120 Qt Cooler big enough

[Brendan]

Honestly for you if it’s going to be hot being a small chest freezer and generator. Or that meat will go bad

Absolutely not needed, and takes up too much room.

 

[slick]

Agreed. Freezer not necessary.

Using a 120 Coleman and 65 Yeti


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[Marine4life]

I have a 120 and 150 qt. One is Coleman and one is igloo. I use the 150 to store gear on the trip out and fill the 120 with solid ice. Recommend you either use the block ice or freeze bottles. I usually just buy the blocks at the nearest town to my hunt area so I don’t haul the weight for the trip out. When you kill I find it best to let the elk hang up that first night and let nature cool it down. Then the next morning as it starts to warm up I put in the game bags in contractor bags and lay in bottom of both ice chests and then split the ice and put on the top. This will get you a couple days till you can get to town and restock the ice. If it is extremely hot or it hung overnight before packing out then I will get it cooling in the chest quicker.
I also take a 48 qt with me just in case I need to cool down a cape.


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[Hpchacrx]

I found the chest freezer works. I put my gear in the freezer. Make sure it’s frozen and leave it unplugged. On the way home. The issue you can have with ice is as it melts you meat is sitting in water. Unless you leave the drainplug disconnected which can make a mess. We did this with elk and deer in Wyoming and live in California.

 

[Hpchacrx]

A small chest freezer takes the same amt if space as these big ice chest. The bonus is not having to worry about ice. You can keep the ice frozen till you need it if you need it. We would hunt for 14-18 days

 

[Brendan]

A small chest freezer takes the same amt if space as these big ice chest. The bonus is not having to worry about ice. You can keep the ice frozen till you need it if you need it. We would hunt for 14-18 days

Takes way more space.... I haven't seen a single chest freezer that will fit in the back of my pickup with a cap where I can still get into it, and it sure as hell isn't fitting in my jeep.... Coolers are no problem. And that doesn't include the extra space for a generator and gas to run it (plus the expense of buying it)

If you've got space to spare, and already have one and a generator lying around, take it by all means. But it also isn't necessary at all... I'd fill up my Yeti on the east coast and still have ice 2 weeks later....

 

[Corey Paulsen (teamkabob)]

When I go it will be a 150 and 100qt for a elk.


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[moxford]

If you use a chest freezer, you don't have to have room inside for ice. It's more space-efficient than a cooler, and you don't have to keep draining and refilling.

 

[Bearshirt]

We used a 120 and 150 quart cooler. We bought a 150 the next day after getting the bull. The 120 had jugs of ice and food on way out.

This year I will put gear in the 150 on way out and food and ice in the 120.

There was a bone in back ham and bag of meat in each cooler in garbage bags and it was tough to get much block ice in. So we dumped ice in the nooks. Then covered coolers with blankets for a 2 day drive home. Meat was 34 degrees when we got home and stayed cold in coolers for 5 more days till it got cut up. Never added more just kept meat in the basement covered with blankets.

Back hams from the 6x6 were 80 pounds.

Those damn plastic bow cases take up way to much room. I wish there was a better way for those.

 

[willy]

Depending on time of year one can make large totes work fine. Probably anytime but one has to just stop more often for more ice if warmer. I bought a couple at a local hardware store after I picked my jaw off of floor at cost of a large cooler. I have used for meat transfer when more successful than we thought we'd be. Boned out elk, half elk half ice, used two of them. Meat was clean and chilled after 12 hour ride. Totes are still in use today for other things so not wasted.

 

[Hnttillmt]

Also remember that those big expensive coolers need to be pre cooled to do as advertised. Time of year / ambiant temps considered. Game meat is far better if aged properly. Throwing it in a freezer immediately and freezing solid will have a negitive impact imho.

 

[Newtosavage]

I have a 120 Qt Coleman Xtreme Cooler and was planning to take Elk hunting. If I am fortunate enough to get one, will it be a big enough cooler to transport one home? Also, I will be hunting in early September, so how do you prepare the cooler for when you pack an elk out? Do you just fill with Ice and leave it until you pack out the meat and put the elk meat on the ice until you get to town? It could be a full week between getting ice and getting an elk on ice, so I doubt there will be much ice left after day 5 or so. Sorry if this is a dumb question, but with Whitetails and bears, I just hang them and cut them up, or drop at a processor, so I've never had to worry about storing meat for a long time in hot weather. Thank you.

I also have a 120 Coleman Xtreme, and that combined with a 100 quart Igloo was just about right last year for my buddy's 6x6 bull quartered with the bone in. We were there 1st rifle, and it was cold so we didn't have to rush to get things on ice. I gave my buddy the Igloo and bought a 55 quart Igloo Sportsman (excellent cooler by the way), and my plan is to keep the Sportsman full of ice, then use it to ice down the quarters in the Coleman if I get one.

I think combining a Coleman Xtreme with a high quality, smaller cooler to store ice, is a good approach. That will get you back to town where you can fill up on ice for the trip home.

Having said that, I learned the hard way that there is a HUGE difference in price and availability of ice in Texas and ice in Colorado! LOL Didn't occur to me until last year, but those Coloradoans just don't go through ice like we do! I had never seen such small bags of ice until I tried to buy ice in Denver.

 

[Lytro]

I use an Rtic 145 & 65. Perfect fit boned out with ice.

In your situation and being concerned about spoiling, I recommend filling the cooler you already have entirely with ice and bringing a large Rubbermaid type tote along. If you get something, just distribute meat/ice between your cooler and tote. That way you can make it to somewhere to buy another cooler without worrying about spoiling. Save the money now, and buy later if successful.

 

[tntrker]

keep some frozen milk jugs in your cooler on the way out and while your hunting. A "pre-cooled" cooler makes a difference and will you'll be able to go get the ice with them cooling still. Just keep the lid shut until it's needed.

 

[Felix40]

I cant believe all the guys trying to save $60 on a second cooler for a big trip like that. Just buy it and fill both with ice. That way you are covered and dont have to worry about it. Just throw the meat in there and go.

 

[Sundance]

I run 3 coolers, 2 150qts and 1 120qt. The 150qts each hold a front and rear quarter with plenty of ice. I put a layer of ice on the bottom, then a quarter, then another layer of ice, then the next quarter and top it off with more ice. The 120qt holds my trimmings bag (usually 75-85 pounds), backstraps and tenderloins. Each cooler I built a false bottom with wire shelving and PVC tubes. This elevates the meat 1" of the bottom of the cooler (loses a little volume) so as the ice melts and pools in the bottom is can drain out the plug hole without the meat sitting in water. I've held meat 6 days using this method and add about 1/2 bag of ice to each cooler per day after the initial cool down. Never had an issue with meat spoilage or off flavor.

 

[elkdog]

My processed elk just does fit into a 160qt cooler (Igloo Costco). Put a layer of cardboard in the bottom and a layer on top. The dry ice is on top of that, and I tape the lid tight. It's still frozen when I get home, 14-16 hours later.

 

[excaliber]

It took 4 ice chests (200 qts) of for my last Bull but we took all the meat we could off of him.

 

[vthokee]

I have a 150qt Igloo, 120 qt Coleman extreme and a 48qt igloo I’m taking with me this year. I have a small 35qt Yeti I might take as well just to keep food in.

 

[cgasner1]

Chest freezer and a generator only way to travel


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