High altitude vaping

[DkGanz]

This is completely obvious to me now, but in the melee of planning and packing for a week long camping/fishing trip in the high sierras, I made a terrible mistake.
I packed up a couple Mods, eight batteries, a charger, a dozen tanks, and bottles of juice to refill them.
Everything was great until I arrived at my destination some 10,000 feet higher than my home.
The lower air pressure caused all of my tanks to leak. Massively!
The Vivi Novas dumped at least half their contents, while the Kanger Protanks(with their bottom feeding wicks) voided themselves of almost every last drop. My girlfriend's Kanger T3's(also bottom feeders) faired just as bad as my Pros.
What a mess!!!
So if you're planning a trip involving a significant increase in altitude I suggest that you drain your tanks before leaving and fill them when you get there. You'll be much happier for it.

 

[VapeSnake_Eric]

Very Interesting....

 

[stormwench]

Makes sense and less people probably think about it even with flying because most likely their vaping supplies ride in the cabin with them. Although I had not pre-filled tanks I had several bottles leak all over in my checked baggage on a flight where baggage was not in a pressurized area. I had no one to blame but myself because I knew things like shampoo and lotion in full bottles could leak and always carry them in plastic bags but just tucked my juices inside the suitcase and did not think twice about the effect of altitude on them. Now I carry bottle in carry on even if it does slow me down at security

 

[DesmondTheMoonbear]

Makes sense and less people probably think about it even with flying because most likely their vaping supplies ride in the cabin with them. Although I had not pre-filled tanks I had several bottles leak all over in my checked baggage on a flight where baggage was not in a pressurized area. I had no one to blame but myself because I knew things like shampoo and lotion in full bottles could leak and always carry them in plastic bags but just tucked my juices inside the suitcase and did not think twice about the effect of altitude on them. Now I carry bottle in carry on even if it does slow me down at security

Unless the cabin is being pressurized to the EXACT pressure of the destination from which you depart, kangers will leak in the cabin as well, it's happened to me on several occasions


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[Ken62]

I just flew last week and had my bottles and tanks in the cabin with me. The Vivi Nova and my wife's Mini Vivi didn't leak a drop but my plastic bottle leaked a little tiny bit. Good thing I had it in a plastic baggy with only it and my wife's bottle of juice in it.

 

[Tenzo]

I would have never thought of the altitude issues. Thank you for the useful information.

 

[Killowatt]

Thanks for posting this, I'll be flying soon for the first time with vaping gear. My plan is to have an ego with a evod on it, and carry it upside down, so I can vape at the airport while waiting. Everything else will be empty after reading this.

 

[S1LV3R]

I ran into that problem just a few days after i started vaping. I had a cartomizer tank and they just kept flooding even after inserting new ones(pressure feed). I havent had that issue with the clearomizers(vivi nova, Kanger Protank) as of yet. But thanks for the heads up!!

 

[PineTopPete]

Thanks for posting this, I do head up to the mountains (higher elevations) and I'll definitely go up with empty tanks and pay more attention.

 

[nartnailuj]

I just flew to maui this weekend and no leaks for me in the plane. We visited a volcano and we were at 3000< elevation and it was really hard to vape. I wasnt getting good hits. It was very weird. if u arent that high up, you'll be fine. we were actually above the clouds too.

 

[DkGanz]

I just flew to maui this weekend and no leaks for me in the plane. We visited a volcano and we were at 3000< elevation and it was really hard to vape. I wasnt getting good hits. It was very weird. if u arent that high up, you'll be fine. we were actually above the clouds too.

I think if you carry on your tanks things will be fine since the cabin is pressurized. But if its in your checked luggage, which may be put in a part of the plane without pressurization, you may be in for some problems. As for the elevation, I took mine up to 10,000 feet, so maybe 3,000 wasn't quite enough to cause any serious pressure differential. Although, my girlfriend said she noticed a little leaking when we reached Bishop, CA which is at about 4,500 feet.(It would have been nice if she had said something!) But, airlines fly at 30,000 feet! Three times higher than where I met catastrophe! I'm fairly certain you're in for some kind of trouble.
Also, it did seem like I couldn't get good hits at first, but then after a while things just "seemed" normal. I have no explanation for that one. Weird!

 

[Bullette the Cowdog]

Commercial planes pressurized cabin is about 6,000- 7,000 ft. So you may be cruzing @ 30,000-37,000...but you're comfortable at about 7,000 in the cabin. Also the hold where your pets fly is also pressurized.

Blue skies. Vape on.

 

[patkin]

I live in Arizona high country. My home is at 5000 feet where I fill my tanks and I recently made a trip to Phoenix (the Valley or low elevation.) None of my erolls leaked in either direction so I don't know if the device has a bearing on it.

 

[DkGanz]

I live in Arizona high country. My home is at 5000 feet where I fill my tanks and I recently made a trip to Phoenix (the Valley or low elevation.) None of my erolls leaked in either direction so I don't know if the device has a bearing on it.

Yeah, it definitely could be a device specific thing. I had ViviNovas and Kanger Protanks and T3s. Or, it may require a drastic change in air pressure. From my house(elevation 23 feet) to my destination(10,000 feet) is a serious change in air pressure. It's actually quite hard to breathe up there since there's roughly 30% less available oxygen. From your home (5000 feet) to Phoenix(1,150 feet) may not have been enough differential to cause the leakage. I also noticed no leakage coming down from that higher elevation because(I'm assuming) the air was pushing its way into the tank instead of out. After losing 30+ mls of juice and a really messy cleanup, I'm traveling empty for now on.

 

[VictorViper]

I wonder if this is something to be concerned with if you use a Ucan. Given how it works, it may spill its guts too.

 

[lumere]

thanks for helpful info - heading to rockies soon

 

[Robino1]

As for flying, Vivi's can leak even in the pressurized cabin. It really depends on how well the pressurization is. Sometimes they leak, sometimes they don't. Just to be safe, only have one filled and carry the rest empty. Squeeze the air out of the bottles and put them in a plastic Baggie. I use freezer bags. They just seem thicker and less likely to split.

Here's a trick I use for the shampoo, conditioner etc... bottles in checked luggage: take the cap off, place a folded piece of glad wrap on the opening, screw cap back on. While screwing the cap back on, let the wrap move around or it might tear. I've not had any leakage since doing this. I still place them in ziplock freezer bags just in case.

 

[JMarca]

Same problem with airplanes and cabin pressure, I usually empty my tanks before and just refill either after I land or in flight if I want a quick vape or two.

 

[DREDD2970]

Work takes me from Lakewood CO 5,480 ft to Leadville CO 10,152 feet, never ran into a issue with tank leaking on a Kanger mini pro 2 or my pro 2 but i vape like a madman while driving lol

 

[Ryedan]

Thanks for the heads up. I would not have thought about this either until seeing the mess!