A Handy, TSA-Approved Camping Item Can Make Your Flight Experience Much More Comfortable

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There are a lot of items to pack in your carry-on bag that can make your flight more bearable. The list includes things like an eye mask to get some sleep, noise-canceling headphones to shut out the screaming kid near you, and a portable water bottle to fill at the airport so you have a drink before the cart comes around. However, there is one TSA-approved camping item that you likely haven't thought of that can make your trip a cozier experience. Next time you're hopping on a flight, consider bringing hand warmers. We all know that planes can be chilly, and one reason is to help keep motion sickness symptoms at bay. Still, if you're someone who gets cold easily, the low temperature can be a nightmare. Hand warmers are the perfect way to heat up your personal space and help you relax. 

Hand warmers come in several types, but the easiest to deal with are disposable ones like HotHands Hand Warmers on Amazon, which stay warm for up to 18 hours and take about 15 to 30 minutes to heat up. Most disposable hand warmers contain a group of chemicals, including iron, inside a small pouch. When the pouch is exposed to air, the iron oxidizes and warms up. Once the iron is all used up, it cools. (Put it in a sealable plastic baggie, removing as much air as you can if you want to use it for later before it's used up.) According to the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) website, you can safely bring these on a plane. However, it's always ultimately up to the TSA officer's discretion.  

There are other sorts of hand warmers out there, and if you have ones that heat with liquid or gas, you're going to have to leave those at home, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Then there are ones with normal rechargeable batteries, which are fine in both your carry-on and checked bags. However, if you have one with a lithium-ion battery, like the Ocoopa Magnetic Hand Warmers on Amazon that work with a USB cord, you can only put them in your carry-on bag. (It's probably a good idea to keep any hand warmers in your carry-on so you know about any issues quickly.)

That said, you have to make sure the lithium-ion battery's wattage doesn't go over 100 watt hours, which is the limit from the TSA. Generally, if you're looking at a hand warmer that is listed at around 5,000 mAh (milliampere-hours), which the Ocoopa one is, you should be at less than 20 watt hours, so you'll probably be fine. That said, if you do purchase one, it's a good idea to double-check with your airline about it before you fly. Again, it's up to the TSA agent to make the final decision, so despite the fact that rechargeable ones don't cause waste the same way as disposable ones, you're less likely to be upset if those are taken away. In addition, if you do tend to get cold, it's a good idea to avoid the clothing mistake on a flight of not layering. Having a sweater to put on, or even gloves that don't take up much room in your bag, can really help keep away the in-flight chill, whether you have hand warmers or not.