Where each EDC item goes in your bag

Carry on bag (1)

The regulator lists these as allowed at the checkpoint.

• Flashlight

Carry on bag, with conditions (10)

Read the condition before you pack.

• Multitool without blade (pliers/screwdrivers only)

  TSA lists a multi-tool without blades as allowed in carry-on. Tools over 7 in (end to end, assembled) are barred; any scissors on a multitool must be under 4 in. Officer decides.

• Scissors (blade length rule)

  Allowed only if blades are less than 4 inches measured from the pivot point.

• Razor blades

  Loose/open razor blades and box cutters: not allowed in carry-on. Disposable razors with fixed cartridge are allowed; a safety razor is allowed only with the blade removed.

• Power bank / spare lithium batteries (with Wh limits)

  Carry-on only. FAA: lithium-ion spares up to 100 Wh each; 101-160 Wh needs airline approval, max two such spares. Terminals must be protected. Airlines may be stricter (airline-specific). The ICAO two-power-bank limit (27 Mar 2026) was NOT found on the FAA/TSA pages read; verify with the airline, especially on international flights.

• Lighter (disposable)

  FAA limit: one lighter per passenger in carry-on or on the person. Torch/jet-flame lighters are not allowed anywhere on the aircraft.

• Zippo/ refillable lighter

  Same one-lighter rule; absorbent-lined (fuel-soaked) lighters only. Unabsorbed liquid-fuel lighters and torch lighters are forbidden.

• Pen / 'tactical' pen

  Ordinary pens are allowed. TSA has no separate 'tactical pen' entry in what I read; any pen with a blade, spike or striking feature is at the officer's discretion and may be refused. Not verified for tactical pens specifically.

• Trauma/ medical kit scissors

  Treated as scissors: under 4 in from the pivot. Longer blunt trauma shears are not exempted on the page read; pack in checked bag or ask AskTSA. Not verified on TSA's medical page.

• Screwdrivers / small tools length limits

  Tools 7 inches or shorter (end to end, assembled) may be allowed; longer tools and power tools go in checked baggage.

• Magnet / bottle opener / keychain tools

  No specific TSA entries read for magnets or bottle openers; keychain tools are judged on their parts (any blade, over-7-inch tool or sharp tool is out). Officer's discretion. Not verified.

Checked bag only (4)

Barred from the checkpoint but allowed in the hold.

• Folding knife with any blade

  Allowed in checked bags if sheathed or securely wrapped. Check destination-country weapons laws.

• Multitool with knife blade

  Allowed in checked bags; sheathe/wrap blades.

• Keychain self-defence items / kubotan

  Black jacks/self-defense weapons are listed as allowed in checked bags; kubotan itself not specifically listed. Airline and destination laws apply. Not verified for kubotans.

• Pepper spray

  One 4 fl oz (118 ml) container with a safety mechanism; more than 2% by mass CS/CN tear gas is prohibited. Some airlines refuse it; destination laws apply.

Leave at home (0)

Barred from the cabin and from the hold, or not covered for the hold.

Nothing in this list.

Carry on bag (1)

The regulator lists these as allowed at the checkpoint.

• Flashlight

Carry on bag, with conditions (12)

Read the condition before you pack.

• Folding knife with any blade

  EU-level Attachment 4-C bars knives with blades of more than 6 cm; blades of 6 cm or less are not on the EU list. Member states, airports and airlines may be stricter (Art. 6 of Reg. 300/2008), so check the departure airport. UK is stricter. I did not verify any EU state stricter than 6 cm. Final say rests with the screening officer; any item may be refused or surrendered even if listed as allowed.

• Multitool with knife blade

  Each blade must be 6 cm or less; razor/box-cutter blades are barred, and any tool blade or shaft over 6 cm that could be a weapon is barred. Check the airport for combined tools.

• Multitool without blade (pliers/screwdrivers only)

  Pliers and similar are not named in Attachment 4-C; screwdrivers/chisels with a blade or shaft over 6 cm are barred. Keep every tool part at 6 cm or less.

• Scissors (blade length rule)

  Blades must be 6 cm or less, measured from the fulcrum/hinge.

• Razor blades

  Razor blades are listed as prohibited. Schiphol exempts disposable razors with a fixed blade; loose/straight blades barred.

• Power bank / spare lithium batteries (with Wh limits)

  An EU-wide binding two-bank limit was not verified. EASA SIB 2025-03 (28 May 2025) advises against using power banks to charge devices in flight; the ICAO limit of two (27 Mar 2026) applies via states/operators. Schiphol states max 2. In-flight use is airline-specific.

