Flying with my D10 and tritium vial?

Hi everyone,

I am aware there are many threads out there with many tales of airport security and what you can and can't take with you, however, my question is a little more specific... and i couldn't find a simple answer to my questions.

I fly tomorrow afternoon to Southern Ireland (part of the EU) on business and will only be taking carry on luggage. I plan to take my Nitecore D10 with a tritium vial (2x6mm) installed in the piston, so has anyone else flown with tritium markers on flashlights? Do security pick up on them? and is it worth the risk or should i just swap back to the normal piston? I am only flying one way as i will be driving back to England via a ferry from Dublin.

- Dan

Granted, i've never done that, much less tried on a UK/Ireland flight.

But given that stores inside the airports sell tritium watches, i would think it should be OK.

Here in the US there's a government site that lists the "do not carry" list. I would think the UK would have something similar.

i think it should be fine. I flew into england with 10 alkaline batteries. 3 flashlights, pelican and maglites..

i think if u were a tritium like luminox, or ball.. they wont expect u to throw the watch away... in my opinion

I just did a round trip from TX to NY with my EX10 w/trit. I placed it in my carry on laptop bag so I wouldn't have to remove more things from my pockets. There were no problems at the airports.

That sounds great! I've had a quick look on the department of transport's website and typed 'tritium' in the search box and nothing came up, so i can only assume there's no problem. Plus at the end of the day, i know what the stuff is and some science behind it, like it's a radioactive isotope of hydrogen and only emits low levels of radiation, that excite a phosphor coating on the inside of the glass vial.

If blinding them with science doesn't work... they usually have pre-paid envelopes to post stuff home anyway...

Thanks everyone for your comments, i'll feed back how it goes

- Dan

Personally i wouldnt do it. Radioactive Material is a prohibited substance in aeroplanes. They probably wouldnt know/ would check....

but its not too far in the future before people start realising that we have TRITIUM, a Radioactive substance.....

i dont anyway...just incase the have geiger counters somewhere...

Crenshaw

Ogg Vorbis said:

If blinding them with science doesn't work... they usually have pre-paid envelopes to post stuff home anyway...

Thanks everyone for your comments, i'll feed back how it goes

- Dan

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Hehe don't count on it, with the drones getting hired for airport security, the moment you try to blind them with radioactive science they'd blind you with pepperspray and taser.

I haven't traveled to/from Europe, but have done so to other international locations. No issues whatsoever with flashlights, batteries, GID sticks, and other glowing stuff.

For a domestic flight I would think it would not be a problem
BUT I would not take the risk.
Swap the piston out for a plain one and take the pre addressed
envelops with you as well ..... just incase they get funny at the gate

It should be no problem at all. I've been all over the world with a tritium watch (about 15 vials). I have also traveled with tritium vials in flashlights with no issue. Just don't a lot of questions about radioactivity and exploding Lion batteries at security screening and you should be set. I don't think there are any Geiger counters at screening due to the X-ray machines anyway, and even if there were, I doubt if it would pick up anything since the mean free path of electrons in solids is about 50 Angstroms.

I don't even think they have sensors strong enough to detect that tiny amount of radiation.

Wow, talk about between two minds...

Sounds like it shouldn't be a problem, but then again there is always the risk... but if i dont try it i'll never know. If some of you travel with a dozen vials on a watch i can't see the harm.

I just know i want to see the green glow at my bed side when i get over there!

I suppose i should be more worried about the wash stuff i need to take :thinking: after all that's what they're more concerned about.

- Dan

They won't even give the light a second glance. In the exceptionally unlikely event that they do, they'll just ask you to switch it on to prove it is what it appears to be.

The trit in the piston won't be noticed, and even if it is, just tell them it is glow-in-the-dark stuff, the same as used on watch dials (not a lie - trit vials are used on some watches, e.g. Traser).

That tiny amount of tritium represents zero risk to anyone, even if the vial breaks.

DM51 said:

They won't even give the light a second glance. In the exceptionally unlikely event that they do, they'll just ask you to switch it on to prove it is what it appears to be.

The trit in the piston won't be noticed, and even if it is, just tell them it is glow-in-the-dark stuff, the same as used on watch dials (not a lie - trit vials are used on some watches, e.g. Traser).

That tiny amount of tritium represents zero risk to anyone, even if the vial breaks.

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That's me convinced! Exactly what i wanted to hear, and sums it nicely. I'll just leave the D10 in my bag and not on my person.

So i should leave the light set on high just in case they decide to check it :naughty:

Bag as in carry on? I'd never put it in shipped luggage in case somebody like it more than I do.

Guy's Dropper said:

I don't even think they have sensors strong enough to detect that tiny amount of radiation.

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That's about what it amounts to. I've worn my Traser watch through the portal monitors at nuclear power plants (designed to pick up any radioactive contaminants that may be "hitching a ride" on your street clothes or shoes, etc.) without alarming. A frisker will also not detect any additional counts from the watch. I sincerely doubt that a) professional health physics personnel would be hired to monitor these instruments at the airport and that b) travelers would submit to standing still in a claustrophobic monitoring booth for a minute or two. Air travel is invasive enough without throwing this into the mix, not to mention the panic it may incite when something false alarms.

He's carrying a carry-on and that's all.

jchoo said:

That's about what it amounts to. I've worn my Traser watch through the portal monitors at nuclear power plants (designed to pick up any radioactive contaminants that may be "hitching a ride" on your street clothes or shoes, etc.) without alarming. A frisker will also not detect any additional counts from the watch. I sincerely doubt that a) professional health physics personnel would be hired to monitor these instruments at the airport and that b) travelers would submit to standing still in a claustrophobic monitoring booth for a minute or two. Air travel is invasive enough without throwing this into the mix, not to mention the panic it may incite when something false alarms.

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Or somebody claustrophobic panics in the portal monitor.

I have a tritium watch and the only danger it poses is to my wrist hair. Saying it's glow-in-the-dark like they use on nice watches is IMHO entirely truthful.

Crenshaw said:

Personally i wouldnt do it. Radioactive Material is a prohibited substance in aeroplanes. They probably wouldnt know/ would check....

but its not too far in the future before people start realising that we have TRITIUM, a Radioactive substance.....

i dont anyway...just incase the have geiger counters somewhere...

Crenshaw

Click to expand...

The Geiger counter won't give a reading since the beta radiation from the tritium is contained inside the vial (the ones at work don't give a reading at least ) My watch has 16 trits and I've flown with it a lot. As long as you don't ask the security guy permission you should have no trouble.

I don't think it is on any lists, it is harmless and shouldn't be, but asking a security guard whether it is ok to bring a radioactive item on the plane might not be wise..

Many people have an irrational fear of radioactivity and you might be delayed a while until somebody with knowledge made a decision.

Sverre

NoFair said:

The Geiger counter won't give a reading since the beta radiation from the tritium is contained inside the vial (the ones at work don't give a reading at least ) My watch has 16 trits and I've flown with it a lot. As long as you don't ask the security guy permission you should have no trouble.

I don't think it is on any lists, it is harmless and shouldn't be, but asking a security guard whether it is ok to bring a radioactive item on the plane might not be wise..

Many people have an irrational fear of radioactivity and you might be delayed a while until somebody with knowledge made a decision.

Sverre

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Unfortunately, it is entirely likely that the person who does make the decision will not be knowledgeable at all.

I haven't had my EX10 & Trit raise an eyebrow in that area of world nor domestic US. My lights & spare batts are always carry on.

Perhaps radiation detectors are tuned to more hazardous isotope wavelengths?