I brought a TSA-approved multitool on a plane – here’s how that went

I like my EDC (everyday carry) gadgets, but when I travel by air, I almost always end up having to empty my pockets of a lot of useful stuff. I find it handy and convenient to have a screwdriver, scissors, and a pair of pliers close at hand, but most multitools are a no-go at airports and on commercial aircraft, often confiscated. 

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So, I was intrigued when I discovered that NexTool had a mini multitool called the Mini Sailor Pliers Lite

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All the tools are functional: the pliers handle all the tasks I’d expect from a similarly sized tool, the screwdrivers fit a wide array of fasteners, and the bottle opener and SIM tray eject tool are nice touches for a tool designed with travel in mind.

Flying back home from Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport in Spain, I was a bit brazen and “forgot” that I had the multitool in my pocket as I went through the scanners. Predictably, the alarms went off. I patted myself down, pulled out the mini multitool with an exaggerated “oops, sorry,” and handed it to the security staff. 

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They took a quick look at it, asked me to go through the scanner again, and, satisfied that I didn’t have anything else I shouldn’t have, handed the multitool back to me, assuming I was just another idiot traveler.

No problem. And that’s a good thing, too, because I needed the scissors to cut some KT Tape, and the pliers can be handy for fixing a suitcase.