If you’re planning a vacation, you’ll probably want to travel with your vapor products. The great news is it’s not as inconvenient as it once was. Now that e-cigarettes can be found almost everywhere, you’re less likely to encounter constant questions about what your strange metal boxes are, or why you’re carrying so many spare batteries. There are, however, specific rules that you need to follow. Those rules govern how you should pack your mods and e-liquid. They also help to ensure that you carry your batteries in a way that protects you and your fellow passengers. These traveling tips for vapers will keep you safe and minimize airport delays.
Read The Airline’s Rules Before You Go
Before you fly with your vapor products, familiarize yourself with the airline’s rules. Vaping is common enough that nearly every airline’s website has a page mentioning e-cigarettes. Some airlines are stricter than others, these pages may help with your research.
Pack Your Device In Your Carry-On Luggage
Virtually all airlines prohibit the transport of vapor devices (with or without batteries) in checked luggage. You can travel with your mods in your carry-on luggage. Alternatively, you can carry a device on your person and place it on the conveyor when you go through the security checkpoint. Don’t forget to turn your devices off before traveling with them.
Pack Your E-Liquids With Your Other Liquid Items
Most airports will want to screen liquids separately from your other items when you go through the security checkpoint. If you want to bring e-liquid in your carry-on, you’ll need to pack it with your other liquid items in a single resealable plastic bag. When you reach the security checkpoint, remove the bag of liquids from your carry-on bag for separate examination. Remember that a pod or tank filled with e-liquid counts as a liquid item and needs to travel in the resealable bag as well. If you have extra e-liquid bottles that won’t fit in the bag or bottles larger than 100 ml, you can pack them in your checked luggage.
Protect Your Loose Batteries
Lithium-ion batteries are extremely powerful energy sources. The same battery that you use for vaping, set up in a bank with many other batteries like it, could power an electric car. When you travel with your vaping gear, your batteries need a bit of extra care because a battery’s entire metal enclosure is conductive. If a metal object touches the battery’s positive terminal while simultaneously touching any other part of the battery, a short circuit will result. To prevent that from happening, cover the terminals of your batteries with electrical tape and place the batteries in a padded carrier. Most airlines forbid carrying lithium-ion batteries in checked luggage; you’ll need to pack your batteries in your carry-on. In addition, some airlines limit the number of loose lithium-ion batteries that each individual passenger can carry. Vaping devices with batteries installed generally don’t count toward that limit.
Carry Mechanical Mods Without Batteries
Unlike electronic vapor products, mechanical mods don’t have safety timers to prevent overly long puffs. Mechanical mods carried improperly in bags and pockets are a leading cause of e-cigarette battery fires. If a mechanical mod is packed haphazardly and the fire button is held down by another object, the mod will continue firing until the battery dies or overheats. If your mechanical mod has a locking fire button, engage the lock before traveling. Better yet, remove the battery.
Check the Local Laws Before Traveling
Before you travel with your vapor products, take a moment to learn what the vaping laws are at your destination. Even if you aren’t leaving the country, you shouldn’t assume that the vaping market will look the same as it does at home.
Nations such as Japan, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Australia all ban the domestic sale of e-liquid with nicotine. Those nations all allow you to import nicotine e-liquid for personal use. If you run out, though, you won’t be able to buy more, so bring some extra liquid!
There are also some nations that ban vaping completely. Those nations include Singapore, Thailand, Brazil, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates. In some cases, the penalty for vaping is quite severe. The penalty for vaping in Thailand, for example, is a prison sentence of up to 10 years. If you plan to travel to a nation that forbids vaping, leave your vaping gear at home, it isn’t worth the risk.
