Insulated Cold Packs in cargo hold?

[DawnOfTheZed]

A couple of comments on luggage - a friend liked to rock up to checkin at last minute as didn't like waiting around. OK if she had carry on only but at least once the plane hold was full and the last few hold luggage were deliberately not loaded by the airline (budget) and put on the next flight. As she was not near the airport it took 3 days to get her luggage. A pain. I prefer to get there early and now enjoy a meal at the airport - more choice than the plane!

Next luggage thing, I was booked for a flight with stopover. Checkin desk assured me my hold luggage would go straight through. As I had time at the connecting airport I thought I'd check the baggage belt. Yup my luggage was there! So I picked it up and rechecked it in. If I hadn't looked, it would have stayed there whilst my plane and me took off. So I'll always check now. Better safe than sorry.

Re opening post - I keep all my essentials (stuff I couldn't buy easily abroad) in my carry on. I've found some foods brought back from hols have tasted funny after being in the hold (eg biscuits/cookies). I think it's the change in pressure down there? I wonder what it might do to meds?

 

[DCUKMod]

We just returned from a 3-day trip. I bought one of those insulated travel bags with the freezable gel packs, which I put in my carry-on bag with the open pen I was using and a second unopened one as a backup. One the way out, the TSA agent pulled my bag out for manual inspection. She dug into the bag and pulled out the insulated case and opened it. She felt the gel pack and said that it was OK because it was frozen solid. I got the impression that they would not have allowed it if it was not frozen.

Our hotel room had a frig but no freezer, so on the way back, the gel pack was not frozen. So I put gel pack and the case in my checked luggage and the open pen and the unopened pen into my carry on. It was not pulled out for inspection.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone know what the TSA rules are about insulated insulin travel cases?
2. Do they generally go through or get pulled out?
3. What would have happened if I had tried to go back with the unfrozen gel pack in my carry on? I was going to put it in the frig thinking that a cold gel pack would be better than nothing, but decided against it for fear that they would take it away.
   
4. What would happen if we were on an all-day trip with a change of planes and a second pass through security? If, due to the travel to the airport and all, the gel pack was not still frozen by the time we went through security a second time. Would they take it away?

1. If you have concerns about the TSA arrangements or rules, then I suggest you contact the TSA directly to pose your question. Posing such a question about a US department on a predominently UK based forum would not be my personal preferred source of rubust information. I'm not slighting any of our members or their expertise, but suggesting you go to those who know the answer to your question.
2. How would the TSA know there was something to "pull"?
3. My speculation, and it is purely that is if your gel pack were unfrozen, it would depend on the local rules for liquids in hand luggage. Since some unfortunate activities, many areas in the worl still restrict liquids in carry on luggage to individual items of less than 100ml volume, and only enough items to fit inside a specifc sized (about 6" x 6") ziplock bag. Anything larger is confiscated and destroyed.
4. No idea.

Sugar High, as others have suggested, there are alternative products, such as the Frio wallets and pouches which don't lead to all this potential drama, and are easier to maintain, even without a refrigerator. Personally? I'd swap to that solution and keep the gel filled pouches for keeping chocolate cold on summer days.

Do you have a relationship with the manufacturer of these gel filled pouches?

 

[Sugar High]

1. If you have concerns about the TSA arrangements or rules, then I suggest you contact the TSA directly to pose your question.

Obviously you have never tried to get information from a US government agency.

Posing such a question about a US department on a predominently UK based forum would not be my personal preferred source of rubust information. I'm not slighting any of our members or their expertise, but suggesting you go to those who know the answer to your question.

Is this forum only "predomanantly" UK based? Is it partially based somewhere other than the UK?

I understand that most of the users here are in the UK, but it is my experience that real people who actually do things in life know a lot more than most of the clods in government bureaucracies who are just reading from some script. But if I have offended you or contaminated your pristine UK forum, my apologies. I'll try to behave myself in the future.

2. How would the TSA know there was something to "pull"?

They run everything through a scanner (x-ray or something) and pull items that look suspicious. But I thought you were not interested in what we do over on this side of the pond.

Sugar High, as others have suggested, there are alternative products, such as the Frio wallets and pouches which don't lead to all this potential drama, and are easier to maintain, even without a refrigerator.

I have a Frio wallet. I am trying to explore all options. I am sorry that has upset you and others. Most of the "drama" has come from the Frio evangelists. I'm just collecting information.

Personally? I'd swap to that solution and keep the gel filled pouches for keeping chocolate cold on summer days.

Tell you what: you do it your way and I'll do it mine. OK? Besides, chocolate never lasts long enough around me to need to be kept cold.

Do you have a relationship with the manufacturer of these gel filled pouches?

Wow! Are you now accusing me of being a shill? I didn't accuse you of shilling for Frio. You do know that there is more that one way to do things, don't you?

 

[HSSS]

I was going to comment in an attempt to be helpful but am too scared to now

 

[Juicyj]

You have been told that it's dangerous storing insulin in the hold, if it freezes then it renders the insulin inefficient, Frio wallets are a widely used solution for keeping insulin cool hence why it's been mentioned, and you were asked a simple question in regards to having an affiliation with this product as you don't seem to be interested in looking at any other solution.

Please also take some time to read our forum rules, there is a link in my signature.

 

[EllieM]

T1 here, so without insulin I die, and quite quickly. (Never tried it but think I would be very very sick within 24 hours). I'm not sure how insulin works for T2s (I suspect it depends on whether you're injecting it as a supplement or whether you've stopped producing it altogether?) but maybe if you are going to experiment without it that should be done at home with the option to take some if you start to feel ill?

So, I'm obviously in the "take insulin in my hand luggage" brigade (and indeed I've been known to put spares in my husband's hand luggage too (on long overseas holidays). Generally my hand luggage for long trips consists of my meds and one change of clothing (tshirt, underwear, leggings), (plus my kindle as my electronic indulgence).

I've never pemanently lost hold luggage, but I've had it delayed by 24-72 hours. So I'd worry about temperature control during the extra transit time as well as insulin not freezing in the hold.

I've also invested in some relatively expensive hand luggage suitcases (the maximum size accepted by standard airlines, including ones like jetstar and ryanair, very light, with wheels). I can survive without a hold suitcase for a weekend, even when my meds are in the hand luggage.

So my advice would be : spare blood testing stuff in the hold, insulin and immediate meds in the carry-on. Worse case scenario, even a short flight can be delayed by several hours (or longer, if someone's decided to fly a drone in the air field). You'll want your medication.