Cooler as luggage

[darcytribe]

I’ll be flying Southwest in September from MO to ID for an archery hunt that hopefully results in flying home with meat. I was thinking of packing gear and clothes in a cooler on the way out there then if successful utilize the cooler for meat on the way back.
1. Anyone done this? Any advice?
2. I’ll want to use a cooler that fits into the luggage limits of Southwest (62 inches). Anyone know of any good sales on a good cooler that would fit this size limit? Would like something that will be able to hold up to luggage abuse.
Thanks!

 

[Tmac]

I have done that AK to OR. Threw in a duffle bag to use for clothes while coming home with meat in the cooler. Used a regular igloo type cooler, duct taped it shut after declaring it. Worked well. You will need to make sure no fluid leaks out. So I put all the meat in zip locks and then put 2-3 meat bags in unscented garbage bags I tied shut.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Deer or elk? A decent sized deer will require a near 100 qt cooler if all the meat is boned. I would suggest some means of freezing. I do this every year when coming back to WA from MO. I have a soft sided cooler I take out there that will fit right at 45 lbs of frozen, boned meat, keeping it under the 50 lb limit. A couple years ago that was not even half of the buck I killed.

 

[woods89]

I flew home with 2 of the blue and white Colemans from Walmart a couple years ago, both loaded to 95 lbs with elk. They were oversize so I paid the fee, but they weren't completely full. Next time I'm going to try 55 qts as I think they will be inside size requirements, and I think I can just load them full.

I'm going again this fall, so hopefully I'll get to test this. I don't use coolers on the way out, though, I just buy them out there after filling the tag.

 

[darcytribe]

I flew home with 2 of the blue and white Colemans from Walmart a couple years ago, both loaded to 95 lbs with elk. They were oversize so I paid the fee, but they weren't completely full. Next time I'm going to try 55 qts as I think they will be inside size requirements, and I think I can just load them full.

I'm going again this fall, so hopefully I'll get to test this. I don't use coolers on the way out, though, I just buy them out there after filling the tag.

I thought of doing this too- just buy cooler(s) for the trip home. some of the coolers I’ve looked at that are 55 qts. Do meet the size requirement.

 

[woods89]

I thought of doing this too- just buy cooler(s) for the trip home.

It's my preference. I kept the 2 I brought home last time, but you can sell them on a garage sale/Craigslist/whatever.

 

[darcytribe]

It's my preference. I kept the 2 I brought home last time, but you can sell them on a garage sale/Craigslist/whatever.

True. I was also considering buying a nice rotomolded 55 qt. One.

 

[woods89]

True. I was also considering buying a nice rotomolded 55 qt. One.

My advice, worth exactly what you paid for it, is don't buy rotomolded coolers to fly home with. The extra wall thickness is just room you can't put meat in. If a person had a really long itinerary, maybe, but I think cheap coolers are the way to go here.

 

[cnelk]

I’ve flown home with meat in coolers. Even had dry ice in the coolers.

Bring contractor bags and duct tape

 

[Desk Jockey]

I use a soft side yeti as carry on. No issues with weight restrictions. Some odd looks from TSA when it was filled with pheasant or a bone in deer hind quarter.

cooler as checked luggae is doable. A roto mold is going getting banged up and it will weigh a lot and have less useable room than a cheap cooler.

I have packed 45# of boned out frozen meat in boxes with DIy styrofoam lining it. meat in zip locks and contractor bags. it was fine and barely thawed after 12 hours transit.

 

[LongWayAround]

My advice, worth exactly what you paid for it, is don't buy rotomolded coolers to fly home with. The extra wall thickness is just room you can't put meat in. If a person had a really long itinerary, maybe, but I think cheap coolers are the way to go here.

I would agree with that. I just bought a lifetime brand 77 quart and the weight alone makes it a deal breaker. For reference, their 55 is 24lb and the 77 is 29lb.

Last time I went on a big trip, we bought $100 Coleman and used it for the week. Coming home we were able to freeze our fish prior to travel and load it up. I threw five pounds of dry ice in with about 80 pounds of fish. Lots of packing tape and no troubles.

 

[Traveler]

It’s fine, use straps instead of tape to secure lid. Buy Packable duffels to move gear to if moving meat on the way home.

any size cooler will fly, just a matter of cost

 

[Kurts86]

I buy the cheap 48 quart coolers at Walmart to fly meat home with on southwest. The coolers are 7 lbs and meat has roughly the same density as water at 2 lbs/quart. I once stuffed a boned out mule deer buck and antelope doe in a 48 quart cooler to fly and it was 95 lbs and completely stuffed full. 100 lbs is the max baggage limit for southwest.

 

[hunt1up]

Just buy cheap coolers from Walmart. Don't use heavy molded ones. I use the Igloo ones with wheels. Easier for rolling around the airport. Just duct tape the lid and go.

Robot or human?

 

[Haro450]

Done it a couple times. Coleman extremes ice chest light weight. Packed gear on the flight there meat on the flight back. Meat was frozen solid no ice. Small straps and some duck tape to keep it closed. Only worry I have had is that they will lose my luggage. Checked baggage is cheaper than having it shipped.

 

[S.Clancy]

We do it back and forth to Alaska. Take 2 coolers. Fill them with all our crap. Take backpacks as carry on. Fly back with 2 coolers filled with fish. Check backpacks with gear. Mission complete.

 

[Thinkingman]

True. I was also considering buying a nice rotomolded 55 qt. One.

I have flown Alaska to Seattle and to Utah and back with a cheap(comparatively) older Coleman.
It works if the meat is chilled (frozen is better) when you put it in. Full coolers stay colder than partially-filled coolers.
The nice thing about cheaper coolers is they don't weigh a lot empty.
The Yeti-Bro look is tempting but you're paying for weight that doesn't contribute to your outcome.
The cold-ship boxes are what I'd use...Simple waxed cardboard with a styrofoam lining. Cheap, light, effective and nearly disposable if you don't think you'd use them again.
If you use a cooler, make sure to duct tape it shut.
Ditto to the earlier post about shipping gear in it...Backpacks as carry-on.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

My hunting clients do this a lot. Couple of 55-quart Igloo coolers, some duct tape, a permanent felt marker, some 2-gallon Ziploc bags, and some heavy mil 55-gallon contractor's trash bags, and you'll be good to go.

 

[fatlander]

I use a soft side yeti as carry on. No issues with weight restrictions. Some odd looks from TSA when it was filled with pheasant or a bone in deer hind quarter.

cooler as checked luggae is doable. A roto mold is going getting banged up and it will weigh a lot and have less useable room than a cheap cooler.

I have packed 45# of boned out frozen meat in boxes with DIy styrofoam lining it. meat in zip locks and contractor bags. it was fine and barely thawed after 12 hours transit.

This is the way to do it.

Just make sure everything is frozen solid upon arrival and you’ll have no issues getting through TSA.


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[Corvus Corax]

Packed a cooler with processing knives and raingear to Sitka for a fishing trip, filled it up with fish and checked it for the return flight. We were originally going to use the airline’s air freight service but it didn’t pan out. Coolers themselves do take up a lot of the weight allowed for luggage. I was just doing the short trip from Sitka to SeaTac. From now on I’m using waxed fish boxes if I can get everything frozen solid.