Dry Ice?

[HARDTIMES]

We are doing an antelope hunt out west for 3 or 4 days.We are going to tent it ,the closes town is 40 mile away.Thinking about picking some dry ice up before we make camp.Bring three 102 quart coolers for 6 antelope maybe.How long will dry ice keep in a well sealed cooler and how many pounds would a person need?

[Surface Tension]

If you fill one cooler with blocks of ice it'll last a long time. If you want it to last longer then a chunk of dry ice sealed in plastic placed in the middle of the cooler will keep the ice frozen for longer. How much dry ice in a 100 qt cooler? I'd say 2 or 3 lbs.

If your taking out some ice to cool down meat in another cooler it'll melt that ice fast. Will you have enough ice?

Temps are going to make a huge difference. Of coarse the ice in the cooler will last longer but if you can hang the meat to cool then get it into a cooler will make the difference.

I'd say that because your only out there for 4 days keeping ice in cooler won't be a problem storage wise. Its the cooling down meat that will burn up your ice and you won't want dry ice in a cooler with meat.

The risk of having the meat tainted or should I say carbonation from the dry ice.

I'd bring two coolers packed with blocks of ice. If you run out that means you have at least two goats on ice and there is bound to something else you need in town by then.

[charliepete]

For 6 antelope I'd figure on about 100#'s of dry ice. It will melt off between 5-10#'s a day if you make sure to keep the cooler sealed and out of the sun. Make sure you keep it in a seperate cooler you don't open and shut constantly. Have another cooler for your sodas and food etc. There isn't much to an antelope once it's boned out. When I was in new mexico I got an entire antelope in a medium sized soft sided cooler. I got right on a plan with it as my carry on (aaaghh the good ol days).

[Jeremy airjer W]

15 pounds will keep everything and I mean everything frozen solid in a 120qt max cold for about 5 days in 70 to 80 degree weather. Through some grapes in a cooler with a little dry ice and have carbonated grapes after a couple days. Kind of a fun treat!

I started off with 15 pounds of dry and 15 pounds of regular. I still had about 8 pounds of regular ice left after 8 days.

It was my first time camping with dry ice so I chocked up most of the unwanted frozen items to a good learning experience. Next time I'll start with less dry and or insulate it a little better.

One recommendation is to line at the bottom of the cooler with foam insulation. Plastic can get really brittle at -100 degrees F.! Coincidentally ice cream can get really hard at -100 !!!

[Walleye Guy]

We did a similiar trip last year. Four guys off to Wyoming and 4 antelope bucks in two days of hunting.

We took a different approach on the meat though. We bought a small, used upright freezer for $50. It fit in the back of a truck that had a topper. We pulled a trailer out that held our ATV's. When we needed to start cooling meat we put a generator on the front of the trailer that we plugged the freezer into.

We actually stayed in a hotel and ended up bringing the freezer into the hotel room one night. We sold the freezer for the $50 we paid for it when we returned.

One thing to keep in mind on the dry ice. You are going to be putting warm antelope meat into the coolers. This is going to take a big toll on the dry ice. The three days we were in Wyoming (1 for scouting) the highs were over 85 degrees each day. And you need to butcher your meat right away. We hauled out pieces of plywood that we set on our trailer and used it as our butchering station. It worked great.

[flipper]

I like the freezer idea a lot

[hookset]

i agree with walleye guy. beg borrow or steal a freezer/generator combo. with what you will spend on ice you can buy a freezer.

joe

[Tom7227]

If you go with the dry ice and are in the Twin Cities Jason's near 280 and university is the place to go. Much cheaper than others.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I got mine at Jasons as well! Nice guys, fast service!!

[backroad1313]

I have been to wyoming and hunted speed goats the last three years. first year we used a freezer and generator. A person endsup dragging alot of extra stuff around. so the last two years blocks of ice and dry ice. our group preffered the dry ice. We are usually out there a week and have to buy dry ice a few times but it works great.

[HARDTIMES]

Thanks for all the ideas guys.I have a bunch of old orchard juice containers i will fill with water and freeze.I think i can get 8 of them in the bottom of a cooler.Im going to pick up dry ice when we get out there.Someone said i need 10 to 20 pounds per 15 inch of length.I going to tape up two coolers with the water jugs and dry ice in them and use the 3rd cooler for ice and drinks and food.Im going to start with 50 pounds dry ice to start.

[Tom7227]

One thought, which may be to late for the original poster - do you have a problem if you end up freezing the meat but end up having to defroast it to cut it into useable pieces? I know that's a no-no in some instances.

[S.D. Ice Angular]

I agree with walleye guy. beg borrow or steal a freezer/generator combo. with what you will spend on ice you can buy a freezer.

I would go this plan also.

When ice is gone you have nothing

[JeffB]

My favorite approach is to google the grocery stores and meat lockers near were you hunt and ask if you can rent some frezer space. Tell them the meat will be neatly packaged and pick it up frozen on your way home. I've never had a proplem finding a home for the meat in a nice clean walk in freezer. Plus instead of looking it as a hassle running into town you could stop in and have a cold one with the locals which often turns into more hunting opportunities.

[HARDTIMES]

That is what a guy said to me also it do not matter if it wyoming or montana hunters play a big part in stimulating the economy out west and ranchers and the great people that live out west. Bend over back words for hunter and people that are in a pinch and i do like cold ones!!!