Coolers

[fracguy]

So I am heading out for an early season hunt and been beating my head off the wall for an efficient way to get meat cooled off. I bought a couple coolers for a total of 230qts worth. Started building my own cooler but the price of the foam board was the price of a cooler plus I was going to fiberglass the outside and yeah, changed my mind. So was cruising Facebook marketplace and found a cheat freezer for free that works just old. It's a little bigger than the cooler I was making at 41x32x22, my cooler was 4ft x 2ft x 2ft. Gonna stash it in front of my wheeler in the back of my truck and have a small generator that I'm taking with me so IF I do get an elk I can put it in there and not worry about getting ice. Gonna freeze up a few milk jugs and put in it and see how long they stay frozen, my hopes is that I can put a dozen frozen milk jugs in it to keep it cold for the time I'm there and if I get an elk it will already be cold and just fire up the generator and go back in and break camp down and not have to hurry. Anyone else haul a freezer instead of coolers?

 

[cbuck516]

Yep, one freezer vs multiple big coolers frees up a lot of space in my rig. I usually haul mine under my truck topper, but it’s impossible to load unless I slide it onto the tailgate or take the screws out of the lid.

I would personally try to avoid freezing the elk meat prior to processing it. Hunt Backcountry Podcast had a meat scientist on episode 508 that explains why very thoroughly. There is some priceless information in this episode.

508 | A “Meat Scientist” on Wild Game Care & Preparation

Sierra Jepsen is a Meat Scientist and owner of Butcher Solutions, LLC. She joins us to discuss how big game hunters can effectively care for and prepare wild game meat. Sierra shares advice for processing big game in the field, caring for big game meat until it is frozen, and preparing big game...

www.podbean.com

If you choose to avoid freezing the meat, you could use a temperature controller to essentially turn the deep freeze into a refrigerator. This is what I do at home when I am in the middle of processing meat.

INKBIRD Digital Temperature Controller Dual Stage Thermostat ITC-308

INKBIRD ITC-308 is an easy-to-use dual relay output temperature controller that supports temperature calibration. Heating and cooling equipment can be set up at the same time or separately, and it has compressor delay protection. The controller has multiple alarm functions to ensure safe operation.

inkbird.com

 

[fracguy]

Oh yeah good call on the not freezing it, I do remember reading something about a shrinkage that happens, just woke up and can't think of what it's called. I never thought of using an inkbird, I have a spare I keep on hand for my aquarium. My first thought was I could put it on my tailgate behind wheeler but I'd have to load and unload it and being solo I could do it but don't want to so I'll put it in front of wheeler and generator next to it. I think I may build a box for it to sit in that is water proof and sealed and a spot for genny to go next to it so it's all 1 unit and weather won't bother it

 

[Fullfan]

Yep, we haul 4 freezers, one is full of frozen meals. Others just get filed with just stuff for the drive out.
The drive is 2200 miles one way, everything stays frozen. 4 years ago, we killed 7 bulls and one cow. We butcher while at camp. That year all 4 freezers were full of elk meat coming home. Last year we killed 4 bulls, not sure how we would keep all the meet from going bad if we just had coolers.

 

[Beendare]

I see guys every year on the Interstate going hunting hauling a freezer and genny on a trailer

 

[casey36]

We used small freezers many times. They work great. The only problem we had was that someone tried to steal one off the trailor. My friends Dad heard the commotion and went out to the parking lot at the motel. Two kids doing there best to get it, he yelled and they took of. His Dad came in laughing about it. Said the cooler was locked and had strips of steel through the base bolted to the trailor to hold it in place. Wasn't even a big game hunt, we were on our way to Arkansas to hunt ducks for a week.

 

[Blockcaver]

Freezer works really well for the early hunts...Sheep up north starts July 15 or Aug 1 depending on the province/territory. Caribou and moose mid-Aug. Down south I shot a CA Tule elk Aug 1 in 98*F heat. And some elk bow seasons open Sept 1. All can be in warm summer conditions.

I've got a little 5 cf chest freezer (deer, sheep, caribou and elk that I've vacuum packed all the red meat) and a larger about 12 cf chest freezer (moose or multiples of other critters). My little Honda EU1000i will run either one. I keep the freezer under the canopy on the F150 and ratchet strap the Honda generator on a little heavy plywood platform I built on top of a 2"x 2" x (1/4" wall) x 18" long square tube that fits the receiver hitch.

 

[fracguy]

We used small freezers many times. They work great. The only problem we had was that someone tried to steal one off the trailor. My friends Dad heard the commotion and went out to the parking lot at the motel. Two kids doing there best to get it, he yelled and they took of. His Dad came in laughing about it. Said the cooler was locked and had strips of steel through the base bolted to the trailor to hold it in place. Wasn't even a big game hunt, we were on our way to Arkansas to hunt ducks for a week.

That's my only worry is someone trying to steal it. I'll be 10 miles back in on 4 wheeler camping and truck will be unattended. Went on a hunt with my dad around 15 years ago when he drew a tag on the forbes trinchera ranch in Colorado, we had a brand new chainsaw stolen and a set of 4 wheeler ramps stolen from our camp. I may fold up the rear seat in my truck and try putting it in my truck.

 

[High Climber]

Run your generator for a little bit when you are back at camp to keep your ice/jugs frozen. I load up the freezer with ice and bring a good size cooler for drinks and food. I’ve nice having fresh bags of ice on command

 

[fracguy]

Run your generator for a little bit when you are back at camp to keep your ice/jugs frozen. I load up the freezer with ice and bring a good size cooler for drinks and food. I’ve nice having fresh bags of ice on command

Ill be quite a ways from my truck, where I want to go would be unfeasible to go back to truck every night. It's almost an hour and half 4 wheeler ride back in so I'm camping off my wheeler. Kind of thinking about freezing a bunch of milk jugs and filling it full of frozen jugs to keep it cool. If I get an elk I can always cut the jugs apart and take them without the ice or put them in my truck and take them home. Not sure how long a dozen jugs would stay frozen. I should actually get a couple cases of water and freeze them and see