Just to update this topic discussed recently in another thread. Southwest Airline's policy is that liquid fuel stoves will not be accepted unless they are brand new in original packaging. See link: http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/camping_equipment.html However, the Feds (TSA) say it's okay so long as it is completely dry: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1187.shtm This explains why we've been able to check a stove through so many times in the past: TSA is doing the baggage inspection, not the airline. It's still a bit dicey, but so long as the stove is not a special antique model, the risk is probably acceptable.
For those of you who hunt and travel you have learned the particular practices for each airline for declaring a weapon into checked luggage. It will require a lockable case and may be permitted to transport ammunition with but sometimes separate from the gun depending on the carriers specific regulations. If I can transport cartridges containing powder why not an empty stove??? When we get into the world of aerosol can propellants there is far worse than stove fuel. Vote with your wallet and choose a different carrier. AR
Airline travel regulations are now at a point that nobody really knows what the regulations are. Airlines have one set of regulations and TSA has another set of regulations. However employees of both TSA and the airlines tend to try and make up the rules as they go along. Or interpret the rules as their mood dictates from day to day. I often travel with sporting firearms and make it a point to print out the latest regs from both TSA and the airline I am flying on and keep two copies with me. It is sometimes necessary to politely ask for a supervisor to come and give a front-line worker some field training. The U.S. Customs agents at airports are also now starting to cause problems. Their latest trick is to only have one lazy agent slowly checking all the passengers who have just deplaned from an international flight. Last time we were at Atlanta arriving from RSA with firearms cases the nice man in the green uniform decided to park his beable next to us and have the little doggie detail sniff everything that belonged to us. Several times. The little doggie kept wanting to go to the next customer but Agent Tackleberry kept pulling the dog back to our luggage. Finally he got tired of bothering us and went to the next person (a hippie woman) and the beagle alerted on her carry on bag. It was full of biltong, a type of jerkey. Something that is not allowed to be imported. Fun times at the airport.
Shipping used liquid-fuel stoves worldwide, an activity I have been active in for some time, so far simply 'works', even when I forgot to empty a petrol tank of a stove I shipped to Japan! All my tested stoves 'smell' of petrol or paraffin when emptied and shipped, and all of them arrived with no problem at their new owners. Practically all fly, and if that is OK with airlines (as it has been for as long commercial airlines have been operating!) then there is no technical, nor moral reason not to take an emptied stove with you on any plane. Even if these are the times where good common sense is replaced by (political) hysteria - and effectively awarded by the masses - there is no reason not to 'plan your own trip' with this common sense in mind. Let sleeping dogs lie! P.S. I see my message in duplicate, with of course the latest the more sensible. I also see the 'counter' reset to zero (0) which I will take as a new clean sheet by CCS for me to fill with more (non)sense. Cheers!
I can't see jeapordizing a trip by trying to take unauthorized stoves or fuel on a plane. I have heard they interpret the rules on such things the way they want. Makes sense to carry the regs and ask for a super if things don't go good. I had no issue last year checking my backpack loaded with gear for a backpacking trip to Alaska. I had my MSR Pocket Rocket in my pack and bought fuel for it when I arrived. I've heard where other people have had their stove confiscated because it smelled of fuel or looked used. I had no time for delays as my group was to leave the day after I arrived.
