Vapes on a Plane
We all know air travel can be a pain. Enduring long lines, removing shoes, emptying your electronics cases, submitting to a full body scan. If you're lucky that's what it takes just to get into the airport, before you're hit with $10 fruit salads with way too much honeydew, more lines to board, and hours cramped in a flying can jockeying for elbow space and dreaming of clean air.
Still, when you're traveling long distance, flying for most people is the sensible way to go. But have you ever worried about how harrowing that ordeal would be if you didn't even have the promise of a relaxing vape session to get you through the madness?
Fear not, we're here to get you where you're going with all of your vaping gear in tow. Follow these simple steps and flying with your vape will be . . . if not a breeze, at least no worse than air travel already is.
Pack Properly
First off, know how to pack. Domestic TSA regulations have been in place for a couple decades now, so you should be familiar with the basic rules regarding batteries and liquids. If not, here's a refresher.
Battery-powered devices have to be kept in your carry-on bag, they can't go into checked luggage. So your vape mod and any spare batteries need to stay with you. Take your batteries out of the mod if they're removable, and make sure they're securely stored in a sealed plastic case where they can't contact metal or one another.
Also consider TSA's liquids rule – if you're carrying liquid on a plane (this includes filled tanks and pods), it has to be in a container holding less than 3.4 ounces or 100 ml, and all of your liquids have to fit in a one-quart clear plastic bag. Remember we're talking about bottle size, not contents – a half-empty 200 ml bottle counts as 200 ml and is banned, even if there's only 100 ml of liquid in it, so you'd have to put that in your checked baggage.
Security Screen
Prepare for the line and you should breeze through. Just like with your laptop and toothpaste, security at the airport is going to want you to take all of your battery-powered devices and liquids out of your bag so they can see them.
Don't bother trying to hide anything, chances are you're going to get caught. But don't worry, either – vaping has been around for a long time now, your security guard has probably seen dozens of different pieces of vape kit already this morning. She should know what your device is and probably won't have any questions.
Keep it Stowed
There aren't many airports left that allow smoking or vaping once you've passed through security, so chances are you're going to have to get your last session in before you enter the x-ray line. Once you're inside, keep your gear stashed and powered down. It's not worth getting your vape confiscated (or worse) trying to sneak a few stealth hits in a banned area.
The same thing goes for vaping once you're on the plane itself. Yes, it's true that vapor dissipates much faster than smoke and most of the toxic chemicals in secondhand smoke are not present in vapor, but remember that all the air on a plane is recycled while you're in flight and your fellow passengers might not be as enlightened as you. Try taking a puff while flying and you might end up facing similar reactions as former Congressman Duncan Hunter, who infamously started vaping during a congressional hearing about banning vaping on planes. It did not go well.
Stay Smart
To sum things up, it's perfectly fine to take your vapes on a plane, but just because you've got 'em doesn't mean you can vape 'em. Pack your gear properly, only use it when appropriate, and you should have no issue arriving at your destination with your full vape kit intact.
We all know air travel can be a pain. Enduring long lines, removing shoes, emptying your electronics cases, submitting to a full body scan. If you're lucky that's what it takes just to get into the airport, before you're hit with $10 fruit salads with way too much honeydew, more lines to board, and hours cramped in a flying can jockeying for elbow space and dreaming of clean air.
Still, when you're traveling long distance, flying for most people is the sensible way to go. But have you ever worried about how harrowing that ordeal would be if you didn't even have the promise of a relaxing vape session to get you through the madness?
Fear not, we're here to get you where you're going with all of your vaping gear in tow. Follow these simple steps and flying with your vape will be . . . if not a breeze, at least no worse than air travel already is.
Pack Properly
First off, know how to pack. Domestic TSA regulations have been in place for a couple decades now, so you should be familiar with the basic rules regarding batteries and liquids. If not, here's a refresher.
Battery-powered devices have to be kept in your carry-on bag, they can't go into checked luggage. So your vape mod and any spare batteries need to stay with you. Take your batteries out of the mod if they're removable, and make sure they're securely stored in a sealed plastic case where they can't contact metal or one another.
Also consider TSA's liquids rule – if you're carrying liquid on a plane (this includes filled tanks and pods), it has to be in a container holding less than 3.4 ounces or 100 ml, and all of your liquids have to fit in a one-quart clear plastic bag. Remember we're talking about bottle size, not contents – a half-empty 200 ml bottle counts as 200 ml and is banned, even if there's only 100 ml of liquid in it, so you'd have to put that in your checked baggage.
Security Screen
Prepare for the line and you should breeze through. Just like with your laptop and toothpaste, security at the airport is going to want you to take all of your battery-powered devices and liquids out of your bag so they can see them.
Don't bother trying to hide anything, chances are you're going to get caught. But don't worry, either – vaping has been around for a long time now, your security guard has probably seen dozens of different pieces of vape kit already this morning. She should know what your device is and probably won't have any questions.
Keep it Stowed
There aren't many airports left that allow smoking or vaping once you've passed through security, so chances are you're going to have to get your last session in before you enter the x-ray line. Once you're inside, keep your gear stashed and powered down. It's not worth getting your vape confiscated (or worse) trying to sneak a few stealth hits in a banned area.
The same thing goes for vaping once you're on the plane itself. Yes, it's true that vapor dissipates much faster than smoke and most of the toxic chemicals in secondhand smoke are not present in vapor, but remember that all the air on a plane is recycled while you're in flight and your fellow passengers might not be as enlightened as you. Try taking a puff while flying and you might end up facing similar reactions as former Congressman Duncan Hunter, who infamously started vaping during a congressional hearing about banning vaping on planes. It did not go well.
Stay Smart
To sum things up, it's perfectly fine to take your vapes on a plane, but just because you've got 'em doesn't mean you can vape 'em. Pack your gear properly, only use it when appropriate, and you should have no issue arriving at your destination with your full vape kit intact.