Can You Bring a Tripod in Carry-On Luggage?

For this article, we reached out to several German airports and asked for a concrete answer. Here it is.

Who actually decides whether you can carry a tripod in your carry-on?

In photography forums, you’ll often come across the assumption that airlines decide whether you can bring your tripod as carry-on luggage. That’s not correct.

Airlines generally only care that your carry-on stays within the permitted size and weight limits.

The critical factor in deciding whether your tripod is allowed into the aircraft cabin is the security checkpoint.

At German airports, the Federal Police (Bundespolizei) is responsible for security checks. As a result, our inquiries were often answered directly by the Federal Police.

The security checks themselves are typically carried out by private service providers on behalf of the Federal Police. However, in the event of any dispute with security personnel, a Federal Police officer always has the final say.

So can you bring a tripod in your carry-on?

Now that we’ve established who has the decision-making authority, let’s get to the important question: can you transport a tripod in your carry-on or not?

In principle, a tripod is not among the items prohibited on board an aircraft.

However, there is a law called the Aviation Security Act (Luftsicherheitsgesetz / LuftSiG), and Section 5, Paragraph 2, No. 3 states that “other objects that are identified during a search or screening and that are suitable for use in attacks on persons or for damaging aircraft” may be turned away at the checkpoint.

Ultimately, it always comes down to a case-by-case decision. What matters is what your specific tripod actually looks like.

When in doubt, the flight route and the person carrying the tripod can also be relevant factors in the decision.

How do you know whether your tripod is suitable for carry-on?

When we sent our inquiries, we also mentioned a specific tripod and asked whether we’d be allowed to bring it on a plane as carry-on baggage: our longtime travel companion, the Rollei Compact Traveler No 1 Carbon. You can find more about it in our in-depth buying guide for travel tripods.

The tripod is very lightweight and collapses to a length of 33 cm. Without the ball head, it weighs just 788 grams — meaning that, depending on your airline’s rules, you still have several kilograms left over for the rest of your carry-on.

The tripod fits easily into any backpack or carry-on suitcase. Aside from various mini tripods, there are hardly any comparable travel tripods on the market that are this light and compact.

According to the Federal Police, though, the tripod — at 33 cm in length and 788 grams — is already in a gray area, and we were strongly advised not to carry it in our carry-on.

There’s also an additional issue with our tripod: the lower ends of the legs have built-in spikes, for use when placing it on soft ground.

And those spikes can, of course, also be perceived as potential weapons.

Bottom line: It’s better not to pack your tripod in your carry-on

The Federal Police’s answer was ultimately clear. Even though there’s no official regulation specifically covering tripods in carry-on luggage, security personnel can always classify them as dangerous items.

To avoid any hassle, you should always check a larger tripod as checked baggage.

Tripod in carry-on: What are the alternatives?

Our travel tripod is already very small and light at 788 grams and 33 cm in length. That said, there are of course tripods that beat even those numbers.

If you’re traveling exclusively with carry-on luggage and still want to bring a tripod on the plane, we recommend a Gorillapod.

It’s super lightweight and, due to its flexible material, really can’t be used as a weapon. We’ve personally brought this tripod in our carry-on multiple times and have never had any issues.

What happens if your tripod doesn’t make it through security?

If you still want to try bringing a pricier tripod in your carry-on, you should definitely know that you may run into problems at the security checkpoint.

If you’re denied entry into the aircraft cabin with it, you generally have four options:

1. You can give up ownership of the tripod. It will then be disposed of by security personnel.
2. You can have someone drop you off at the airport who then waits until you’ve cleared security. If you’re not allowed to bring the tripod through, you simply hand it to them and don’t have to throw it away. This only works on the outbound flight, of course, unless you also have someone who can take the tripod off your hands on the return.
3. You can check the tripod after the fact. This is generally not cheap and takes time. If you’re considering this as a backup option, make sure you don’t arrive at the airport at the last minute.
4. Many airports also offer paid luggage storage, or the option to ship a tripod by mail to an address of your choice. In addition to the cost, this also takes a fair amount of time, which is why it’s probably not a realistic option for most travelers.

Bottom line: It’s better not to pack tripods in your carry-on

If your tripod is valuable to you, always check it as baggage to be safe.

If losing it at the security checkpoint wouldn’t be a big deal, you’re welcome to try your luck.

Other camera gear — cameras and lenses, for example — are explicitly permitted in carry-on luggage, and we strongly recommend transporting your expensive equipment in your carry-on only.

This article describes the legal situation in Germany. Rules may vary from country to country.

You can assume that some countries (e.g., the US) tend to be even more restrictive, while others are more likely to turn a blind eye.