flying with gas stoves

[SLB]

Tape a yellow sticky note to your fuel bottle and write "water bottle - not for fuel" and toss it in your checked bag; works like a charm. Air it out overnight before flying so it doesn't smell like fuel.

 

[DougPaul]

Tape a yellow sticky note to your fuel bottle and write "water bottle - not for fuel" and toss it in your checked bag; works like a charm. Air it out overnight before flying so it doesn't smell like fuel.

People have had fuel bottles confiscated even when they put water in them and offered to drink some for the inspector...

Doug

 

[Frodo]

I am a Mechanical Engineer who works on the design of the Auto EDS, which is the equipment that everyone's "checked" luggage is scanned with (ever since 2002). I can't disclose too much without the men is suits showing up at my house and taking me away , but I can say (this is public knowledge), that they are CAT Scan machines programmed with 1000's of algorithms to detect all kinds of shapes and specific weights.

It doesn't matter where you hide your stove or fuel bottle in your luggage, these machines will still see it. If it detects something, it alarms the bag and it is diverted for a hand search down in the bowels of the airport. If the TSA screener finds your stove, or especially your fuel bottle, it's at his/her's discretion on whether it is a threat or not. If they find it a threat, you will find a note from the TSA in your luggage stating that they have confiscated your item. If the screener deems it a no threat, you will never know they even searched your bag, unless you had your bagged locked and now find the lock removed with some possible damage.

Bottom line is you risk confiscation every time you fly with these items in your checked luggage, though if they are cleaned well your likely not to have a problem. The best advise I can give is to clean your stoves the best you can, and try not to fly with fuel canisters even if they are clean. The shape alone can trigger an alarm, which could cause for a hand search AND the possible confiscation of your clean stove (which might have passed un-noticed). Personally, I would rather throw out (2) $9 used fuel bottles, than have my $120 stove confiscated after an awesome trip...

 

[Steve-o]

The shape alone can trigger an alarm, which could cause for a hand search ..

I like to do a little research on the area i'm flying into, and rent a stove if possible. Just avoids the hassle.

 

[escapee]

After the flight:

Thanks, everyone, for your input.

Montana was great. Too bad so much of it is burning. After we cooked our last meal, we emptied the fuel bottles into the rental car's gas tank, then cleaned the fuel bottles and stoves with hot water and Dawn dishwashing liquid to eliminate all traces of fuel. We gave them a couple of rinses with hot water (which dried pretty quickly), and packed them with the screw-tops off the fuel bottles.

One stove and two bottles went into my duffel bag. I checked it and watched it go through the baggage x-ray. I had put a search-alert lock on it, which indicated that the bag was not opened with a TSA key in transit. One stove and one bottle went into a checked backpack. I don't know if that was opened. Stoves and bottles all arrived.

TSA regs allow stoves & bottles if completely free of fuel, residue and vapor. Some airlines have stricter rules. Northwest is the same as TSA.

 

[MichaelJ]

Last week my little MSR Superfly made it to Colorado and back unmolested, riding in my pack in a duffle as checked luggage. I made sure to blow it out as best I could after use so that it didn't have any residue on it, but beyond that did nothing special.

 

[sun=electric]

I have flown to South America with stove, empty fuel bottles (used) with no issues.
1. I always leave caps off.
2. I clean all (stove and sigg bottles) with citrus degreaser and rinse and air out until no smell of gas/kerosine.
no problem so far...