Heads Up - Traveling with Li Batteries

[Dr. Fish]

Hello All

I feel as though I'm back from the dead. Hopped a plane to FLA early this month for a few days of meetings and then a few days of top shelf fishing with the long rod in the Keys. Well only a day into the trip I came down with a most nasty strain of the flu and I'm here to tell you it really took me down. After 3 days sequestered in the hotel I had to cancel the trip and flew home for treatment. As soon as I landed my wife took me to an after hours urgent care facility. Well after 6 more solid days in bed I finally started to come around. Then I got slammed with a horrible stomach bug that turned me inside out. Man was I begging the wife to crack open the gun safe, load one up and put me down but she would not do it. It's been 3 weeks of hell but I'm finally back on the road to feeling better but I'm still real bummed about the 4 cancelled days of fishing in paradise : (

Any way, back on January 1st, TSA was supposed to start enforcing a ban on Li batteries in checked luggage. Well I travel A LOT and with a full compliment of camera gear (35 - 55 pounds of it) which includes a ton of Li batteries. It was not until I went through screening on March 3rd that I was asked about batteries and told NONE were allowed in checked baggage. I have been prepared for this so I have been packing all of them in my carry on bags BUT I do know many that place these in checked bags. My batteries range from $55 - $125 each so I know how much it would hurt to have TSA take them and wanted to give everyone a heads up.

I highly suggest you either purchase the protective battery contact covers or make your own out of carbboard or plastic as this really seems to ease the TSA agents fears when checking bags and remember to carry them onto the plane. Nothing worse than unpacking in some remote location only to find out all your batteries are gone.

[Normand]

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ight=batteries

[Dr. Fish]

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ight=batteries

Yes I realize there was talk on here about this back in December. My point is that it is just this month that they seem to be enforcing it.

[William Fitzgerald]

Jeff sorry to hear about your illness--what a bummer. My wife had to spend 13 hours in the ER because they couldnt find a room for her. They clossed the hospital. All flue and cold patient filled the other beds. Great info about batteries for my daughter thats always flying somewhere. BILL

[danbob]

Putting each battery in an individual zip lock baggy seems to work with TSA too. The little ones from the fly tying shop are great. And it's not a bad idea anyway--Li-ion batteries do have quite a bit of energy stored in them, and it would be a shame to melt a couple of them. They are expensive too! I do the baggy thing with all mine, even for carry-on, just in case. I have a bad habit of dropping change into any available compartment in my bags, and that could easily short and melt a battery. DANBOB

[nighthawk]

Very glad you are better! Good advice on the batteries.

[Big Bad Wulff]

If we would just grow a set of balls and start putting idiots in jail or hunt them down and kill them FOR GOOD we wouldn't have to go thru this B.S. !

[Bamboozle]

I have a better idea:

I hereby offer the TSA my DNA, blood sample, fingerprints, retinal scan, facial scan, photo, a top security clearance, background check and I will voluntarily accept an chip implant anywhere you want to put it...

...if they will stop hassling me and the rest of good guys and start focusing on the REAL bad guys!

Sorry for the rant but I have had it with the airport screenings. I just came back from Miami myself yesterday and they gave me the third degree over a #$@% inflatable seat cushion and took my bottle of suntan lotion that came though the screening on the way there.

I'm sorry but there has to be a better way.

[Dr. Fish]

I feel your pain Bamboozle. I travel a lot for work so I'm going through screening on a weekly basis and it is a real hassle. The only consistent thing is the complete lack of consistency! I try to always be curtious but when a screener breaks your glasses AGAIN or drops your GPS unit to cops an attitude it's tough.

You are right Danbob - plastic bags work very well and all my batteries are stored in them, even if they have the safety covers.

[TyroneFly]

Dr. Fish,

Glad to hear you are back on your feet again. Thanks for the warning about the batteries. While I do store them in their plastic covers, I will also place them individually in plastic containers I bought at Taps Plastic for added assurance.