Dry ice

[Bushmoose]

Curious to hear the pro's n con's of using dry ice for extended fish/hunting trips? Anyone with experience using it during your trips?

[Snowwalker]

It will out last a bag of water ice, even just a small piece will do a lot.

The good.
The fish/game is FROZEN, leaving no question it is not spoiled.
No water washing around to soak things in the cooler.
Will freeze gell packs and water bottles for lunch bags.

The BAD.
Price is more then a bag of water ice.
Not available at the quickie mart, have to buy it at welding gas supply stores. ( Call ahead).
DO NOT handle with bare hands, if hands are wet you can even rip skin off.
Asphyxiation hazard if you put head in large chest freezer well reaching for something.
Must not touch meat, or any food because it will freeze burn it.
Must not touch plastic of cooler or plastic can become brittle( I wrap the dry ice in a bath towel ).
CO2 is given off and must vent out of cooler, cooler can not be kept in camper, back seat, or any place without good ventilation.


Two blocks in a 100+ liter cooler and you will have frozen fish all the way home.

Personally I think it is the best way to go.

[Fisherman]

What he said, tends to attract mosquitos as it sublimes it gives off CO2.

[benjhind]

Excellent points on safety Snowwalker.

[Bushmoose]

It will out last a bag of water ice, even just a small piece will do a lot.

The good.
The fish/game is FROZEN, leaving no question it is not spoiled.
No water washing around to soak things in the cooler.
Will freeze gell packs and water bottles for lunch bags.

The BAD.
Price is more then a bag of water ice.
Not available at the quickie mart, have to buy it at welding gas supply stores. ( Call ahead).
DO NOT handle with bare hands, if hands are wet you can even rip skin off.
Asphyxiation hazard if you put head in large chest freezer well reaching for something.
Must not touch meat, or any food because it will freeze burn it.
Must not touch plastic of cooler or plastic can become brittle( I wrap the dry ice in a bath towel ).
CO2 is given off and must vent out of cooler, cooler can not be kept in camper, back seat, or any place without good ventilation.


Two blocks in a 100+ liter cooler and you will have frozen fish all the way home.

Personally I think it is the best way to go.

Although I have never used it, I agree with what you're saying just from what I've been reading up on. Assuming cooler is kept out of the direct sun/covered and well insulated, what is your experience with the life of a couple of blocks?

[Fisherman]

I had a small block, about 12" L x 8" W x 2" Thick wrapped in newspaper and it lasted for about a week in a Coleman Xtreme cooler. Everything was rooster stiff.

[terrym]

We used to bring 8 processed antelope from Wyoming. Everything stayed frozen solid. Great stuff.

[Snowwalker]

Although I have never used it, I agree with what you're saying just from what I've been reading up on. Assuming cooler is kept out of the direct sun/covered and well insulated, what is your experience with the life of a couple of blocks?

Like others have said.. a week in most cases. Bigger the cooler, and the hotter the Temperature the quicker it goes.
One block per 40L of cooler size works good. A 40L needs one block, 80 to 104 just throw in two. If you just want cold for food and drinks one block for a 80 to 120L cooler is enough.
A couple of heavy bath sheets( in a small cooler), or a small comforter ( single bed or couple from baby bed) folded and placed on top of the stuff in the cooler helps.

There are places that sell dry ice, it is just a matter of finding them. Buy the blocks for longevity, the pellets will freeze the stuff quick but don't last as long.

[JUDGE]

Praxair sells dry ice in blocks and pellets, Air Liquide sell dry ice but it is actually in a snow form compressed into blocks but not under high pressure , so it does not last as long.
Pellets do not last as long as blocks.
Remember dry ice is -140 F any thing close to it will be frozen.
Best to use a cheap Styrofoam cooler or risk damaging an expensive one.
A peice 10x10 x2 in is about 10 lbs and will keep frozen food solid for about a week.
Very few dealers will cut up a block which is 10x10x10 or 50lb , so you my have to check around.
We use to cut dry ice for customers where I worked years ago , price then was $ 1.10 per lb.
We were bough out by Praxair so I do not know prices now.

[Bushmoose]

Thanks to all for your reply's! The wife and I are heading into the bush for her 3 week holidays mid July. Fridge in the trailer just isn't big enough to keep our meat supply, so I was looking for options.
Praxair in the Soo sells fist sized 1lb nuggets for buck/lb. I havent checked anywhere else yet. I'm going to build a styrofoam lined box to put the cooler in, that should help considerably?