Another pack-out question

[bz_711]

Thanks for all the advice.

More clarity on our situation: the vehicle will be down low and in an area that can get pretty warm on clear days; we have a 2-3 mile hike in this scrubby, very arid zone between the car and the base of the drainage.

Once we're in the drainage we have timber and cold water coming down from treeline lakes (those are about another 6 miles & 3500 feet up).

So it's possible that the vehicle will be hot as hades. If so, perhaps we should move meat to the base of the drainage...then get gear to the vehicle, run for ice, then get back after the meat.

As others have said...I recommend coolers ready at the truck...so much wasted time and engergy running to town. I pack coolers full with frozen milk jugs, mostly gallon and a few half gallon. They have always been 50-75% frozen still...and I like it having some melted water anyway. Put meat in contractor bags in cooler, cut open jugs and put ice on top and fill rest of melted water around meat...meat becomes completes surrounded by ice cold water. Works great for me.

Also - meat out first, head and gear last.

Question - have any in your party harvested, debonded and packed an elk before?
If not - I would highly recommend not going 8-9 miles in to kill one the first time...unless it's high speed trail to get out...but bushwhacking that far with a load of elk is more than most understand.

Regardless, be ready to keep meat cool and then cold at truck...and have fun.

Good Luck!

 

[OkiechasingElk]

I freeze gal milk jugs with water and some smaller 2-3qt as well. Last year we came home on day 11 and I'd guess that every jug still had at least a 50% ice chunk in it. Still enough to keep the meat cold for several more days if needed.

Test your coolers with block ice now at home. Keep them closed and in the shade and see how long it lasts.

Did this method last year on an unsuccessful hunt in CO. Kept the cooler in the shade at camp. Had 6 1-gal water jugs and a case of bottled water that were all froze solid when I left. 1 day driving, 10 days at camp, 1 day driving home. The jugs were about 2/3 frozen, the bottle were maybe less than a 1/3 frozen.

Just planning on the jugs this year on a Drop Camp trip to Idaho. If successful, I'll have a cooler with enough ice left to get me back to town to properly set it up for the long drive home.