Dry Ice questions

[DeDixie]

We are driving to WDW this August, it will be about a 30 hour trip as we are stopping overnight. Has anyone used dry ice on a trip such as this? Will it actually keep food frozen that long, or just cold. What kind of container and how do I pack my food? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks !!

 

[Kermit]

I thought that you had to have a special license to get dry ice now. Is there somewhere that "regular" people can get it?

 

[TmnsnMD]

We bought dry ice (no permit) for our Halloween Party last year! It turned out really great for the cauldron. I do know that you have to wear special (leather or something) gloves or pick up the ice with tongs. When we bought our they came in hockey puck (maybe a little bigger) size & shape, wrapped in paper.

I'm not sure how long it will keep food frozen or cold. This is something I was thinking about also for our trip south. So I hope you receive more replies with more info.

 

[griff]

first off, dry ice has to be handled with gloves because it will burn you just as bad as a heat burn.

I used dry ice once to keep frozen salmon on a flight from Portland, Or. to New Orleans. We froze the salmon in a regular freezer, put it in a ice chest with 4 lbs of dry ice, and filled all voids in the ice chest with wadded up newspaper. We then taped the seals of the ice chest with duct tape. The salmon was still rock hard frozen after two days when I finally got home.
Back then you could buy all the dry ice you needed at any Baskin Robbins. You may still be able to buy it there.
Baskin Robbins would use dry ice to pack ice cream from the distributer to the different outlets.
About two weeks ago I was in a Super Walmart in Alexandria, La. and they sold dry ice there. They may be getting into that at all Super Walmarts.

 

[beaker]

I work with dry ice and yes it will burn your hands.
Dry ice is frozen CO2 when it warms it becomes a gas.
In a close enviroment(your car) it can lower the amount of oxygen and make you and your passagers lightheaded. Because of this the government has strict rules on transporting dry ice.

 

[TmnsnMD]

Wow! Thanks for posting that very useful info. If we did carry dry ice it would be in the back of the truck under the 5th wheel. Now that you said something I really wouldn't want to put it in a bin under the 5th wheel. I guess as long as the cooler is taped close and in the shade we really shouldn't have any problems. I'm still not sure if this is the way we will go or just get a small freezer and plug it up in the trailer.

Again THANKS for your info

 

[DeDixie]

Thanks so much for your help! We will stop at the grocery store in Florida for any supplies we need. LOL

These boards are the best way to get advice !!

 

[We4mickey]

We have about a 22 hour drive. We bring all of our stuff that is frozen together in the same cooler. Top it off with regular ice and you will be surprised at how long things remain frozen. We don't use this cooler for soda and things that your opening it for all the time. Just the meat and frozen items. We've had frozen meat several days into our trip. We've had to take it out to thaw.

 

[mamastephanie]

Last November when we went to FW, we stayed in a Cabin. We flew. But we were flying out so early in the morning (6:00 A.M.) We stayed the night before with a friend near the airport (its an hour drive for us). So we had to pack our food the night before. We froze everything we took. Then wrapped it in newspaper. Then put that into the ice chest. Then add a few of those blue ice things (you can't put ice in a an ice chest that you are checking as luggage). We did not get to open the ice chest until the next afternoon. The stuff has been in the ice chest for about 24 hours. It was just like I had taken it out of the freezer! Everything was still frozen.

 

[frost5000]

We go camping (tent) a lot - usually to folk festivals for several days at a time. We have always used dry ice for our "freezer" cooler. A 10 lb. block ($8) keeps our meat FROZEN for 2/3 days - you do need to move the meat to an ice cooler to "defrost" as it's as hard as a rock. Always use gloves to handle, and make sure the kids know the danger of getting burned. There doesn't seem to be any kind of regulation for it as we frequently drive through several states with it, and have never had a problem buying it in other states as well. The last time we used it was less than 2 weeks ago (5 days, 20lbs., large cooler with meat for 10+ people) The money we save on food is more than worth it!! And no floating meat mess!!!!

 

[#1 TITANS FAN]

Coleman and Igloo both make super insulated coolers; the Coleman line is called Extreme coolers, not sure what the Igloo line is called. I own a 50 quart Coleman Extreme and will testify to their effectiveness. On a 5 day trip to FW earlier this month I only had to buy ice twice. Cans on the bottom were actually semi frozen. Coleman actually claims an Extreme cooler will keep ice for 5 days in 90 degree heat.

 

[Disney Campers]

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