How much cooler space

NDHunter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 14, 2012
Messages
110
Location
North Dakota
Hey guys, 4 of us are going to New Mexico for elk this October. I know all 4 of us tagging out is probably a longshot, but how many coolers should we take? Sounds like a boned out bull elk can take up to 200-250 quarts of cooler space. Should we be taking 800+ quarts worth of cooler space going on a best-case scenario that we all shoot a bull? Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated.
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2012
Messages
322
They have stores in CO. Take as many coolers as you need to carry the food you'll eat and worry about needing more when the need arises.
 
OP
NDHunter

NDHunter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 14, 2012
Messages
110
Location
North Dakota
Thanks guys for the input. Now I know what we'll need. Will probably take about half of what we need and then maybe buy the rest if we need it. Thanks again.
 

TJ

WKR
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
689
Location
N.E Oregon
So how much ice does a person need to put in a cooler for it to last a week at the trail head?
How about dry ice?

Any thoughts?

Thanks
 

2rocky

WKR
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
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1,144
Location
Nor Cal
Unused Wood Shavings bags (heavy duty plastic) inside a cardboard box Has lasted 3 days with pre-frozen meat, with 10 pounds of Dry ice

Good hints from http://www.dryiceinfo.com/camping.htm

Plan on using 10 to 20 pounds of dry ice for every 24-hour period depending upon the size of the ice chest. Dry Ice will keep everything frozen in this ice chest, including extra ice, so keep non-frozen goods to be refrigerated with regular ice in a separate ice chest. Dry Ice normally comes in 10-inch squares, 2 inches thick weighing about 10 pounds each square. Plan to put one square per each 15 inches of ice chest length. This will work out to 2 squares (20 pounds) for an average 40-quart cooler. For larger containers and longer camping or traveling times, multiply dry ice quantities by these rates. Dry Ice, at -109.0°F or -78.5°C, will freeze and keep frozen everything in its container until it is completely sublimated. These frozen items will take some extra time to thaw because they have been so cold.
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Gman

WKR
Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Messages
551
Location
Colorado baby!
This year I'm going to buy 4-6 2.5 gallon jugs of water at the market. Throw them in the chest freezer before the hunt. When they melt no water on meat and drinking water if I need it. Refreeze and repeat through October. We'll see if it's a good idea or not. :)
 

Yeti

FNG
Joined
Jun 3, 2012
Messages
99
Location
Redding, Ca
This year I'm going to buy 4-6 2.5 gallon jugs of water at the market. Throw them in the chest freezer before the hunt. When they melt no water on meat and drinking water if I need it. Refreeze and repeat through October. We'll see if it's a good idea or not. :)

I have done this very same thing for the past 6 years here in California except I use gallon jugs of water. I put ten pounds of dry ice in with the jugs and cover the ice chest with an old sleeping bag and layer a couple pieces of card board over the ice inside the cooler. I have had 90 degree weather and it lasted over a 10 day hunt. The main thing IMO is you want to limit the empty space in the cooler.
 
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