With the advent of vaporization methods taking the world by storm, it was inevitable that some of these modalities would eventually become portable. The popularity of vaping has grown exponentially every year, as the health risks associated with traditional smoking methods have become blatantly apparent. The demand within the market has made vape pens a much better alternative.
Proponents of the medical community have acknowledged and even recommended the use of vape pens to deliver medicinal doses of prescribed substances to qualifying individuals. Eventually, it would come to be realized that travel was also a necessity and traveling with these devices could not be denied in any form. Even while e-cigarette brands like Juul face lawsuits, the industry as a whole continues to grow and become more widely accepted.
However, there are restrictions set in place on how one could actually travel with a vape pen. In this article, we will be taking a closer look on these restrictions to keep you informed on how to best travel safely with your vaping devices, whether they are prescribed or not.
How to Travel with a Wax Vape Pen
Being as how wax pens are one of the most popular vaporization preferences, traveling with one by plane can be a bit restrictive. First of all, you cannot travel with wax on your person. This includes wax and residues within your atomizer.
There are no exceptions to this rule and violating this can land you in a world of trouble. Do not do it. The best way to ensure the possession of your wax vape pen while traveling is to make sure it is completely empty. It should also be noted that all vape pens must be inside a carry-on bag and not a checked bag. This is due to safety reasons regarding the flight policy. Always make sure to pack your wax vape pen in a carry-on bag if you want to arrive with it at your landing location!
While this is a general guideline that is the most common, it would be wise to check the policies of travel within your local jurisdiction just to make sure. After your flight, your final destination should ideally be able to replenish your empty stores of wax once you depart the plane. This would be the best way to travel with a wax vape pen.
How to Travel with an Oil Vape Pen
Oil vape pens are perhaps the most popular form of portable vaporization methods by modern users. With this modality, you will have a lot more leeway to travel by plane. Of course, you will still have to pack your oil vape pen inside your carry-on bag, though you could also pack your e-liquids inside your checked bags as well.
The general rule regarding this is to not travel with more than 100 ml inside the carry-on bag. Checked bags can have more than 100 ml of e-liquids, though it is advised to avoid glass containers because it could be considered a hazard and has the possibility of breaking and spilling. It is recommended that passengers place bottles in a quart-sized clear zip-lock bag. This should allow you to travel with more than one 100 ml bottle if needed.
The good news is that you can pack your e-liquids inside your carry-on if you choose, provided you have no more than 100 ml. The caveat here is to make sure you only travel with e-juice and not oil concentrates. Always double-check with the airline’s rules and restrictions to make sure you are complying with their policies.
Traveling with Vape Pen Batteries
You may travel with dry batteries (AA, AAA, C, and D) in your carry-on or checked baggage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prohibits loose lithium batteries from being transported in checked baggage. No matter how you travel with vape pen batteries, always bring a vape battery case to hold your batteries for the duration of the trip.
Most vape pens are powered by lithium batteries, which if exposed to excessive heat or damage, can lead to some really bad consequences. In fact, a passenger with a carry-on e-cigarette claimed the device malfunctioned and had a thermal runaway. The device began to overheat which resulted in a small fire that was immediately extinguished by the crew.
This raised questions concerning the safety of traveling with vaporizers and e-cigs. Vape pens should always be either disassembled and stored safely or kept intact close to you for observation. Always carry lithium battery threads on your carry-on bags!
Tips for Traveling with a Vape Pen
Before your trip, you will want to make sure that you have changed out your coils. In fact, it would be a good idea to even take some spare coils with you just in case you need them. Vape pen coils can burn out pretty easily in a session, so having a few with you can save you lots of time.
Another good tip to take into consideration is the size of your vape pen’s e-juice bottles. While it is common to find most e-juice bottles in 120 ml sizes, buying a couple of empty 100 ml or smaller e-juice bottles would be a good idea. Provided that your flight will not allow containers that hold more than 100 ml, you can evenly distribute your e-juice into these smaller containers with ease. Make sure that the bottles themselves are also clear to allow for transparency.
Aside from these tips, one of the greatest precautions to take is to ensure that your vape pen’s tank is empty. Cabin pressure inside the airplane can cause the e-liquid in your vape pen’s tank to leak out. Emptying your vape tank ahead of time can save you from having leakage in your bag and possibly ruining whatever is in your carry-on. Having a filled pod or tank on a plane is risky business.
It would be a much better idea to simply travel with empty vape tanks and disassembled vape pens just to ensure the integrity of your devices and accessories. The fact that vape pens are mostly allowed for travel on planes is a great privilege, therefore it would be within your best interest to simply follow the rules.