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The "no liquids above 3.4 oz" rule is one of the weirdest, most eye-rolling rules passengers have to deal with at the TSA checkpoint. I could rant about how silly it is that we still follow this rule with the tech we have in 2024, but that's a story for another time. For now, we're stuck with little travel containers, and any committed hydrator either has to lug around an empty bottle till they find a refill station, or buy one of those overpriced water bottles from the shop.
It's technically a small inconvenience, but all those little inconveniences at the airport add up to one big nuisance. But what if you could eliminate one of the inconveniences by sneaking a full bottle of water through security? It sounds risky, but travel pro Jordan Egbert had an idea:
At first, Jordan ( @countingcountries on TikTok) makes it look easy. Sure, liquids aren't allowed through the security checkpoint , but ice is a solid, so Jordan froze his water bottle and took it to the airport. I honestly didn't expect this loophole to work, but the security agents let him through, so what do I know? So long, $10 airport water bottles!
Related: TSA Confirms the Scary Truth About People Bypassing Airport Security
I've gotta admit, though, this travel hack lost some of its shine once Jordan had to figure out how to make that water usable again. Thawing it under the bathroom sink took too long, so he had to get hot tea water at the airport lounge , which was messy, but worked. By that time, though, he'd jumped through so many hoops (and gone to an airport lounge where he could get free water anyway) that he'd just be better off bringing an empty reusable bottle through and filling it at a refill station. This hack shows promise, but it needs a little reworking.
Will This Trick Actually Work?
Before that, though, I wanted to confirm that this trick would actually work for the average person who tried it. Travel "hacks" that seemingly exploit bureaucratic loopholes can be risky, and I didn't know if Jordan just got lucky here.
However, the TSA actually confirms that this could work! According to the TSA website, " Frozen liquid items are allowed through the checkpoint as long as they are frozen solid when presented for screening. If frozen liquid items are partially melted, slushy, or have any liquid at the bottom of the container, they must meet 3-1-1 liquid requirements."
If you can keep that thing frozen solid all the way through the line, you're (most likely) good. Of course, I can't speak for every TSA agent , and even the website notes that the final decision rests with the officer. Your bottle might still get tossed if you encounter a real stickler, but at least you shouldn't get in trouble for trying!
Reworking This Hack
That's one hurdle cleared, but this trick still needs a little modification- see Jordan's struggles to thaw it out. A solid 16-oz water bottle's worth of ice sitting at room temperature would likely take a couple hours to thaw completely, so you're either going to have to play a waiting game or jump through hoops to thaw it out faster. Either way, not very convenient.
But one TikTok user, @thatonesaying, proposed a happy medium to this dilemma: "The secret is to drink half of it, freeze it sideways, make sure that the hole isn't covered, and once you get through, refill it up half with regular water and your water will be cold."
Now that sounds like a plan to me!
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