This is from Air NZ Camping stoves and fuel containers that have contained a flammable liquid fuel, may be carried provided the fuel tank of the camping stove and/or fuel container has been completely drained of all liquid fuel and one of the two following actions has been completed: 1. Ventilate the empty fuel tank for a minimum of 6hrs OR 2. Add Cooking Oil to the empty fuel tank and swish around for about 15 minutes until the smell of the fuel has been completely removed The item must then have the cap securely fastened, be wrapped in an absorbent material, sealed inside a plastic bag and then placed in your checked baggage. Tick. http://www.airnewzealand.com/guide-to-dangerous-goods
Just read this thread with interest. I'm flying to the US from the UK for a hiking trip to Colorado and Utah. We'll be based in a cabin so need need to actually carry a stove or lantern on my person but essential to have at the cabin. I read a lot of confusing stuff on the internet. Conflicting information from the airlines and the TSA. I don't want my equipment confiscated and although it is permitted to transport the equipment providing there is no fuel or fumes I'm not sure I can get the equipment clean enough to satisfy an inspection. Basically I think I have 3 choices: 1) Just don't take the risk and buy a stove and lantern once I'm in the USA. Seems a waste for something I can't bring back and also annoying as I have 4 lanterns and numerous stoves anyway. I'd probably just buy some cheap propane crap and I'd really like to use my own equipment. 2) Try my best to get all the fuel out and clean out the tanks and then take the equipment in my hold baggage. These have built in tanks so it won't be easy to get them clean enough. 3) Strip the equipment down. Send the empty fuel tanks only via FedEx and carry all the other bits in my hold baggage. Means quite a lot of re-assembly and there is the cost but the cost is reduced by not mailing the complete items which keeps the weight and size of the package down. The equipment in question would be either a paraffin stove and lantern (e.g. Optimus 111 and a Vapalux M320 lantern) or a petrol stove and lantern (e.g. Sportster II stove and Northstar lantern). Any ideas on the best thing to do? It might seem silly to be even contemplating this hassle but part of the fun of collecting this stuff is to actually use it on a trip as was intended!
I'm not sure about other airlines, but you can take stoves in hold baggage on BA flights. Their website says "camping stoves and fuel containers may be carried on flights with British Airways but require the airline's approval prior to flying". I assume you tell them when you book the flight. I have taken Trangias on BA, AA, United, Continental, Northwest and Delta with no problems.
Contact Mutakat, and He'll fix you up with a Coleman two burner suitcase type for the cabin. Colorado is excellent hunting for used stoves of any type. I think a Trangia sould be easy to transport, however. My son's Wisperlite was confiscated flying inter-island between Oahu and the Big Island in Hawaii. Paul
As Paul said, used Coleman suitcase stoves are cheap and easy to find here. Any given day you can probably find one on Craigslist, or if you happen to be in the Colorado Springs area when you come through, I could hook you up with one that works for 5.00usd. Garage sale price! :-) edit- I'm about to set one up in the yard with a Coleman oven to bake some fishsticks so we don't heat up the "house" with the oven. Warmish here today.
Thank you Matukat. We will probably be in the Montrose area and then on to Moab, Utah. It's good to know that there is plenty of second hand equipment. It only needs to work for 10 days and not blow up in that time.....
Well, Montrose is a world away from here. It's western slope of the Rockies and we are on the eastern side or as natives call it, the "front range". Still, if you have contacts, let them know you would like to get a cheap used Coleman 2 burner and I bet someone will help you out for less than 20.00usd Good luck!
Just been doing a bit more digging as the wife and I are planning our next US camping trip. It very much seems to depend on the airline. TSA and IATA make the rules but airlines seem free to do their own thing. The TSA rules state "Camp Stoves - These can travel as carry-on or checked luggage only if they are empty of all fuel and cleaned so that there are no vapors or residue left. Simply emptying the fuel container will leave flammable vapors." But United Airlines state "Lanterns, stoves and heating equipment which use liquid fuel, propane, butane or similar will not be accepted as baggage." BA say "camping stoves and fuel containers may be carried on flights with British Airways but require the airline's approval prior to flying." The key with used stoves appears to be that they must be "vapour free". So copious rinsing and drying would seem to be the order of the day. With a stove with a wick (SVEA 123/Primus 71 etc), I would fit a new clean wick. I suppose one option would be fill the tank with water but that would add to baggage weight. We will probably go BA London to Phoenix so I would get the required pre-approval from BA and attach a copy to the stove. As the UK to US baggage allowance is now only one bag, I would not bother with a Vapalux (though it would look dead cool at Arches NP camp ground!). Plus I don't think the glass would survive the trip. So, in summary, there is no definitive answer. It's the old 'check with your airline'. Regards, Terry
Air NZ allows you to fill it with vegetable oil. Thats not going to be too kind on a 123 wick either. I would tend to suggest that with the range of very cheap butane stoves around these days that if I was going somewhere with easy access to these stoves and cans that its not worth risking having a quality stove confiscated. Another option might be to put up a request to borrow/hire a stove for a week or whatever. Just be willing to offer one of your stoves under similar terms if the opportunity arises
Sven, if you're flying to Denver and driving to Montrose you'll be right through my neck of the woods. I'd be happy to loan you a stove and lantern on the condition you mail them back to me from your terminus
