Airlines & Stoves

Information for Bushwalkers Travelling on Commercial Aircraft

Bushwalkers who are preparing to travel interstate or overseas with their equipment should be extra careful to avoid their gear being impounded or even confiscated by security or quarantine. Bushwalking gear can carry seeds and plant or soil borne disease. Fuel is a potential hazard on aircraft and prohibited. Any bottle of fluid is increasingly seen as a security threat, even if it is not flammable.

A bit of planning and a few simple precautions may save hassles and perhaps an unwelcome entanglement with authorities.

Some Actions to Consider

• Plan to buy fuel after you arrive, and dispose of it before you return.


• Don’t leave traces of fuel in stoves and bottles when you travel.


• Take a stove without a fuel container and purchase a container when you reach your destination. A gas stove may be the most practical type for this arrangement.


• Make arrangements to hire a stove when you arrive.


• Don’t carry camping gear in hand luggage.


• Clean boots, tent pegs and groundsheets before you travel in either direction.


• Remove seeds from your socks.


• Do not have matches or a cigarette lighter in either your hand luggage or checked baggage.

A Special Note Regarding Fuel Containers & Camping Stoves

There are certain items that must be declared and that require the explicit approval of the airline or aircraft operator before they can be carried on an aircraft. This includes camping stoves and fuel containers.

For further details and information about the packing of such items please visit the Civil Aviation Safety Authority website at http://www.casa.gov.au/dg/luggage/dgtable.htm

Check with Your Airline

The guidelines for camping stoves seem explicit and reasonable, but the airline still has the right to refuse to carry them, or require additional packing or preparation. Therefore it is a good idea to check with the airline before you leave home.

Download an Air New Zealand camping stove declaration