How important is a high quality cooler for meat care?

[NEWHunter]

I’ve done fine with the big igloo coolers. I freeze gallon jugs and load up the cooler before heading out. The jugs make it about five days or so if I’m careful - even in warmer weather. As they thaw I have additional drinking water. Then when I get something I pull the jugs and I’m adding meat to a cold cooler. I supplement with dry ice after that.

 

[hank4elk]

I have just recently ordered new hinge & latch parts for the 3 Igloo 120 coolers I got for next to nothing,used. Only complaint is they were never really tight seals & rain gets in.....unless you tape & tarp.

A buddy came out with one of his large Yeti's(huge,200qt?,180?)for an elk hunt. It took 3 men & a boy to lift it,empty....LOL.1/2 a wrapped frozen cow did not fill it half way.Was a mother to move to truck & lift...LOL.
But I could see why he has several Yeti's. I'm going to look for a replacement for my med Coleman I use all the time for store trips. Need a deal on a Yeti.

 

[Rzrbck918]

As the owner of enough expensive coolers that I have often feared my father would return from the dead to beat my ass, they aren't necessary to transport meat home.

I use them and like them for around camp where we are about two hours from ice for 7 days. The only time I think they were particularly useful aside from keeping groceries cold, we killed a couple of elk early in the trip and didn't plan to leave for 5 more days. We skinned and hung them but the temps in the day were a little iffy, so we ended up deboning and placing them in the rotos with ice we brought. They were great until we got down the hill.

 

[Pucky Freak]

The Coleman extreme 5/6/7 means that many days of keeping ice. Packed my 150 qt full of ice, put antelope on it and 6 days later it was still cold. No need to keep opening it up and adding new ice

 

[npaden]

I’ve replaced my hinges and latches on my cheap igloo coolers with those fire hose ones off Amazon. Works great and they don’t break anymore.

 

[DouglasR]

I’m doing the math and trying to figure out how there was beer left over. Help?

Not sure where you’re going with this one but I’ll try to provide clarification.
I was backpacking in the superstitions.
In order to save weight I opted to leave the beer/liquor at the truck and just bring the ultralight hallucinogens with me.
when I got back to the truck 4 days later the unlocked cooler with the 12 pack sitting in the bed of my truck still had ice in the bag that was draped over the beer inside the cooler.
The beer was cold.


*might’ve only been 3 days but either way I was pleasantly surprised to see those cheap coolers had held ice for that long.

 

[MTLabrador]

The main reason I bought a fancy cooler was to be able to throw on a lock and make it bear resistant. I probably wouldn’t have bothered if I wasn’t dealing with bears and food storage orders.

 

[runningmt]

The main reason I bought a fancy cooler was to be able to throw on a lock and make it bear resistant. I probably wouldn’t have bothered if I wasn’t dealing with bears and food storage orders.

One thing I forgot to mention, I live in the heart of griz country, and if I ever draw a Smith Permit again, certified bear proof coolers are required.

 

[matechakeric]

One thing I forgot to mention, I live in the heart of griz country, and if I ever draw a Smith Permit again, certified bear proof coolers are required.

can you put all food in a dry bag 14 feet up a tree, 6 feet from the trunk or does it have to be in a bear certified cooler?

 

[runningmt]

can you put all food in a dry bag 14 feet up a tree, 6 feet from the trunk or does it have to be in a bear certified cooler?

I do think that’s an option too, not certain tho.

 

[WyoDoug]

Depends on length of your trip and temperature. Generally, you can put some frozen bottles on the bottom of a cooler then your meat in game bags, and put the ice on top. Keep the drain plug open and put blankets on top and tie it down. Keep refreshing the ice when you stop for fuel and you should be fine even with a styrofoam cooler.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

can you put all food in a dry bag 14 feet up a tree, 6 feet from the trunk or does it have to be in a bear certified cooler?

New: Smith River floaters must protect food from bears

WILDLIFE -- After destroying a shocking number of bears habituated to camping food along the Smith River in recent years, Montana and federal officials finally are requiring floaters to be bear aware. Smith River float permits in Montana now include new regulations The application period...

www.spokesman.com

“We don’t want people showing up with a rope and saying, ‘I’m going to hang a 70-pound cooler,’

Challenge accepted.

 

[JLS]

In order to save weight I opted to leave the beer/liquor at the truck and just bring the ultralight hallucinogens with me.
when I got back to the truck 4 days later the unlocked cooler with the 12 pack sitting in the bed of my truck still had ice in the bag that was draped over the beer inside the cooler.
The beer was cold.

I didn't realize you had supplements. That makes more sense.

 

[Falcon75]

I will second the Extremes. Best bang for the buck. Kept my food cold when left in the vehicle in Moab during June.

I will give a third. Went 10 days in Arizona with 2 blocks of ice and a sleeping bag over duct tape around opening. Dumped water each night. Temps were in 90s

 

[DouglasR]

I didn't realize you had supplements. That makes more sense.

Arizona is beautiful supplement country.
you ever take a close look at the vegetation down there?

this thing was a vibe.


and Arizona is just really beautiful.
+100000 Arizona.

sorry for the derailment

 

[Bob-WY]

How cold will the meat start the trip?

We went cross country, 3 days of driving g, with 150 q coolers full of frozen meat, no ice. We filled open air space in coolers with clothes.. Wrapped them in blanket and piled on clothes. Never opened them. All still frozen 3 days later

 

[ovis2]

I typically use a big, old Coleman and then throw an old sleeping bag over and around it. Has always lasted through our Wyoming antelope hunts.

 

[Gr8bawana]

I've have never owned a big $$ cooler in my life. We've been using cheapo Coleman and Igloo coolers for the last 40+ years and never had a problem.
This includes our NV antelope hunts which take place in Aug with 90°+ daytime temps. I've kept a boned antelope in a cooler with block ice for a week and arrived back to 110° temps at home with ice still in the cooler, although about half gone. We just keep the plug open for drainage.

 

[THINKIN6X6]

I use RTIC coolers. Half as much as Yeti and they work well but they will be in the 200 range when on sale.

 

[wa_archer]

I do the same as others have mentioned above, Roto for jugs of ice and then have extreme for the meat. Another tip is once you get everything packed in cover the coolers up, sleeping bag or heavy blanket, helps with the insulation, especially if sunlight hits the cooler during transport. I have only done relatively short 12hr, drives compared to what some guys are doing but never had an issue.