So I want to assume this question is being asked because of security protocols like; will the rangefinder go through the Transportation Security Administration or TSA? The TSA is the American government agency responsible for everything concerning travel security like airport security.
Let’s talk about all the possible reasons why you would think your rangefinder could be intercepted by airport security.
Some users fear it is because rangefinders can be used with guns like snipers and shotguns, hence they worry about what airport security will say before they even get there.
Some users have also mentioned that the TSA appeared perplexed by the little device. While this is not untrue, there is no legal document or protocol against taking rangefinders on a plane.
A lot of rangefinder owners have lost their rangefinders or gotten them stolen because they were too worried to carry the rangefinder along with them into the plane.
If you didn’t know, know it now, a lot of people have lost valuable devices in their bags at the airport, and as you must know a high-quality rangefinder costs nothing less than $300 for many good brands.
That is not the kind of money to throw away at the airport. Your rangefinder should be in your carry-on bag, handbag, or your hand luggage with you on the plane.
Can You Bring A Rangefinder On A Plane
Rangefinders are not among the prohibited or contraband items to take on a plane.
However, some TSA agents will want to know what the device is about because let us be honest, it’s a distance measuring device that looks like a camera and has the same size as most cameras but isn’t really a camera.
It can be quite perplexing for people who have never heard about it before. Some rangefinder owners have mentioned that they had to demonstrate what a rangefinder can do for some TSA staff in airports but they did let them go through with the device and the agents appeared more awed than worried or suspicious.
No rangefinder owner has ever publicly claimed to have had their rangefinder incepted at the airport in any part of the world. I guess the rule that applies generally is that no country sees the rangefinder as contraband.
But I do have to mention though that if you are a professional hunter or you have a legal job that requires you to have a gun and a rangefinder to help with your aim, then this article does not apply to you.
Because while the rangefinder may not have been seen as threatening everybody knows that a gun, even a professional one will not be seen in the same light. The TSA has requirements and procedures for things like this but that is a whole different discussion for another day.
However, the point of this article, is if rangefinders can be taken into planes and the answer is an explicit yes, rangefinders can fly with you in an airplane but they have to be checked like every other thing but they are viewed like every other harmless electronic device. I mean if you can travel with a camera or a laptop why should a rangefinder be any different.