TSA US: Lithium battery restrictions

usayit · Dec 30, 2007

Just posting that traveling within the US with camera equipment just got a little more complicated starting the new year.

http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html

There are new restriction on the number/amount of lithium batteries that you can have boarding an aircraft. I am still quite confused even after reading the material.

Sideburns · Dec 30, 2007

This is something I doubt they will enforce heavily. It's one of those things they'll probably use when they have no other excuse to hold back a suspicious party.

usayit · Dec 30, 2007

Sideburns said:
This is something I doubt they will enforce heavily. It's one of those things they'll probably use when they have no other excuse to hold back a suspicious party.

Thats what I think... to really search for this is going to be really man intensive and further delay the security process.

BUT

If they see me traveling with a pad locked pelican case 1510 packed with camera equipment, would they deem me as "suspicious". Thats what I"m worried about.

Antarctican · Dec 30, 2007

^^^ Uhh, yeah, I'd say that might attract some attention!

The regulation seems fairly straight-forward, and the chart at the bottom was particularly helpful. You just have to pay attention to whether it's an installed or uninstalled ('spare') lithium battery, whether it's a lithium metal or ion battery, and whether it's over or under 8g of equivalent lithium content. As it says all cellphone batteries and 'nearly all' laptop batteries are below that level, most of us should be fine. What you have to watch for are extended-life rechargeable lithium batteries, as if you have several lithium-powered items you may exceed the combined 25g-of-lithium maximum they have imposed. And note that for lithium metal batteries (as opposed to lithium ion batteries), only those lithium metal batteries under 2g are allowable for transportation. If they're lithium metal batteries with over 2g of lithium, they're not allowed in checked or carry-on, and whether installed or not.

They clearly prefer you to carry the devices-with-installed-batteries in your carry-on baggage. Given the types of items that use lithium batteries (cellphone, cameras, laptops), they're the types of things one rarely places in checked-luggage anyway.

If you're a professional using large, extended-life lithium batteries and want to take several spares, you might run into trouble. But 'Joe Traveller' carrying a few spares for consumer-type devices isn't going to be terribly inconvenienced.

Alex_B · Dec 30, 2007

i usually travel with many spare batteries for my photography gear as i like to be independent from electricity for a week or more.

have to chek if i am i ntrouble, in particular if i also carry my laptop with its spare batteries.

Antarctican · Dec 30, 2007

I could be mistaken, but I believe the TSA bulletin only applies to travel in/via the US.

JerryPH · Dec 30, 2007

I travel with 5-6 sets of spare batteries, but it would be an easy thing to pack spares in the travelcase and not the carry-on.

5 batteries in the SB-800 and 2 batteries for the D200 can easily last a full day's travel without strain.

Antarctican · Dec 30, 2007

5 lithium batteries in one device???

And they want them in the carry-on.

Joves · Dec 30, 2007

Antarctican said:
5 lithium batteries in one device???

And they want them in the carry-on.

Well this makes me remember why I dont fly anymore. Im tired of all this over regulating everything. Besides driving gives you many photo ops along the way.

sabbath999 · Dec 30, 2007

Joves said:
Well this makes me remember why I dont fly anymore. Im tired of all this over regulating everything. Besides driving gives you many photo ops along the way.

I am going home to Kona for a couple weeks this weekend... would be one HECK of a drive to Hawaii.

Iron Flatline · Dec 31, 2007

Yes, and gettin to Vietnam from here would also be a big shlepp. But you gotta love Americans for that, their world is first-and-foremost a local-news environment. I call that their peace dividend.

Alex_B · Dec 31, 2007

JerryPH said:
5 batteries in the SB-800 and 2 batteries for the D200 can easily last a full day's travel without strain.

but i need a week or weeks for my batteries to last.

of course as Anty said, this applies only for travel in/via the US, but even this happens to me from time to time

Jeff Canes · Dec 31, 2007

How must lithium is 8 grams or batteries, not sure about Nikon models but Canon uses lithium in must models and is switching to them in the EOS-1’s, this could be a real pain for pro sports shooter the ones I know care tones of batteries

And what is the issue wiht checked baggage

MACollum · Dec 31, 2007

Jeff Canes said:
How must lithium is 8 grams or batteries, not sure about Nikon models but Canon uses lithium in must models and is switching to them in the EOS-1s, this could be a real pain for pro sports shooter the ones I know care tones of batteries

And what is the issue wiht checked baggage

Probably a fire hazard. If they caught on fire in your carry on, someone is bound to notice before the plane goes down...