I flew to Penticton from across the Pacific with CO2 canisters in my check in bag without any issue. However, on my return my check in bag did not arrive home with me. In chasing it up the airline told me that it had inadvertently been sent to Calgary and that they had discovered it had CO2 canisters in it. Eventually it was delivered to my home about 4 days later but still had the canisters in it. Go figure.

To their credit I tried to go through covered in high explosive residue, and they detected it.

before flying to norway this summer ( from canada through USA to iceland then norway) I checked it out and I found that you are aloud 2 Co2 cartridges. I cant find the source of my research though any more.

mine made it there and back no problem. The bike bag was hand checked by security in Victoria, BC for the flight to seattle. I showed security the cartridges specifically and she said they were fine. The bag was checked again in seattle and a card was left. The cartridges were very visible.

On the way back the bag was cleared through Norway and was checked again in the USA. Again the cartridges were obvious and a card was left by the security inspectors.

I wish I could find the source but I think it is fine to fly with 2. could be wrong though.

So you're saying I should take the life vest CO2 canister?

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'It never gets easier, you just get crazier.'

Here is what the U.S FAA says:

https://www.faa.gov/...more_info/?hazmat=11

"Carbon dioxide (CO2) and other nonflammable, nontoxic gases

Quantity limit: Up to four cartridges/cylinders containing nonflammable gas may be carried. Each cylinder must not exceed 50 ml (equivalent to 28 g carbon dioxide cartridge).

May be carried in checked baggage only.* Airline approval is required.

Cartridges/cylinders not installed in the device should be securely packed.

Compressed gas cylinders, canisters, and cartridges with a volume larger than 50 ml are forbidden in baggage unless covered by another exception in this table.

Though allowed in carry-on baggage and checked baggage under U.S. and international hazardous materials regulations, TSA security rules allow these cartridges in checked baggage only."

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My marathon PR is "under three, high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something."

But then there is what the airline says and what the TSA agent "thinks" is the rule... and then there is the current "threat-level" that may turn every nail file into a weapon of mass destruction.

I'd take it to court.

.

When was the last time the airline checked the content of your carry-on bag? :)

I bookmarked the link from the FAA URL and will print it out before my next travel. The rule was kind of uprising to me before I Google it. I knew about the 2 cartridge rule if it was attached to a life vest, but not about this one.

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My marathon PR is "under three, high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something."

Threat level is low right now.....they can change that rule within a week or two.

The TSA website is quite explicit about CO2 cartridges being banned (except for life vests) and they are the ones who make the final decision to let something through or not....not the FAA.

Actually, planes are full of them. It's a dumb rule by TSA. In Australia and NZ you can take 2 as carry on if you want.

Anyway as I said the plane is full of them.

How do you think the life jacket inflate? By magic?

They use CO2.

#dumbTSArules

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I dont think it is banned. TSA I guy took mine last year as well, which was annoying, but he was one of these Sheriff types enjoying his "authority", so just let it go, but here a link to FAA page

https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/hazmat_safety/more_info/?hazmat=11


Here an example what an airline says:

• Self-inflating devices or equipment containing compressed gas cylinders are allowed as long as the cylinders are less than 50 milliliters (mL). A total of four (4) cylinders may be carried if installed inside the device or as spares. (e.g., rafts or paintball cartridges). For self-inflating life jackets, see Personal Flotation Devices.

Sounds like a friend of mine who does pyros/explosives/IED training. She has to carry a letter of certification and other supporting docs whenever she travels.

Too bad that the people making the rules have no idea of engineering or physics....

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!
Adam Savage

And theatre it is.

If you want to stop planes being used as weapons against anyone but those on board, lock the cockpit.
The rest is mostly for show. It's all reactionary and half-assed. Logic is not a big factor!

I've had a tiny nail clipper I forgot to put in my checked baggage confiscated and yet I can buy a 1 litre glass bottle full of flammable liquid in duty free and bring it on board with me. Now which do we really think is a more credible weapon? A 40mm long blunt nail file (my house or car key would do more damage) or a glass bottle that could be smashed over a seat and used as a stabbing weapon and the contents ignited.

People are scared of planes. Provide a lot of officialdom and spectacle around security and they put their fears to one side and carry on. Sometimes I hate people....

actually they do the bigger issue is that the science / engineering gets diluted through the politics of attempting to get all member states on board

every packaging group has experts - engineers - supporting requirements. however, rail and road (tunnels) have differing requirements from air to sea and whilst the underlying principles are similar, each state and each transport mode places additional requirements above and beyond the minimum requirement

Is that because the cartridge has near 850 psi of CO2 in it and the atmospheric change from 14.5 psia to 7 psia might overwhelm the packaging?

Coming back from Roth last year I was asked in the airport if my bike bag had any CO2 cartridges. I said no but I forgot my Xlab maintenance bottle was inside the bag with two cartridges. I was in the lounge with my family when my name was mentioned in the sound system asking to go back to the luggage security inspection line. I went there and saw two guys operating the X-Ray with a box *full* of CO2 cartridges and a bunch of skinny people opening bike bags and removing pieces of "illegal" stuff. :) Fun.

Uncle Phil wrote:

The TSA website is quite explicit about CO2 cartridges being banned (except for life vests) and they are the ones who make the final decision to let something through or not....not the FAA.

Get a lifevest that uses the same size you use for a bike and it's a win-win!

The XF-35 uses 2 16 gram CO2 cartridges.

https://www.inflatablesintl.com/product/eastern-aero-marine-vests-xf-35-life-vest/