• Happy Weed Appreciation Day! 🌱🌿🌻

White Gas Stoves

Joined
May 8, 2021
Messages
16
Reaction score
1
I have an Optimus 8R box stove that I got in the 1970’s. I just re-built it. Wondering if it is possible to get all the gas out to fly with it in checked luggage. I think not because these stoves use a rope wick inside the tank which will still give off fumes. I am afraid to risk it to the TSA goons.
 
Nope.TSA will take it. For that reason I only fly with a burner and no fuel container. I flew with a Sierra Stove..a twig burner. TSA took me aside and asked me to demo. I said I could not light it without wood. And the wires for the battery that supplied a spark. They thought it may be a bomb. I would not want to repeat that interview. Another time I had a burner that fits on a 1 lb propane canister. Another grilling.. But I did get through with it as I pointed out I had no fuel canister.

TSA is not full of camping savvy personnel
 
No, my comment was regarding just the fume issue you brought up. When I travelled with the stove in my vehicle I did not notice any fumes.
 
I looked into it once and it CAN be done, but it's easier and cheaper to leave it at home, and just buy one when you get there. you need to ship it to a lab that will purge it with nitrogen, put an anti- tamper seal on it, and provide certification proving it's "inert", and even then Customs can still refuse it if they want:(
 
Based on discussions and others' experiences in recent years in various outdoor forums, I'd say you will probably lose the stove to the TSA disallowed junk bin.
 
I am quite aware of the difference. However do be prepared to be taken aside and unload EVERYTHING . When they see a burner they are suspicious of fuel somewhere..

Coming home through Vancouver and Seattle from the Yukon we were flying with a burner and had to unload everything.. It was quite funny...the bag also had three weeks of canoeing dirty laundry.
 
I'll recount an incident form 2006, so long ago that it probably is irrelevant to today's air travel security practices.

I took a Coleman Peak1 to New Zealand. Prior to departure, I left the fuel cap off and let it dry for days. Then I tested it by sticking a lit taper into the tank. Woosh, an instantaneous flame shot out of the tank, blowing out the taper. I let it sit another day and tried the same thing, and got the same result. After a couple days repeating the test, it finally had no more fumes and a lit taper stayed lit inside the tank. No more fumes. I packed the stove in my checked bag and used it while camping in New Zealand.

The return trip was a different story. First, I only had two days to let the tank dry. Second, the Kiwi TSA were more vigilant than their US counterparts. I was paged over the airport PA and taken to a behind-the scenes room by two uniformed officials. There, on a stainless steel table, sat my suitcase, beside a full size color reproduction of an image-scan of the suitcase. "Is this your suitcase?" Yes. Then one official pulled out a collapsable, telescoping, pocket pointer, ceremoniously extended the pointer, and tapped one end on a corner of the suitcase scan, "What's this?" Oh, that. It's my Coleman Peak 1. "Open the suitcase." I opened it and lifted the stove. "Don't touch it!" The other official prodded it with a small dowel, before gingerly lifting it out and putting it on the table, then telling me to open the fuel tank while they kind of stood back. Once opened, one official picked it up and smelled the tank opening. He got a good wiff of the fumes and shook his head. The Peak 1 stayed in New Zealand.

The scene at Wellington's airport reminded me of "Alice's Restaurant," officer Opie, and his 8x10 color glossy photos. I wasn't laughing at the time because I was scared of being in trouble and missing my plane. But, every time I think about it, I get a little chuckle.

The Kiwi officers did tell me that the way to defume stoves was to fill them with vegetable oil. I have no experience doing that and have no idea if or how it works.

If you've used outfitters at popular destinations, perhaps you've been offered partially filled fuel bottles. The standard practice for taking stoves on airplanes is to use a stove with a separate fuel bottle. Travelers purchase the gas bottles at the destination end of their flights. When their river trip ends and air travel is imminent, they leave the partially used bottles with the outfitter. So, many outfitters have a supply of partially filled bottles they are happy to get rid of.
 
I have generally travelled really light in recent years since my trips that involved flying have been bicycle touring or backpacking so taking a home made pop can alcohol burner was the answer for me. They have never been a problem. If I wanted to it would be easy enough to make a new one for each trip since I use pop can stoves, but I have never bothered.

I am not willing to risk my SVEA 123 to the TSA. I figure that if I am paddling I am either taking my canoe or renting one. If taking mine I can take whatever stove I want since I am probably driving. If renting I can probably ship a stove to where ever I am renting the canoe.

Canister stoves can be a good option. FWIW, I haven't done it lately, but not all that many years ago I was flying with a canister stoves in checked bags with no issues. I even forgot and left it in a carry on bag once. They swabbed everything and didn't confiscate anything. I think that was 2012. You doo need to get canisters at your trip start though. It is possible to mail them "ORM-D surface mail only". That is the case at least in the US, not sure about Canada. There is some limit on the number and size of canisters (I forget the exact limit), but it was not small enough that I found it limiting. I have mailed them to myself via general delivery on a backpacking trip, but in most cases was able to buy them at my start and or along the way.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I am not going to risk flying with the 8R (although I did like the vegetable oil idea.) The outfitter who will be supplying the canoe can supply a stove and some other gear too. I wonder whether any other checked items will cause problems (e.g., hatchet, folding saw, Ka-Bar knife to name a few.)
 
Back
Top