Dry ice - yes or no?
Equipment
Driving from Georgia to Wyoming in a few weeks to antelope hunt. I’ll be tent camping, taking 2 big coolers. Almost all of my food will be pre-made and frozen, 30 minute drive to town. I’ve never used dry ice before, is it worth it? Or just go with block and bag ice? Thanks!
I drive from Arkansas. Never used dry ice. I freeze gallons of water in plastic bottles. Keeps things cold and supplies water also.
works great to keep and make things frozen. Only use it if your ok with frozen food. Learned the hard way when all my potato salad and condiments were frozen solid.
I have tried dry ice, and found the hassle and expense not worth it. Use frozen gallon milk jugs and never look back. Bill
Freeze either gallon jugs or bottles of water. As they melt you can drink them and it doesn't make a wet mess of your cooler. They'll last for days in a good cooler.
I’d go with the blocks bought locally. You’ll be going to town once or twice any way. Good luck.
Freezing big solid blocks is a great idea, but wrapping them in rolled insulation and taping them tightly will allow your ice to last even longer. Rolled insulation wrapped tightly doesn't add but an inch of space to the exterior wall of your gallon jugs of ice. Additionally making an insulated plywood sheet to separate your goods from your ice in your coolers works even better. I can keep ice twice as long by incorporating fiberglass insulation. Wrap in cellophane first and tape it with packing tape. Even the cheapest coolers with more storage space will suffice using this method.
Arizona Tea jugs the gallon ones. They are tougher than a milk jug and they last a long time. As Charlie said 30 minutes to town is nothing and you can buy more block or cubes in town. Shawn
When you drive to town find out where you can buy a shower. Nothing will give a bring out look than cleaning up after sweating your ass off hunting lopes!
Dry ice is also bad juju if it is in an enclosed vehicle with you. It eats oxygen as it evaporates, causing you to go nighty nite when you may not want to....
Last year hunting in Broadus on the goat opener.....the local grocery store ran out of ice from everyone buying ice to cool down their goats or whatever.
What town will you be close to in Wy?
I've used it twice to bring antelope meat home to Ohio from Wyoming and South Dakota. It works well. I also wrapped the cooler with a sleeping bag for the trip home. I did not use it for my food stuffs coming or going, just frozen jugs.
Definitely beware of what ki-ke said. We had a potentially scary incident with it, on a fishing trip to Canada. We were in a big cargo van, along with the cooler that had the dry ice in it. We all started experiencing shortness of breathe, and fortunately the driver opened his window to try and get some fresh air and our symptoms disappeared quickly. We put the cooler in the trailer and problem solved.
You might consider just getting a few pounds of dry ice at the beginning of your trip, to buy yourself an 2-3 extra days of keeping your stuff completely frozen, before it dissipates and your ice begins melting. Agee with others about freezing gallon/2 liter jugs, as well.
If you want your food and gallon jugs of ice frozen when you get to your destination, use dry ice.
I sometimes use frozen quart water bottles for meat transport especially if you can get the meat quick frozen at a processor or ? (handle easier than large ice containers but melt faster).
If you only use dry ice it better be a short trip. It might last two days if it's a big enough block.
Three coolers.
One regular ice.
One frozen milk jugs.
Last one dry ice.
Let us know how the experiment goes.
I use a generator and freezer now but when I use coolers on elk hunts I would fill a 150qt cooler with Ocean Spray gallon and half gallon juice jugs filled with water and frozen solid. Then I would pour ice cubes into the cooler, fill all voids around the bottles with ice, pack it tight and put a ratchet strap around it to make sure it stays closed tight. I had a second 120qt cooler packed with misc hunting/camping gear. When I killed an animal I would divide the ice jugs and meat between the two coolers. I used a third smaller cooler for my frozen food. The ice would keep for at least 2 weeks in the closed 150qt cooler.
I'm personally not a fan of Dry Ice.
You've gotten some good advice with frozen water jugs ect.
Travel safe as you bow dates are getting really close--------->
Good luck, Robb
Two keys to using ice, or dry ice:
1) fill the coolers, dead air space is a killer to ice. Pack it with clothes if you need to 2) When you have to open the cooler, do it fast and close again, opening destroys the cold work already done
Also, toss a sleeping back or heavy blanket over the coolers
You could always buy dry ice when you get here to keep your ice jugs frozen then take it out of the cooler for the drive home.
i like and use the frozen water jugs. they also serve as back-up drinking or cooking water, or if someone's vehicle overheats.
Some really good info here that I’ll put to use. Thanks everyone and God bless!
I have premade and froze food many times, great idea! Keep in mind reheating something the temp of dry ice will take a LOT longer! I would do 1 cooler just frozen with ice packs. It might thaw but stay cold. As needed to thaw before cooking transfer food from dry ice cooler to no dry ice cooler. If no dry ice cooler gets to warm simply take some food from cooler with dry ice and put it in.
I would not want to be hungry and waiting for dry ice temp food to thaw and warm up!
If you were elk hunting mid Sept up high I would say no dry ice. WY lope can be HOT and it will be sunny!
Also, quality roto-molded coolers will pay for themselves over time just on ice and spoiled food savings alone. I always balked at the price of Yeti coolers, and opted for cheaper coolers. Over the years I've probably tossed out at least 6 Coleman coolers due to broken handles, broken hinges, broken latches. warped lids that no longer sealed tightly...etc...
My first experience with a Yeti was the one that came with my boat. I couldn't believe how long ice lasted in 90-100 degree Florida weather in that thing. I was sold, and I haven't used another brand cooler since.
Now there are several brands that compete with Yeti at much cheaper prices. If I ever have to buy another cooler, I'd look into some of those, like RTIC.
Matt
I use it for the ride home with meat but not for my food on the ride out. It will freeze things solid as rocks.
Jugs work great for food storage. We always used dry ice to bring our meat home to Ohio from Colorado and wyoming. As stated above, get rid of air space. I use moving blankets , one over the meat and then dry ice and one or more to fill the voids above the dry ice. Duct tape to keep it closed. Hope you have a great trip. 'Lope hunting is much fun. Make sure your gun is still zeroed after arrival or bow is still on.
Everything I do has already been covered, 1) Frozen half gallon juice jugs as they pack into the cooler easier. I put down one layer of jugs then pour Ice cube around them then repeat until cooler is full. Also been putting my frozen food in a soft sided cooler surrounded by ice. That food will stay frozen for 2-3 weeks. 2) Close cooler lid tight and put 2-3 moving blankets over it which really help keep thing frozen or cold.
After a month in Arizona hunting, I will still have some ice cubes left in the cooler when I get back home. I leave the coolers in the back of my truck with a topper shell covering it, one stays closed all the time with just ice in it the other has my frozen food and drinks in it which I open only when needed.
