11 Things You Can Take on a Plane

By Lauren Harrell |

Carolina K. Smith, M.D. / Shutterstock.com

The Transportation Security Administration has an extraordinary amount of power: they can root through personal belongings, force people to take off their shoes, and act all suspicious around any sort of liquid. But the TSA doesn't ban everything. Here is a list of things will make it through the security inspection.

1. Delta will make special accommodations for flying Christmas trees. Of course, you’ll also have to make room in your luggage for the massive amount of judgment your fellow travelers will heap on you for dragging an evergreen into an airport.

2. Cremated remains are permitted as both carry-on and checked items, but an agent has to be able to sift through them.

3. Parachutes and personal life jackets (although almost all airlines already provide them) are allowed on commercial flights, which could be a nice comfort for a pteromerhanophbic- that’s someone who is afraid of flying.

4. If you see mysterious vapors coming out of someone’s carry-on bag, don’t panic. It could just be dry ice. While not a preferred method of preservation, dry ice is allowed in carry-on bags in quantities of 5.5 pounds or less.

5. Crafters, rejoice! Knitting needles and needlepoint are permitted in carry-on bags, so long as cutters with a blade are left behind.

6. Animal trophies are considered fragile, but acceptable items to carry on a plane. Delta is even willing to transport any antlers you might have with you for a fee.

7. Although they were banned from commercial flights in the United States in 2005, common lighters have been permitted on flights since 2007. In 2006, over 11 million were surrendered at airport security.

8. In the United Kingdom, toy weapons are banned from flights, but in the United States only “realistic looking replicas” are prohibited.

9. Although corkscrews are banned from carry-on bags in Canada, there are no restrictions on them in the United States.

10. Although restrictions may vary on different airlines, the TSA doesn’t put limitations on how much bone marrow you can carry on a plane. Same goes for transplant organs.

11. You can carry needles and syringes on a plane, but you have to have clearly labeled, prescribed medicine to accompany them.

For 11-11-11, we'll be posting twenty-four '11 lists' throughout the day. Check back 11 minutes after every hour for the latest installment, or see them all here.