Traveling with an External Hard Drive

[Samara]

Does anyone have any experience taking an EDD on an airplane. I have a big trip planned this weekend and really want to take the EDD. I don't have any room left in my carry-on. I do have the original box and packing for the EDD and I plan on putting it in the middle of all my clothes. Do you think this will be a problem? Thanks for the help!

[premier]

I wouldn't do it. Isn't luggage x rayed? And the temperature in the luggage area could be bad for the hard drive. It may well also look suspecious.

[Samara]

So, do you think it will be a problem for me to carry it on?

[shazzt]

Why not give whoever it is that does the baggage screening a call and ask them - I'm sure it is a situation they must have met before. Be on the safe side and back up before you go though - trust no one!!

[jtaubman]

Personally I would not put a hard drive in the check-in luggage.

What I normally do to optimise the space in my hand luggage is to put all the chargers and power supplies in my check-in luggage, but anything else is carried on.

[Amanda]

Yeah, I wouldn't put it in check-in - But I have carried one on before :)

[Samara]

It looks like I'll be carrying it on. I had to make room in my backpack. Honestly I think I'm trying to bring way to much. I'll have the laptop, the DSLR, EDD, and don't forget about magazines and such!

Thanks again everyone!

[LadynRed]

Airline x-rays will do nothing to harm a hard drive. The equipment simply isn't that powerful and x-rays don't do any harm to MAGNETIC media anyway. Now, if you were to run it thru an MRI it would be toast ;)

I definitely wouldn't check it, they'll destroy it. Carry-on shouldn't be a big deal, but they may want to open your bag at the security check point.