> why would anyone go to the trouble of carrying something empty?
1. It's new.
2. You're going to load data onto it at your destination.
3. You carry it in case you need to copy data.
I often carry an empty messenger-bag; a USB drive is a lot less trouble to carry. In fact you can easily lose one in the corner of a pocket, and carry it inadvertently.
Provided it had never been written, I would regard an empty USB drive as unremarkable, and not grounds for suspicion. But you can't buy a new USB drive with a hidden partition.
1. It's new.
2. You're going to load data onto it at your destination.
3. You carry it in case you need to copy data.
I often carry an empty messenger-bag; a USB drive is a lot less trouble to carry. In fact you can easily lose one in the corner of a pocket, and carry it inadvertently.
Provided it had never been written, I would regard an empty USB drive as unremarkable, and not grounds for suspicion. But you can't buy a new USB drive with a hidden partition.