Taking a Flight With Hiking & Camping Gear: What You Can (and Can't) Pack

Got a hike coming up but it means jumping on a flight? I've been there. Both my Wilsons Prom Southern Circuit and Thorsborne Trail multi-day hikes required I hop on a flight to reach them.

While not overly complicated, there are a few things you need to think about before you arrive unprepared at the airport. Always double check the airline's own website ahead of travel since rules can be updated. Here's a practical rundown on gas, sharp items, stoves, batteries, and everything in between.

happy hikers having flown to Townsville to hike the Thorsborne Trail

What to Watch Out For

🔥 Gas and liquid fuel: Banned in both checked and carry-on, no exceptions. Arrange to buy it at your destination.

🥾 Trekking poles, tent pegs, knives: All must go in your checked luggage only.

🍳 Camp stoves: Checked luggage only, and only if completely clean and fuel smell free.

🔋 Batteries and power banks: Carry-on only, never checked.

⛺ Everything else (tent, sleeping bag, backpack, cookware): Fine in checked luggage.

🔥 Gas Canisters and Camping Fuel

This is the one that catches people out most often. Butane, isobutane, propane, metho, and any other flammable camping fuel is classified as dangerous goods and is banned from both checked and carry-on baggage, on every airline, domestic or international. It doesn't matter if the canister is full, half-used, or "basically empty," airlines won't take the risk.

The fix is simple: buy your gas once you land. Just double-check it'll actually be available where you're headed. When we did the Wilsons Prom Southern Circuit, our Melbourne based friends bought some for us, whereas on the Thorsborne Trail, we arranged to buy gas from the boat transfer operator.

🥾 Trekking Poles, Tent Pegs and Knives

Anything that counts as a sharp or blunt object, trekking poles, tent stakes, camping knives, multi-tools, ice axes, needs to travel in checked luggage. None of it is allowed through security in your carry-on, even if it seems harmless. If you're used to hiking with poles strapped to your daypack, remember to shift them into your checked bag before you get to the airport, not at the check-in counter when you're already running late.

Another option is to strap them to the side of your bag, tucking the point ends into the side pouch, and covering the outside of your pack with a rain cover or specialised travel cover.

🍳 Camp Stoves

Camp stoves can go in checked luggage, but only if they're completely clean, dry, and free of any fuel smell. Both Qantas and Jetstar will inspect stoves at check-in, and if there's any hint of residual fuel odour, the item gets denied.

Gas canister stoves (the small screw-top disposable cartridge type) generally don't need any special approval on Qantas or Jetstar, as long as they're clean. Liquid-fuel stoves are a bit more involved: Qantas requires you to complete a declaration and flushing procedure form before check-in, confirming the fuel tank has been drained and left to air out (they specify draining for at least an hour and leaving it uncapped for six hours minimum) with no strong smell of fuel remaining. Virgin Australia asks you to contact their team directly ahead of travel for camping stoves rather than filling in a form online. Worth sorting this the night before your flight rather than trying to scrub out a fuel bottle in an airport bathroom.

We’ve been using this super compact camping stove for years. It’s perfect for backpacking trips as it's light, and great value!

🔋 Batteries and Power Banks

Spare batteries and power banks always travel in carry-on, never checked, because of fire risk. This includes spare batteries for headlamps, GPS devices, or camera gear, and any power bank you're using to charge your phone on trail. All three major carriers, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia, are consistent on this one.

If you're carrying a larger power bank, it's worth knowing there are capacity limits: banks under 100 watt-hours are generally fine without any approval, 100-160Wh usually needs airline approval and is capped at two spares, and anything above 160Wh typically isn't allowed at all. Most phone-charging power banks sit well under 100Wh, but it's worth checking the label if you've got a bigger one for charging multiple devices.

One more thing worth checking before you fly: Virgin Australia currently bans several specific power bank models that have been subject to safety recalls, including some from Belkin, Anker, ESR and Baseus, from all their flights entirely, checked or carry-on. If your power bank is a few years old, it's worth a quick search of the manufacturer and model against the ACCC's recall list before you pack it.

hiking Wilsons Prom Southern Circuit

✅ Pre-Flight Packing Checklist

• Before you head to the airport, run through this:

• Empty and clean any stove or fuel bottles, no smell, no residue.

• Move trekking poles, tent stakes, and knives into checked luggage.

• Move spare batteries and power banks into carry-on, and check yours isn't on a recall list.

• Leave gas canisters at home and plan where you'll buy fuel at your destination.

• Check your specific airline's dangerous goods page if you're carrying anything unusual (avalanche airbags, CO2 cartridges, liquid-fuel stoves), since approval requirements vary.

• Give yourself extra time at check-in if you're flying straight off the trail, gear often needs last-minute shuffling between bags.

None of this is complicated once you know it, it's just easy to forget when you're exhausted at the end of a hike and trying to make a flight. Sort your gas, your sharp items, and your batteries the night before, and check-in will be the easiest part of your trip home.

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