Flying with Ink Bottles

Soon enough, I will be moving overseas, and that will include bringing over my ink bottles. I have 4 along with a bunch of ink samples. I think that the samples will be easy enough to close tightly and toss into a bag or something, but the bottles might be a problem. What is the best way to fly with ink bottles? Is it safe to leave them in checked luggage, or should I bring them in carry-on? Should I try padding the bottles after placing them in bags?

FYI, I have a half-full eyedropper Noodler’s bottle, a 3/4 full 50 mL Iroshizuku bottle, a 3/4 full Colorverse bottle, and a mostly full Pelikan 4001 bottle.

I normally pack ink in a zip-lock plastic bag, and place either some paper towel or cloth rag inside in case there is any leakage. I normally have placed these items in my regular checked in luggage/suitcase.
Also, I often wrap up my inked pens this way too on intercontinental long flights.
I have never experienced any serious leaks of spills on flights.

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Okay, thank you! Will the temperature in the luggage hold be high enough to prevent the inks from freezing?

I have traveled with full bottles in my luggage. I recommend checking the caps are tight enough, some have suggested using packing tape to be sure they don’t wiggle loose. Then I ziploc them individually and pad them with bubble wrap. I suggest bagging that again just to be sure in case of breakage but also the secret to great packing is to make sure breakables don’t get tossed around. I find slightly over stuffing luggage, using packing cubes and the internal straps helps the natural settling not to affect the contents as much. The more it’s tossed around inside the bag the more chance of issues. And naturally clothes (padding) on either side is also important. Hope that helps! Bon Voyage!

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Thank you, although my trip isn’t for another few months, I will still keep those things in mind!

HI!
I’ve flown many times from Korea to Singapore and to the US with way too many bottles. (Two months ago, I brought 22 bottles back!) I’ve never had any problems. It’s a good idea to check that they are tightly closed, but bottles should be fine. I just put them in in a shopping bag in the base of the suitcase. I wrap a couple of pieces of clothing around the whole group for padding, put socks or something near the corners and a layer of clothing on the very bottom.

I would be much more worried about samples, though. I’d say 5-10% of the time that I’ve ordered them through the mail, I’ve opened the package to find a mess from a leaky sample vial. Even though they are bubble wrapped and packaged tightly, those vials are not all equally sound. With any luck, you shouldn’t have a problem with the bottles, but the samples deserve extra care.

Good luck!

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