Wondering if I can carry on synthetic ice in a small cooler bag or if they'll consider it liquids? Don't want to lose all my good cheeses!! Any thoughts appreciated.

You are allowed 3.4 oz or 100ml total. Total the near liquid and the cheese/food. All that kind of stuff should be checked or left at home. It is all that stuff that creates the lines and slows all of us down. If there is any doubt or anything out of the ordinary from fashion to food the best thing for public safety and the courtesy of your fellow passengers is to check it or leave it at home.

"You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in your carry-on bag and through the checkpoint. These are limited to travel-sized containers that are 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item. Placing these items in the small bag and separating from your carry-on baggage facilitates the screening process. Pack items that are in containers larger than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters in checked baggage."

Yes, depending on the tools and machines at your airport security station coupled with the screener you are dealing with you may get through in some airports some of the time. Until you don't and you are delayed and your stuff taken to be destroyed.



When in doubt leave it at home or check it.

This about says it all on the TSA and gels!
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/24fc3124ab/homeland-security-refresher-on-liquids-and-gels-snl

We recently had frozen chili confiscated. The amount of liquid in the chili was trivial. It was nearly freeze dried. But who can argue.

If it was more than 3.4 oz and not inside a single one quart clear container you cannot argue and just be thankful you did not get a fine in the mail for carrying contraband(Prohibited Items). Consider for a moment what someone could have inside an item marked or appearing to be "frozen chili".

I carry refrigerated medication when I travel and the ice pack is never questioned or even looked at. It is well over 3.4 oz and is often partially melted by the time I get there. This is explicitly allowed for medication.

The TSA site says ice packs for non-medical purposes must be frozen solid or they won't be allowed unless under 3.4 oz (which is unlikely.)

I also once had a frozen water bottle I was using to ice the medication, and they questioned it because it was starting to melt. This was in STT. I invited them to pitch it if it was a problem, and I also offered to open it and drink the liquid leaving only ice. They discussed it for a few seconds and let me keep it as it was. This took all of about 60 seconds and inconvenienced no one.

What's the risk? Worst case you lose your ice pack, and improvise something with plastic bags and ice cubes from a concession when you're through security. You're not going to get thrown in jail as long as you're nice about it.

There's nothing unreasonable about what you want to do. As long as you're willing to be flexible it'll probably be fine. And, if you are just trying to do this on the way down to the BVI, you may be fairly close to the airport and in a cold weather city, so appreciable melting before reaching TSA will be unlikely. Returning and taking a ferry ride in hot weather is another story - that's why my water bottle started to melt before I got to STT.

And no, I won't bake you a cake with a file in it if I'm wrong...

Good cheese is priceless. I'd put it in your checked bag.

I would never put ANYTHING I consider 'priceless' (or even fairly expensive) in a checked bag. Just sayin'..

Re bringing chili..my wife brings Carol Shelby's ( Yes the Cobra guy) boxed ingredients and buys the rest of the stuff locally. Between Tortola and Sonoma she has won many accolades..no need to bring frozen stuff..BTW..We will be having some of that award winning Chili tonight!

We have used polar bear cooler as carry on with the rectangular shaped plastic "blue ice" many times too and from STT airport. As long as they are frozen no problem. Once I forgot to refreeze them for the return trip and in the garbage the went at TSA.

Thanks All