• Lighter (disposable)

  Attachment 4-C does not list lighters. Airport rules differ: Schiphol allows small lighters only on the person, not in hand baggage. Airline-specific; one lighter on the person is the safe rule.

• Zippo/ refillable lighter

  As for disposable lighters: on the person only (Schiphol); torch lighters are generally refused (not verified at EU level). Empty of fuel.

• Pen / 'tactical' pen

  Pens are not restricted by Attachment 4-C. A pen with a blade over 6 cm, or a concealed blade/spike, may be refused. Not verified for tactical pens.

• Trauma/ medical kit scissors

  Scissors blades 6 cm or less from the fulcrum are allowed; the EU text has no blunt-tip exemption. For longer trauma shears, use the hold or ask airport/airline for a medical exemption.

• Screwdrivers / small tools length limits

  Screwdrivers with a blade or shaft of 6 cm or less are not barred at EU level; longer ones are.

• Magnet / bottle opener / keychain tools

  Not listed. Keychain tools with a blade or shaft over 6 cm, or razor/box-cutter parts, are barred.

Checked bag only (2)

Barred from the checkpoint but allowed in the hold.

• Keychain self-defence items / kubotan

  Not barred by 5-B; national weapons law (e.g. Germany's) may make carrying a kubotan an offence. Not verified.

• Pepper spray

  Not barred by 5-B, but customs/national weapons law differ: Schiphol lists pepper spray as forbidden in both hand and hold baggage for customs purposes. Treat as prohibited unless the airline/country confirms.

Leave at home (0)

Barred from the cabin and from the hold, or not covered for the hold.

Nothing in this list.

Carry on bag (1)

The regulator lists these as allowed at the checkpoint.

• Flashlight

Carry on bag, with conditions (8)

Read the condition before you pack.

• Scissors (blade length rule)

  Small scissors with blades no longer than 6 cm, and round-ended/blunt scissors, are allowed; larger sharp scissors are not.

• Razor blades

  Fixed-cartridge (disposable) razors are allowed. Loose razor blades are not listed on gov.uk; Stanley knives are barred. Treat loose blades as barred (inference).

• Power bank / spare lithium batteries (with Wh limits)

  UK CAA (from 27 Mar 2026, ICAO addendum): carry-on only, max two power banks per person, individually protected, not recharged on board; up to 100 Wh without approval, 101-160 Wh needs operator approval. Airlines may be stricter (airline-specific).

• Lighter (disposable)

  Only one lighter on board, in a resealable plastic (liquids-style) bag you keep on you throughout the flight; not in hold luggage and not put in the bag after screening.

• Zippo/ refillable lighter

  gov.uk makes no disposable/refillable distinction; same one-lighter-in-a-bag rule. Torch lighters not covered in what I read (airline/airport may refuse).

• Pen / 'tactical' pen

  Pens are not restricted on gov.uk. 'Tactical' pens are not named; a sharp-pointed pen may be treated as a weapon by the officer. Not verified.

• Trauma/ medical kit scissors

  Round-ended/blunt scissors are listed as allowed with no length limit; sharp scissors only up to 6 cm. Essential medical equipment is allowed. Officer decides.

• Magnet / bottle opener / keychain tools

  Not listed. Corkscrews are barred; keychain tools with blades, screwdriver or plier tips fall under the barred knife/tool entries. Bottle opener/magnet: no restriction found.

Checked bag only (5)

Barred from the checkpoint but allowed in the hold.

• Folding knife with any blade

  Allowed in hold with airline check. England & Wales public-place knife law applies on the way to the airport: pack it in the checked bag before leaving home (not verified in this research).

• Multitool with knife blade

  Hold luggage with airline permission; wrap securely.

• Multitool without blade (pliers/screwdrivers only)

  Pliers and screwdrivers are allowed in hold luggage.

• Keychain self-defence items / kubotan

  Martial arts equipment is listed as allowed in hold; check airline and UK/destination weapons laws before packing a kubotan. Not verified.

• Screwdrivers / small tools length limits

  Allowed in hold.

Leave at home (1)

Barred from the cabin and from the hold, or not covered for the hold.

• Pepper spray

Carry on bag (1)

The regulator lists these as allowed at the checkpoint.

• Flashlight

Carry on bag, with conditions (12)

Read the condition before you pack.

• Folding knife with any blade

  Blade 6 cm or less: allowed in carry-on within Canada and to non-U.S. international destinations ONLY. No knives of any type or length in carry-on on flights to the U.S. Automatic/gravity/centrifugal or button/spring-opening knives and concealed knives are prohibited items (illegal under the Criminal Code; police may be notified). Final say rests with the screening officer; any item may be refused or surrendered even if listed as allowed.

