Most of the detectors I see in hardware stores are First Alert brand, about the size of your hand. Do they make smaller detectors with an alarm that are easier to pack?
In my many trips to SE Asia across 3 separate countries, it's very commonplace for people to use propane burning stoves to cook inside. They're usually set up near a window, but still inside. That always made me nervous with the burner inside sitting near a window, but with no fan. When I voiced my concern to friends I was visiting, they looked at me like I was crazy, telling me they've been doing this for decades.