and although I don't limp, my back aches if I don't do this. I will be taking only one bag on my July trip, and was going to make it my carry-on. It is the Rick Steves convertible carry-on. How easy is it to find shoe inserts in Europe?

Posted by
780 posts

Robert, probably depends on whree youre going but in London I could only find the foam kind. Im sure they have gel ones somewhere but i didnt see them.

Posted by
35 posts

We did air travel in the uk, france, and italy. It seems their regulations for liquids in carry ons is the same as here in the us. On our way back we had checked luggage so we just put all of our full sized shampoo, lotion, mouthwash, in the checked stuff.

I recommend taking shave soap, was gentle enough for my face, and my wife took one for her legs. That leave much more room for important liquids like rum in your freedom baggies.

I would say leave the insoles in your shoes to go through scanning. Unless you are receiving extra checks they won't bother to pull our your insoles to see if they are gel. Plenty of people fly with Dr. Schols gel insoles.

Posted by
495 posts

I wouldn't like to second guess the "logic" used by the your TSA but if their issue with gel inserts is the gel bit; surely you can just slip them out of your shoe and put them in your see-through liquids bag whilst you go through security? You're allowed 100ml (3.2 floz.) and a shoe insert will by far less than this (unless you are Sideshow Bob.)

Posted by
2193 posts

This particular prohibition does seem sort of goofy, but you will probably draw more attention to your gel inserts by placing them in your clear baggy with the liquids. If the intent is to side-step the regulations and try to sneak them through, just leave them in your shoes and see what happens as they go through the x-ray. If, however, you prefer to do things by the book, they are only allowed in checked luggage. I'm sure we all have stories about getting a prohibited item through security (accidentally, of course). Frankly, I'm not sure that gel inserts really deserve the attention we're giving them here.

Good point, Debbie. The original poster is flying out of Canada, but the gel insert question came from Colorado (presumably flying out of Denver).

Posted by
124 posts

Re taking your shoes off in Canadian airports - you don't. The only airports where I have had to take off my shoes are in the US.

Posted by
445 posts

In reference to taking your shoes off in security, you have to do that at Heathrow. I fly from there quite a bit, the last time being this past November, an it is definitely shoes off!

Posted by
881 posts

Hmm. Departing from the US, and flying into Vienna, and Dulin, returning frmo Rome to the US, I wore my size 14 Dr Scholl's massage and gel insoles, and had absolutely no problems. Only had to take them off at US departure point.

Posted by
11507 posts

Robert,, I know I will be considered a "bad kid" for suggesting this.. but for one lowly heel gel insert I would throw it in my bag,, the chance that it will be found is pretty low.. and if found, you can just say you threw it in bag last minute as you use it sometimes for heel pain but not all the time.. I doubt they will throw you in jail for this.. I mean,, when they found my nail scissors, that I had actually genuinely forgot about in my bag( xray,, they are metal after all) they just said "sorry you can't take these" and took them away,, no big deal.. and that was metal scissors,, so I can't imagine they will do a cavity search for one gel insole,,LOL

Posted by
273 posts

I'm not suggesting this but on one flight out of LAX (domestic) I left my baggie of liquids in the top of my suitcase. I was distracted and didn't pull it out for security and it wasn't even noticed. If the inset is in your bag they probably won't even say anything.

Posted by
53 posts

Hi Chuck, during our recent trip to Europe..security wanted to see all liquids in a quart sized plastic baggies (ie..your contact lens solutions, eye drops, medications, etc.)...you must show the bags to them (must be taken OUT of your carryon)...
in addition to having your carryon going through the
screening process.