Empty Cooking Stove Fuel Bottles - Problem?
 

I'm shortly off to Alaska with a couple of buddies. We're bringing a multifuel camp stove and a couple of (empty) fuel bottles.

Is TSA going to give us grief? Seems dumb to ask, considering the bottles are empty; but one never knows these days.

We're going to ADK, so we really want to get there with the bottles. It would not be good if some enterprising TSA goon relieved us of them.

.

Both the stove and the bottles can be a problem if there is residual fuel odor. Air them out well, leave the tops off, and put them in checked baggage. Cleaning the bottles with alcohol (isopropanol, not single malt) will remove the odor and will evaporate off completely. Best is to buy new bottles that do not have an odor, and to use an MSR type stove with all the fuel kept in the bottle. It is possible the bags will be examined by TSA, but if the bottles are clean and the tops are off you should get them through with no problem.

I think even empty fuel bottles would be considered HAZMAT - you should check with Alaska Airlines, even if you're not flying them. They wrote the book on commercial aviation up there and they'll know for sure what you can and can't take and how to transport it if permissible.

Done this many times. First do not take bottles that are marked for fuel. Second clean them out really well. If they smell like fuel they will be gone. Once clean leave the cap off.

Now I personally mark my bottles boldly with the words "PEE BOTTLE". Then I pee in them leaving a little in the bottom.

Here are TSA words of wisdom:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...rial_1187.shtm

Clean out the bottles as noted above then consider FedEx-ing them and the stove?