Flying with cooler / eating in hotel

[Melynny]

Wow, I learned something.. My comment was I don't THINK that dry ice is allowed.. I looked it up.. here's what the FAA has to say about it:

Dry ice Small amounts of dry ice
in carry-on (2 kg.) or
checked baggage (2.3 kg.)
in a package that allows
venting of carbon dioxide
gas.
Dry ice in air-tight
packages.
(10) Dry ice (carbon dioxide,
solid), in quantities not
exceeding 2.0 kg (4.4
pounds) per person in carryon baggage or 2.3 kg (5
pounds) per person in
checked baggage, when used
to refrigerate perishables. The
packaging must permit the
release of carbon dioxide gas.
For checked baggage, the
package must be marked
‘‘DRYICE’’or
‘‘CARBONDIOXIDE,
SOLID’’andmust
be marked with the net
weight of dry ice or an
indication the net weight is
2.3 kg (5 pounds) or less.

there you go! Thanks to everyone for setting me straight!

 

[alaska8]

It important to declare any checked dry ice as it gives off a gas which can be harmful to any checked animals. The baggage loaders need to place the dry ice items in a different "pit" to any hold animals.

 

[Beemitchcowski]

We have used wegoshop. They will shop at stores such as Publix,Walmart, Samsclub.

 

[mom2m2j]

The problem we had with dry ice was finding 5 pound or less packages.

We flew to Mexico last month and checked a cooler full of Gluten Free foods for DD. The smallest dry ice that DH could find (after trying 3 places that sell it) the day we were driving (5 hours)to ATL for an over night stay was 10 pounds so he bought that to use until we left the next morning for the airport. I have lots of the gel packs you freeze so we placed those (frozen) on top of everything in the cooler (which I had frozen all food including cheese) along with newspaper to help insulate it. Everything was still frozen when customs in Mexico inspected our cooler (little less than 24 hours after we removed it from our freezer). Once at the hotel we removed the gel packs and kept ice in the cooler.

We had a frig, & microwave in our room, but I did pack a toaster oven in one of our checked bags to cook chicken nuggets and wings.
Our plan next time is to try & get dry ice that is 4.4 pounds so we can carry the cooler on and not have to check it. We had free checked bags, but I was terrified the strap on the cooler would come off or they wouldn't get it latched properly (when inspecting) and all the food would dump out.

According to Delta Styrofoam and plastic coolers are acceptable contianers to transport Dry Ice, don't think I'd try to check a Styrofoam cooler with any airlines.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I wouldn't use the typical summer $3.99 or whatever styrofoam cooler, no. But if you order food from a company like Omaha Steaks, LobsterGram, or any company that uses sturdy shippable foam coolers you can absolutely reuse those. The walls are square (bite the shape is generally rectangular), and I seem to recall them being about two inches thick.

 

[mom2m2j]

I forgot about those. We have one from Omaha, but transporting it would be a pain due to the size. I prefer the hard side rolling ones, just need to find one that is carry-on size now.