Flying Internationally with Backpack Checked

Usually countries will list what food items that you cannot bring.  With respect to backpacking foods, the typical restrictions include jerky and salami: basically undercooked meats.  Dairy items tend to be on the list as well.  Some countries may request that your gear (tents & boots) be cleaned particularity if you have camped near pastures or have been around farm animals (varies country to country).

Have fun

Yeah, dairy, non-pasteurized cheeses, meats, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables are often prohibited.  Leaving and re-entering the US, I make an annoyingly exhaustive list, “dried fruit, roasted nuts, instant rice,” etc AND go in the special line for “anything to declare” to say, “I have dried backpacking food with me” and they ask, “Any fresh fruits?” and I say no, and they say thanks.

People tramping in Britain during the last Mad Cow scare were being asked about their boots but only made to step through a chemical bath with their boots on.  You should do a reasonable job of cleaning your tent (shake it out, invert it, shake it out again) – they may ask if you’ve cleaned it.

No fuel and no strike-anywhere matches (in checked or carry on).  But you are allowed one book of safety (non-strike anywhere) matches as a carry-on item, but all matches are prohibited in checked baggage.  You are also allowed one regular butane lighter as carry on.  Not the “torch” or “cigar” style with the hotter flame.  No lighters in your checked bags unless in a special TSA-approved container, so you might as well buy more when you get there.  If you can’t, I strongly suspect a ferro-rod and steel in your checked bag would be fine but I didn’t find an answer to that.  I usually carry two mini-Bic lighters backpacking, but single Bic (allowed in carry-on) plus a ferro-rod would be another way to be similar redundant (actually better if everything gets soaked).

Although butane canister stoves have almost no odor on them, I detach them from the canister and let them air out for a few days to eliminate any residual smell.  Put them in the hot sun or a warm room in your house to “bake off” any last odors.   All stoves have to be able to pass a “sniff test” and white gas stove are very, very difficult to get that clean.

http://blog.tsa.gov/2014/05/tsa-travel-tips-travel-tips-for.html

But, for all items, it is up to the discretion of the screener.

I have gotten through with tent stakes so far on several occasions in my carry on, but I always wondered whether they would be confiscated.

I have heard of too many people having trekking poles confiscated.

“I understand that I won’t be able to bring matches, a lighter, or alcohol fuel on the plane”

To foot-stomp what David says above, matches and a lighter are not allowed in checked baggage, but are allowed in carry-on.

Also, not sure if this is helpful, but:

Foodstuffs not subject to veterinary checks under Directive 97/78/EC in accordance with Article 6.1. (b) of this Decision

Biscuits
Bread
Cakes
Chocolate
Confectionery (including sweets) Unfilled gelatine capsules

Food supplements packaged for the final consumer, containing small amounts of animal product, and those including glucosamine, chondroitin, or chitosan.

Meat extracts and meat concentrates.
Olives stuffed with fish.
Pasta and noodles not mixed or filled with meat product.

Soup stocks and flavourings packaged for the final consumer, containing meat extracts, meat concentrates, animal fats, or fish oils, powders or extracts.

The preceding was from here. If you’re having trouble sleeping, no doubt this document can help….

Most of this has been covered but here’s another link.

http://www.tullverket.se/en/private/travellingtosweden/food.4.7df61c5915510cfe9e75b19.html

I’ve found that I like to navigate through customs as pain free as possible so I always plan on arriving without any food.   Any time you can avoid answering “yes” to the “are you bringing in X” questions, I typically think is a good idea.  For clarity, I’m not implying anyone should lie on their customs form but my personal preference is to pay the premium to buy local food than deal with an invitation for secondary inspection.  YMMV.

I don’t know if this applies to the whole EU, but one of the things banned for bringing in to the UK is honey (as well as dairy and meat products). But, I’ve never been checked for food stuffs on entry to the UK, though presumably it does happen and Sweden may be different.

Knit-picking and I apologise in advance, but that would have been foot and mouth disease, not mad cow @davidinkenai.

Thank you for the help!

My confusion stems from what seems like an inconsistency on the Swedish Customs website. On this page, it says “Food stuff from a country outside of the EU can not be brought to Sweden without a permit from the Swedish Board of Agriculture.” This seems like a blanket statement meaning I can’t bring food from the US to Sweden. However, this page (which Ian shared) specifies food items that can’t be transported from outside the EU like meat and dairy. To me this seems contradictory.

To clarify, do we think that food items are allowed unless stated otherwise, as in the document Doug shared? Assuming that, I’ll just have to ensure that the food I’m bringing is allowed. I think I’ll be mostly in the clear as all my meals are vegetarian or vegan.

You’re right, WIlliam. That more recent one was Foot and Mouth (and would be transmittable on gear) not the earlier Mad Cow issue (take no parts of unsound cows with you??).

I passed on this one first because I thought someone would know directly and didn’t think it would be so complicated, sorry for that. Anyway, I have looked through some of Tullverkets and Jordbruksverkets Swedish webpages and they are maybe clearer than the English ones on what applies for personal use on one hand,  and for import on the other hand.  I came up with this:

Short version:

As long as you only bring vegetable based food (as I think you intend to do) for personal use worth less than 4 300 SEK, you should be fine. Above 4300 SEK you will have to pay duty but it is still OK to bring it in. Restrictions based on kind of food only apply and food of animal origin. If it is of animal origin it gets more complicated. This probably applies for the whole EU but I haven’t really checked that.

Gunnar, thanks for chiming in here! In the email notification I got for your post in this thread, your post extended with a detailed “Long version…” which for some reason isn’t appearing in your post here. I appreciate your thoroughness!

The only diary product I’d like to bring is a small amount of powdered milk mixed in with bags of oatmeal. I don’t think this will pose a problem, but I’d be curious if anyone disagrees.

Generally dairy is not allowed and I cant find anywhere that milk powder is an exception (without special permissions etc.). So the conclusion from that must be that it is not allowed to bring. I did however send a mail to Jordbruksverket to get an answer straight from them, after all they set the rules. I haven’t got any answer yet, I will come back when I have.

I deleted “the long version” because the BPL parser got a bit upset when it should publish the text I copied from Google translate. It also was a lot of information but didn’t really provide so much that looked useful for you. You find the deleted information in this link if you want to google translate yourself:

http://www.jordbruksverket.se/amnesomraden/djur/produkterfrandjur/inochutforsel/livsmedelochfoderforpersonligtbruk.106.5586fdf512e8fc79a8480001272.html

Again, thank you Gunnar! You’ve been incredibly helpful in my trip preparation, and now you’ve outdone yourself.

I am glad to hear you find it useful. Unfortunately, I have not yet received any answer from Jordbruksverket, we just have to wait and see. If you give it a try anyway it is probably wise to keep it in an unopened can though the customs and mix it with oatmeal in Sweden. It is easy to find milk powder is Sweden, but without car and with limited time it can be more difficult since you probably will not find it in the smaller supermarkets in central Stockholm. Are you staying overnight in Stockholm? If you do, when do you arrive?

Edit: I did actually get the email from Jordbruksverket now. You are not allowed to bring milk powder with you (without special permissions etc. …).

Sorry for my delayed response, I’ve been very busy with preparing for my travels! I arrive in Stockholm tomorrow, and spend a couple of nights, so I should have time to get supplies. Again, thank you Gunnar for all the time you’ve invested in helping me plan this trip.