Frozen hot dogs in your luggage???

[dwfanatic]

OK- I hope that I got your attention...I need advice- my mom has requested that I bring down some hot dogs when we go on our trip Friday- don't ask -only that my mom insists that there are no good hot dogs in FL- we've done it in the past, but now I question what a bunch of frozen hot dogs will look like if my luggage gets xrayed. I was stopped on the way out of Orlando- I had change in an M&M mini container and on the xray machine it looked like dymamite!!! Also, I could tell the people at the counter, but then I figured I'd get weird looks....HELP

 

[Eeyore1954]

I would check into how much it would cost to ship them to Mom. While the hot dogs might not attract attention, if they did, do you really want to try to explain this to the screeners at the airport?

 

[safetymom]

Funny, you should ask this question. I flew back to our former home town several months ago. We love a certain brand of hot dog. Nothing here in Orlando compares to it.

So I bought a rolling soft side cooler and bought 30 pounds of hot dogs. I checked it along with my luggage curbside. All the skycap asked if if they were packed in dry ice. That isn't allowed.

I had chilled them the best I could and had those frozen ice containers you buy in the cooler.

They made it here along with my luggage. No problems at all and we all enjoyed the hot dogs. I still have some in my freezer.

People thought I was crazy for doing this but had no problems and wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

 

[NotUrsula]

If they are in your carryon and still factory-sealed, it shouldn't be any problem at all. I would NOT put them in checked luggage; if the bag goes astray, they could end up rotting before you got the bag back.

 

[safetymom]

I guess I was an optimist. I wasn't worried that it wouldn't make it along with my luggage.

I didn't want to try and fit it in the overhead bin.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

In many cases, it is not how the item is shaped that raises the concerns -- it is the density of the object. Apparently Christmas cake in the UK sets off airport x-ray alarms all the time. Something about it being the same density as plastic explosive. Pack the hot dogs!

 

[Poly Pal]

I'll bet she wants some Grote & Weigels, right? I have a friend in Florida who orders them from Bloomfield and has them shipped to her dad in Florida. They have a web site too!

I would not pack hot dogs in my checked bags. Take an insulated lunch bag with a blue ice pack as your carry-on.

Have a great trip!

 

[dwfanatic]

She actually wanted Deuchmacher or Hummels- I got Hummels.

 

[EllenJ]

As soon as I read this I knew that DWfanatic had to be from Connecticut. When my parents retired to FL 11 years ago that was one of things that they really missed from CT. They would buy 10 lbs Hummels and then ration them over the winter. They would only cook them for special company...lol.
Of course their other chief complaint was the lack of good pizza in FL. We have brought them Pepes or Sally's pizza from New Haven.

Unfortunately I can't really help with the question, each time we carried goodies to FL it was in our car.

 

[noyesl]

My brother was here (Boston area) in May & said
he can never find 'chinese sausages' in Florida.
He bought quite a few lbs, packed them in
a small soft sided cooler w/blue gel ice
packs & had no problem what-so-ever at
the airport.

I also have friends who bring 'live
lobsters' on board when traveling south.
I can't imagine doing it myself, but they
have been doing it for years & never
had a problem.

 

[SB in KY]

I wouldn't worry about packing them in checked luggage...my DH has a CPAP machine that he uses at night and it goes everywhere with us...and everytime he flies which is often, he puts it in his checked luggage...and 90% of the time when he picks up his suitcase it has a little blue NTSB lock on it and a note inside saying it was examined and everything replaced...if they think your hot dogs look suspicious they just open the luggage and check them...no harm done (unless the inspector is really hungry I guess!!)

He decided a long time ago it was way less embarassing and time consuming to check the darn thing than to have to unpack it and explain it all to the screeners at the passenger security check when he took it in his carry on.

 

[Claudia1]

I freeze water bottles & juice boxes for the trip and they work fine as ice packs for other frozen foods.

Never had a problem.