I have a flight scheduled for 6am tomorrow and I need to pack my PC components—specifically my GPU, CPU, two RAM sticks, SSD, and HDD. Unfortunately, I can't order anything online or drive to a store to get antistatic bags. I'm looking for suggestions on what common household items I can use to protect these parts from damage during the flight. I'm only able to carry them in my carry-on bag since I can't take my entire PC case. Any quick advice would be appreciated, but please don't tell me what I should have done earlier!
2 Answers
I’d suggest wrapping your components in cotton t-shirts. It's not the perfect solution, but it should provide some cushioning. Just make sure everything is well-covered to minimize the risk of damage.
If you want some kind of protection similar to antistatic bags, try this: first wrap the components in plain paper, then cover them in aluminum foil, and finally wrap everything with something soft, like clothes. It’s not as ideal as a real ESD bag, but it should help shield against static and minor bumps.
So just to clarify, it would go like this? Component -> Paper (like printer paper) -> aluminum foil -> then wrap in clothes? That sounds doable!
Definitely avoid checking in the bag with your parts; carry-ons generally go through weaker X-rays, which should be less harmful.