flying with my gear

I was wondering what the regulations are regarding flying with things like stoves magnesium flint starters lighters and recommendations on how to protect your pack when flying

If it's a white gas stove, you are likely to have it confiscated unless there is no trace (not even an odor) of fuel. For canister stoves, you're OK if you don't have any canisters.

I have flown all over, including back & forth to Alaska on two occasions, with my pack as my checked baggage and never had a problem (I did remove the hip belt).

check the airline that you're flying, by phone and on their web site as well as the TSA. Checked baggage is a bit more lenient than carry on. After you find it on the airline's web site print & take a copy with you tot he airport to help you help the tix agents throught he maze of regulations that they have.

My stove is a alcohol stove and The hip belt does not come off of my pack so what should I do to protect it when I’m flying

As Tom and Adam said, check with the airline - website and personnel. You may find inconsistencies and contradictions between these. All airlines forbid flammables, meaning your white gas or kerosene liquid fuel, or fuel canisters for butane stoves. Some airlines (notably Alaska) do not allow stoves or fuel bottles, even unused in their original shrinkwrap. Others are more lenient, but generally will want to give the stove and/or fuel bottle a sniff test (any smell of fuel means no go). Generally, even the airlines that will carry stoves will want it in the checked luggage, and you have to declare it. Yes, people have snuck stoves on board and not said anything about them. But a number of these have gotten to the other end and found the stove gone and a nasty note from the authorities.

Best bet that has worked consistently for me has been to pack the stove and fuel bottle and ship it to myself to pick up at the other end. FedEx is often a bit cheaper for the same mode than UPS, and US Post Office cheaper still. You should keep the package open for inspection at the counter, then seal it. USPost Office will hold for pick up, if you send it General Delivery. I have also used FedEx and UPS "will call", but this depends on the particular location. If you are going to stay with a friend or at a motel near the airport before heading into the woods, you may be able to make a reservation for that first night and ask them to receive it for you. I have done this at B&Bs is several places. And, a number of years ago, I have sent the stove via air freight on the same airline I was flying on (a couple times it even went on the same flight that wouldn't take it in checked luggage - go figure!).

You may be able to ship canisters via UPS, FedEx, or snail mail, if you can meet the packaging requirements (certain labels are required). But I have found some of the clerks are not cooperative when they find you have flammables or explosives (which canned butane falls under). On the other hand, years ago, more than once, way pre 9/11, I brought back a Bleuet Camping Gaz stove with 3 or 4 full (unpunctured) canisters, no problem, and the airline knew it. Not recently, though, and I wouldn't try it in the current era.

Forgot about the pack. Best bet, and what has always worked for me travelling to several other continents is to get a large duffel and put the pack inside it. There are duffels that are specially made to hold packs for airline travel, but many of these are more expensive. REI has one that will fit a "medium" pack (up to something like 4500-5000 cu in, I think). But I just use an Outdoor Products heavy cordura duffel, or sometimes an Eagle Creek roll-around. I also put my ice ax and/or ice tools in the duffel (with cardboard formed around the pick and point). Same with snowshoes and crampons. This keeps the various straps - shoulder, waist, and attachment for accessories - from catching on the luggage carousels, and if the baggage gorillas rip a strap from the duffel, no big deal like a shoulder strap would be.

Alcohol stove is same deal as any other stove. Alaska Air has a display case in the Anchorage airport of things confiscated that includes a classic Svea 123, couple of Whisperlites, Bleuets, and a couple of alcohol stoves, plus assorted knives, ulu (a WHAT??? careful, they actually sell them in the area inside security!), random tools, including power tools, amazing collection of stuff.

thanks for the help now that i think about it I have a old military duffle that will work great for that and I’m flying frontier with all my gear but my stove

thanks for all the help
inmate or um Dave

I do the same with duffel bags but be mindful of their individual weights since the airlines have weight & quantity restrictions that when surpassed can lead to extra charges or abaonded gear.

cheers
ag

Good point, adam. The airlines have reduced their weight and size limits in the past 6 months or so. I came very close to hitting the weight limit coming back from Anchorage and had to do a bit of shifting of gear to my other bag (you are generally allowed 2 checked bags, but there are strange regulations on what counts as a bag - skis + boots + poles usually are counted as one bag, but sometimes not if you have a double (2 pair) ski bag). At one point you could go up to 70 pounds domestically for a single bag, but I ran into a 50 pound limit on that last trip (didn't get questioned on the outbound trip). The size limit is length plus height plus width (huh???) or some airlines length plus circumference (double huh???).

Go look at the airline's website BEFORE you get to the airport. The extra weight and oversize charges are enormous, something like $80 or $85, with no regard for the length of flight. That was another reason I shipped via FedEx and UPS - much less than the airline charge.