Using dry ice in cooler?
awt
Several months ago I recall some conversation about keeping food
thoroughly frozen by utilizing a separate cooler packed with a block of
dry ice. I didn't pay much attention to the thread at the time, but now
we're traveling to New Hampshire and I'd like to take along some frozen
foods (I prefer the local meat market). One block will keep for how
long? Is there a particular freezer wrap that is most effective? Seems
I recall something about wrapping either the ice or frozen food in
newspaper? Anyone who can give me some advice, I'd appreciate!
Dawn
UTCAthens
Dawn,
I've never tried using dry ice in a food cooler, but have used it
extensively in chem lab. I've never known a block to last all the way through
the night, even a whole coolerful. best of luck though - nice to see some
creativity in the crowd!
UTC>Subject: Using dry ice in cooler?
>From: awt <aw...@pitt.edu>
>Date: 6/29/98 11:32 PM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: <35986A...@pitt.edu>
Just a Guy
On Mon, 29 Jun 1998 21:32:01 -0700, awt <aw...@pitt.edu> wrote:
>Several months ago I recall some conversation about keeping food
>thoroughly frozen by utilizing a separate cooler packed with a block of
>dry ice. I didn't pay much attention to the thread at the time, but now
>we're traveling to New Hampshire and I'd like to take along some frozen
>foods (I prefer the local meat market). One block will keep for how
>long? Is there a particular freezer wrap that is most effective? Seems
>I recall something about wrapping either the ice or frozen food in
>newspaper? Anyone who can give me some advice, I'd appreciate!
>
>Dawn
Generally dry ice is purchased from an Ice House. They should be able
to answer all your questions there. Give them a call.
Gary
Gary
TPC
Random suggestions with Dry Ice.
We use Dry Ice on 3-4 day canoe trips. It is
bought by the pound. A five pound block costs us
around $15.00. You will need at least 10lbs. We
get it from Baskin Robbins Ice Cream stores and we
must order it in advance. Regular Ice is MUCH
less costly but will not make it through a full
trip without soaking everything in the cooler. If
you wrap the Dry Ice in MANY wraps of news paper
It will last through most of the trip.
Several precautions however.
Do not place Dry Ice (CO2) in an air tight closed
container. The internal pressure can go beyond 300
PSI.
Fill all the dead air space areas in the chest
with pieces of an old styrofoam ice chest.
Cool everything to desired temperature before
placing them in the chest.
Do not place anything directly on the Ice as it
will freeze solid in a few minutes.
It is a also good idea to place a full piece of
old styrofoam or a full news paper between the CO2
(on the bottom) and
the food which is on the top.
Keep all foods wrapped in plastic freezer bags as
fruits and open drink cartons will absorb the CO2
and become carbonated. This is ok for CoolAid and
Fruit Juice drinks but carbonated milk is another
story. It is interesting however to eat a
carbonated peach or banana.
Bring 2 ice chests, 1 with regular ice for the
first day or so leaving the dry ice cooler closed
until all the ice is melted in the first chest.
Do not open the cooler any more then necessary.
Keep the Ice Chests as cool as possible in the
shade and out of direct sun light.
CO2 is not toxic per se but will displace air. Do
not leave in a closed vehicle, tent or small area
with any living thing.
I will post more if I remember any thing else.
TPC
Bernard L. Cabatingan
TPC wrote:
>
> Random suggestions with Dry Ice.
> We use Dry Ice on 3-4 day canoe trips. It is
> bought by the pound. A five pound block costs us
> around $15.00. You will need at least 10lbs. We
$3 bucks a pound?!? Whoa. In Sacramento, CA
there's a chain supermarket that sells it for
99 cents a pound.
Bernard
not_d...@epix.net
awt <aw...@pitt.edu> wrote:
>Several months ago I recall some conversation about keeping food
>thoroughly frozen by utilizing a separate cooler packed with a block of
>dry ice. One block will keep for how
>long? Is there a particular freezer wrap that is most effective? Seems
>I recall something about wrapping either the ice or frozen food in
>newspaper? Anyone who can give me some advice, I'd appreciate!
