Dry Ice, how to use it.

witler

Eight Pointer
We are going to E/I next month and need to carry frozen food items. Is dry ice the best way to do it, if so how? Leaving from Triangle area. Thanks for suggestions.
 

HotSoup

Old Mossy Horns
You are just traveling and putting it in the freezer? If so, make some block ice and dont worry about it
 

Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
How long do you need it cold for? Dry ice is fine but doesn’t last all that long. In a cooler it works best on top. Otherwise large blocks of ice will last for over a week in a good cooler.
 

DuckyDave

Eight Pointer
Contributor
We are going to E/I next month and need to carry frozen food items. Is dry ice the best way to do it, if so how? Leaving from Triangle area. Thanks for suggestions.
If you are driving only 3 or 4 hours just pick a cooler small enough to just barely fit the frozen food. It will melt very little if the cooler is inside your air conditioned vehicle. I did this 10 years back and forth Triangle to Carteret County before I moved full time here. Won't work for ice cream , everything else is ok. I drove 3:days (2 overnights) 1400 miles to Texas without thawing a cooler full of fillets and game. This was a Yeti and a cheaper (Omaha Steaks?) Cooler.
 

BiggestSpikeYouEverSeen

Ten Pointer
Contributor
The smaller the cooler the better. Typically all of the dry ice on the top of the frozen contents unless you have to use a very large cooler, in which case I'll do a row of dry ice in the middle as well. Dry ice will "burn" frozen meat if its not wrapped up in something. You can always lay down a piece of cardboard under the dry ice to prevent this if its a concern. Lastly, keep the cooler inside the vehicle if you can.

I've driven coolers with game meat back from Colorado for the last 6 years (obviously the temps are cooler in the fall) and many times I get 24-36 hours out of the dry ice. I'll carry a couple small coolers of just dry ice as "refills".
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
We are going to E/I next month and need to carry frozen food items. Is dry ice the best way to do it, if so how? Leaving from Triangle area. Thanks for suggestions.
Cool things by putting it in the bottom of cooler with regular ice, then a beach towel then your drinks.

Freeze things by putting your contents in first, then filling chest with regular ice, then layer dry ice on top and seal.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
That's not far at all. Pre-chill it with some frozen bottles or milk jugs for 24 hours, then pack it full. They will be frozen solid when you get there.
 

CountryRN

Twelve Pointer
I pre chill my cooler then use frozen water bottles to keep the cooler cold. If the food is frozen already and the you put a layer of frozen bottles on top, it should last for a good while.
 

bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
All above are good suggestions, as frozen foods stay frozen quite a while in a pre-cooled cooler. Only thing I can think of to add is that if you are concerned with losing cold air from inside, or are hauling the cooler outside your vehicle, tape the lid seam with packing tape. I've hauled coolers of ice on the back of my truck or in the boat for 6 or so hour drives with very little loss using this method. Have driven less than 3 hours without lid taped and lost over 50%.
 

Uwharrieman

Ten Pointer
Reminds me of when I was a kid and we would go by the city ice plant
on way home from movies/school,etc and they would give us a piece of dry
ice to "play" with.
 
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