Travel tip- how to carry your bottle of water through TSA security

One of the frustrations with the current 3 oz liquid restriction (all items must fit in a qt sized bag) is that you are without water once you get inside the airport.  I'm seeing more people carrying empty water bottles through security so they can fill them with water once they complete the security process.

Last week, I ran into a former co-worker at the airport and she had a frozen bottle of water with her.  She said the TSA agents at the airport said it was fine to bring it through security if its frozen.  It doesn't count as a liquid, so there's no 3 oz restriction.  The trick is to get it out of the freezer right before leaving for the airport so it doesn't melt.  Keep in mind that as the ice melts, moisture forms on the outside of the bottle so its going to be wet if you don't have some type of cover over the bottle.  My friend uses a sock.

I do not know if the bottle has to be clear (ie not colored metal) to pass TSA inspections.  Several stores sell clear plastic, re-usable bottles.  If you test one in the freezer, make sure when you fill it to leave plenty of room for expansion or it might crack. 

More and more aiports are providing water refill stations

I'm not seeing them in all airports, but maybe as airports replace old water fountains, they'll replace them with ones as shown in the photo above.

Hope the tip on the frozen water bottle is helpful!