The Sneaky Trick To Bring Bottled Water Through Airport Security

If you're like most people, you find the 3-1-1 liquids rule when flying to be annoying. Sure, companies have made money coming up with products and kits that contain 3.4 ounces or less of liquids, and by now, you probably have a zillion tiny bottles in your bathroom cabinet so you can take the things you use at home with you on trips. But that doesn't make it any less annoying, particularly if you don't want to pay a ridiculous amount of money for water at the airport once you're through security. TikTok user @kazsawyer tried the trick of freezing water in a bottle and taking it through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) line, which they recorded. They purchased a regular bottle of water, froze it solid, and left it out in the open in a TSA bin so it was clear what it was. The hack actually worked.

It makes sense that people would want to try this. After all, you do have to hydrate yourself, and after playing for a plane ticket, airport parking or a ride there, and probably food of some sort, the cost can add up quickly. This rule isn't going away anytime soon, as the TSA recently said that it'll likely be in place until at least 2040. While the TikTok video showed the hack working as planned, there are some things you should know before you try it yourself. 

Ice can indeed get past the TSA, but only if it's completely frozen. The official TSA website does state this clearly. However, it also says that there cannot be any liquid at the bottom. If it melts at all, or even if it's slushy, that disqualifies it — though notably, this does not cover medically necessary gel ice packs, which don't have to be completely frozen.

The bottle in the TikTok video, which you can watch below, is certainly frozen. The thing is, if you end up flying on a day when it's warm, you'll have to have that frozen bottle in your transportation to the airport, and then the whole time you wait in the security line. You may get through the airport faster with TSA PreCheck, but that doesn't mean the ice is going to wait to melt if the line is long there, too. 

@kazsawyer

We successfully snuck water past TSA!👀💦#fyp

♬ Mission Impossible Theme (Movie Trailer Mix) – Dominik Hauser

The other issue is that you have to melt the ice on the other side of TSA security, this liquid is presumably to drink in the airport instead of buying another bottle. That means you have to stand in the airport bathroom (another place that often has lines) and run it under hot water for a while. It seems like a lot of work for a single bottle of water. Instead, bring your reusable water bottle through security empty. Most airports have somewhere you can fill it, whether it's a filling station or a water fountain. It's less work, and that way you'll have your reusable bottle for the whole trip.