• Multitool with knife blade

  Blade 6 cm or less only on flights within Canada/non-U.S.; none on U.S.-bound flights. Larger-blade multitools go in checked baggage.

• Multitool without blade (pliers/screwdrivers only)

  Small tools with head and shaft 6 cm or less (measured from the joint to the tip) are allowed; a bladeless multitool with longer tool parts should go in checked baggage.

• Scissors (blade length rule)

  Blades 6 cm or less, measured from the fulcrum to the tip. Also 6 cm at transborder (U.S.) checkpoints.

• Razor blades

  Cartridge/disposable razors allowed; open, loose or straight razors and loose blades must be in checked baggage.

• Power bank / spare lithium batteries (with Wh limits)

  Carry-on only. Up to 100 Wh each; 100-160 Wh with air carrier approval, max two. CATSA says most airlines follow IATA. No CATSA/Transport Canada source found on the ICAO two-bank limit or in-flight use ban (airline-specific; verify).

• Lighter (disposable)

  One lighter for personal use allowed in carry-on; disposable and non-torch (Zippo-type) lighters only.

• Zippo/ refillable lighter

  Non-torch Zippo-type lighters permitted in carry-on; torch lighters not. Do not pack lighter fuel.

• Pen / 'tactical' pen

  Ordinary pens allowed; pen knives (concealed blades) are prohibited. Tactical pens not named; officer decides.

• Trauma/ medical kit scissors

  Scissors 6 cm or less from the fulcrum. CATSA's medical-items page not read; longer trauma shears: checked bag or ask CATSA.

• Screwdrivers / small tools length limits

  Small tools with a head and shaft of 6 cm or less (joint to tip). Larger screwdrivers go in checked baggage.

• Magnet / bottle opener / keychain tools

  Not specifically read; keychain tools with a blade over 6 cm, or any knife on U.S. flights, are barred.

Checked bag only (0)

Barred from the checkpoint but allowed in the hold.

Nothing in this list.

Leave at home (2)

Barred from the cabin and from the hold, or not covered for the hold.

• Keychain self-defence items / kubotan

• Pepper spray

Carry on bag (1)

The regulator lists these as allowed at the checkpoint.

• Flashlight

Carry on bag, with conditions (8)

Read the condition before you pack.

• Scissors (blade length rule)

  Only blunt/round-ended scissors with blades under 6 cm. Pointed metal scissors, manicure scissors and anything over 6 cm are prohibited.

• Razor blades

  Razor blades and open/straight razors are prohibited; safety razors are not prohibited.

• Power bank / spare lithium batteries (with Wh limits)

  CASA: carry-on only, terminals protected, no more than two power banks per person (up to 100 Wh), 101-160 Wh with airline approval, over 160 Wh banned. In-flight use: Qantas bans use and charging from 15 Dec 2025 (airline-specific); I found no national in-flight-use ban.

• Lighter (disposable)

  Home Affairs: lighters are not prohibited. CASA: keep on your person or in the cabin (never checked); blue-flame/jet lighters are banned. CASA quantity limit not confirmed.

• Zippo/ refillable lighter

  Home Affairs lists 'lighter fluid' as not prohibited for security, but CASA dangerous-goods rules BAN lighter fluid (flammable liquids). Follow CASA: carry a lighter, not fuel; no blue-flame lighters.

• Pen / 'tactical' pen

  Pens not listed. Knife-like items strong enough to be weapons are prohibited, so a hard 'tactical' pen may be refused. Not verified for tactical pens.

• Trauma/ medical kit scissors

  Only blunt/round-ended scissors under 6 cm; longer trauma shears are not permitted per the list. A medical-need exemption for scissors was not found.

• Magnet / bottle opener / keychain tools

  Not listed. Keychain tools with blades, screwdriver or pliers parts are prohibited; metal cutlery is prohibited.

Checked bag only (5)

Barred from the checkpoint but allowed in the hold.

• Folding knife with any blade

  The Home Affairs list governs the screening point; hold carriage is a matter for the airline and dangerous-goods rules. Check the airline and state/territory weapons and customs laws. Not verified for hold.

• Multitool with knife blade

  As knives.

• Multitool without blade (pliers/screwdrivers only)

  Not barred in hold by the rules read.

• Keychain self-defence items / kubotan

  Security rules bar it from the cabin; hold carriage not verified. Kubotans may be controlled weapons under state law (not verified).

• Screwdrivers / small tools length limits

  Not barred in hold by the rules read.

Leave at home (1)

Barred from the cabin and from the hold, or not covered for the hold.

• Pepper spray