I need to backup my hard drive before sending it for repair, How?

My macbook will not turn on but my hard drive is still in good condition.
When I went to the genius bar the employee said something about a hard drive kit I could use to backup my files and such before sending it in.
I own an external hard drive, how can I transfer my files from my macbook's hard drive into my external hard drive before sending the computer in for repair?

Hi...use Carbon Copy Cloner....
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/7032/carbon-copy-cloner
...it will make an exact clone of your MacBook's current drive on the external and allow you to reload it on your new internal after it is installed....it is very easy to use...

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