Dry ice

[Jamisjockey]

Okay here's the scenerio:
Moving in two weeks.  Have some frozen foods, mostly meats, that I'd sure hate to throw away.  Money is there for replacement, but here's what I was thinking:
2200 miles.  I figure 2 1/2 days.  I've got two standard coolers, I was thinking of packing the meat with dry ice on top and duct-taping them shut.  Any bets on the food not thawing during a two day drive?

[Stickjockey]

As long as the coolers are decent, it should work. check it regularly, just to make sure, and leave the drains open or something to vent the excess CO2.

[charby]

its the winter, just pack the coolers are tight as you can, forget about dry ice, duck tape shut and put in the moving truck or trunk of a car.

I took 50lbs of frozen meat in a standard cooler in the trunk of a car on a 95 degree day at 12hrs from Iowa to Wyoming and the meat was still frozen solid when I arrived.

-Charby

[K Frame]

Do NOT duct tape the coolers shut. Dry ice sublimates into CO2 gas and it will pop the tops off the coolers.

Also do NOT drive with them in a closed car. Keep your vents/windows open.

[Jamisjockey]

its the winter, just pack the coolers are tight as you can, forget about dry ice, duck tape shut and put in the moving truck or trunk of a car.

I took 50lbs of frozen meat in a standard cooler in the trunk of a car on a 95 degree day at 12hrs from Iowa to Wyoming and the meat was still frozen solid when I arrived.

-Charby

Its an SUV no trunk, but maybe its an excuse to buy a hitch mounted rack.

[mfree]

"Do NOT duct tape the coolers shut. Dry ice sublimates into CO2 gas and it will pop the tops off the coolers."

Mike Irwin wasn't reading carefully and missed this part;

",forget the dry ice, "

So... full cooler with no dry ice, seal it good. Partial cooler with dry ice, let it vent.

[K Frame]

"Mike Irwin wasn't reading carefully and missed this part"

I read it just fine.

I don't agree with it.

Not all coolers are created equally, not all coolers, not even from the name brand makers, will adequately hold all contents frozen over a span of nearly 72 hours.

Dry ice sublimates at -109 deg. F. There's no question it will keep things well frozen and will provide more than adequate insurance against an insufficient cooler.

[Tallpine]

Leave the stuff in a chest freezer and plug it in where you stay overnight.  It will stay frozen during the day.

I knew some folks from Texas that went fishing every year in British Colombia (Canada) and that's how they got their salmon home in the back of their pickup.

[Brad Johnson]

Heck, a couple of years ago we went to Flagstaff - 11 hrs, total - with a couple of frozen lasagnas.  We were going to eat them that night so we decided to let them thaw on the way.  We just wrapped in towels to keep the condensate from getting on everything thinking that they would be good and ready when we got there. We also stuck in a couple of big packages of lunch meat to keep them chilled.

Keep in mind, all this was wrapped in some towels.  No fancy cooler, no ice, nothing.  Just some old bath towels ... and stuck in the trunk.  The outside temp hovered around 55 F most of the trip.

When we got there not only were the lasagnas still frozen rock hard, but everything we'd put in with them was frozen solid, too!

If the meat is frozen (deep freeze), just wrap them in a couple of towels then stuff them in a cooler full of wadded up dry towels. Don't worry about ice, or even those fancy ice packs.  Chances are they will still be completely frozen when you arrive.

Brad

[Jamisjockey]

Leave the stuff in a chest freezer and plug it in where you stay overnight.  It will stay frozen during the day.

I knew some folks from Texas that went fishing every year in British Colombia (Canada) and that's how they got their salmon home in the back of their pickup.

I won't have access to the freezer it will be in a separate truck.

[Antibubba]

Take half the meat, cook it up, slice it, and make cold cuts.  Store that in the cooler with the remaining food, and you can make sandwiches the whole way.