How do you transport your meat?

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Aug 21, 2012
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For those of you that hunt out of state or have long drives, how do you transport your meat? I know the cooler/dry ice method, but I'm looking for something that can keep for days. For instance I am looking at a multiple state hunt this year and may need to keep meat for 4-5days on the trip. I'm thinking about a small chest freezer and plug it in at night during the second leg(I will b at a hotel for the second hunt). Anyone ever have to deal with anything like this?
 

Matt Cashell

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Our moose meat made it 2500 miles and two weeks without any spoilage. We had it hung dry and game bag covered and sprayed down with citric acid.
 

Trout bum

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A Yeti cooler should keep things cool enough for 4-5 days. IMHO they are worth the added cost. Yeti + ice +rock salt + beer= dangerously cold refreshment :).
 
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I am doing something similar this year. I might be going overboard but I am already going to be towing a small trailer, so I have an inverter wired to my truck that will run a chest freezer while I'm on the road.
 

bobhunts

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I believe if you are transporting quarters in a cooler or even processed meat just put dry ice in and do not open the lid tell you have at least three days. That stuff is super cold.If you can put a freezer in the truck you will be fine too.The last time I picked up a processed elk during elk season and put dry ice on top for the drive home (only half of a day away) it was more frozen that when I picked it up. You can use it over again getting more dry ice as you travel home.Bob.
 

bobhunts

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I choose not to use convetional Ice as it melts ( other than initial cool down ) and bacteria breeds in water. If you use real ice leave the plug open on your cooler. I had a freind put his meat on ice in his cooler and it started to start smelling less than desirable in only a day with water setting in the bottom.
 
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Ice in a cooler should last at least three days before needing replenishing, and that's with a cheap cooler from wal mart.....have done it many times.

If you are really wanting to go the plug in route you will need to determine battery consumption required, and build your battery bank accordingly. Keep in mind there are a lot of units out there, and as with most things you get what you pay for.

Another route to go would be a propane powered unit, a bit expensive but you can easily get 2-3 weeks out of a 30lb cylinder.
 
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We hunted three states on one trip last year (UT, WY, MT) and took 5 animals. We had our meat processed between hunts and carried it in a small chest freezer. We plugged in at nights when possible, or threw dry ice on it when power wasn't going to be available for a few days.
 

Whisky

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I like the dry ice + Yeti idea....Making ice runs can be a real pain, especially if in the middle of nowhere.

Where does one get dry ice? Grocery stores?
 
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Our moose meat made it 2500 miles and two weeks without any spoilage. We had it hung dry and game bag covered and sprayed down with citric acid.


We do the same thing for all our trips up north. Clean dry meat can last a long time as long as it was cooled right away. Let the meat crust up and it will be fine
 

muleyman

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Last year we kept 13 antelope in a freezer for four days with no spoilage by running a generator for a few hours a day (just enough to keep the meat really cold but not frozen). It worked really slick we had both in the back of the truck and the cost of running the generator was no more than ice for that long without the melting mess.
 
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