>Dawn
We used dry ice for our camping trip.
A. Instructions for using dry ice.
1. Wrap all frozen foods in several layer of newpaper. Do not forget
To label the contents.
2. Pack all foods in order of there intended use. This means doing
some meal planing. The things you use at the beginning of the week
should be on top. Move the food you are going to use that day from
the "freezer" to the cooler. Avoid opening the cooler more than once
per day.
3. If the cooler is not full fill in all dead air spaces with either
newpaper or towels/sheets. This also true as you empty the "Freezer"
4. 20# of dry ice (block) lasted 4 days.
B. Some addional guidelines we followed.
1. Put the freezer in a shaded area and convered it with or towels
when we were done bathing/swimming. The evaporation helps keep the
cooler cold from heating from the outside.
2. Dry Ice is -109F Degrees. Do not handle it with bare hands.
Matter of fact avoid direct contact all together.
3. This year for a week long trip we will most likely use 40# and
initially will use some regular ice to fill in the dead space. Not
only will it take up space, but we will have a supply of ice for our
regular cooler thus avoid at least one trip for ice. This is only a
consideration if you have to fill in space.
4. If your Dry Ice is in pellets, as opposed to block, you will need
more because it will evaporate more quickly.
Regards
David Ronk
not_d...@epix.net
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Simon Connell
I get my dry ice from the commercial gas company. You know the guys
that sell Co2 and oxygen, propane etc. to the welders and hospitals.
Thought you should know since all the prices everybody was giving you
were way to high.
Richard
Dawn,
I camp regularly with my kids through the YMCA's Parent Child Program...Last
year for our FL State Campout, I put 2 gallons of ice cream in a cooler with
dry ice and some bag ice -- it worked pretty good.
A couple of wrapped newspapers kept 10 pounds of dry ice for about 3 days.
If you have an old sleeping bag...drape it around the cooler to help
insulate it.
You might be able to reload your dry ice on your trip if needed...check
Yellow pages for supplier.
Good Luck -- Richard.
awt wrote in message <35986A...@pitt.edu>...
>Several months ago I recall some conversation about keeping food
>thoroughly frozen by utilizing a separate cooler packed with a block of
>dry ice. >
>Dawn
Clayton E. Cramer
awt wrote:
> Several months ago I recall some conversation about keeping food
> thoroughly frozen by utilizing a separate cooler packed with a block of
> dry ice. I didn't pay much attention to the thread at the time, but now
> we're traveling to New Hampshire and I'd like to take along some frozen
> foods (I prefer the local meat market). One block will keep for how
> long? Is there a particular freezer wrap that is most effective? Seems
> I recall something about wrapping either the ice or frozen food in
> newspaper? Anyone who can give me some advice, I'd appreciate!
>
> Dawn
I use dry ice on long trips. A 10 pound block will usually last a couple of
days if you don't open the cooler much. Most dry ice vendors supply it
wrapped in newspaper or butcher paper; leave it there to avoid burns.
Don't put anything liquid in direct contact or you risk a bottle or can
rupture. We put a full half gallon of ice cream on top of the dry ice, and
it froze so hard that the ice cream expanded the lid right off the top.
Virtues of dry ice over regular ice: it doesn't create a wet medium for
bacteria. Disadvantages: it's a lot harder to find outside of big cities
and
hunting areas. If you buy refreezable ice packs, you can use the dry ice
to refreeze them on the road, giving you another day or so before you
have to find more dry ice.
Will Wasson
Also, be very carefull not to place the cooler with dry ice in any
confined space that has living cargo. The dry ice turns into CO2
which can kill in enclosed spaces.
Will Wasson
SNOWMAN629
>Also, be very carefull not to place the cooler with dry ice in any
>confined space that has living cargo. The dry ice turns into CO2
>which can kill in enclosed spaces.
Unless you keep it with your plants. :O)
Leopoldo Muti
Who could tell me where I can find a good camping guide ONLINE.