Meat Boxes - Fairbanks

[Kevin Dill]

Gentlemen (& Ladies as appropriate)

I'm looking for large & sturdy 2-part (top and bottom) meat boxes in town. They will hold up to 100 pounds of meat in each. They're not insulated...just thick, heavy duty cardboard. After loading the bottom, the top slides down over it and gets taped. I think Alaska Air Cargo used to have them but apparently no longer do. These are NOT the typical fish boxes found at Fred Meyer which might hold 50 pounds and are generally weak.

Back in September I purchased several of the good Rubbermaid totes and used them to bring (fly) home my meat. All but one of them developed nasty cracks in the bottom and were beginning to show leakage. It's probably a miracle the airlines didn't catch it and toss them aside. Never doing that again. My hunting partner had the same experience with totes. Apparently they do not react well to being in a freezer and then subjected to jostling/loading on a plane.

Any leads on these boxes?

 

[SliverShooter]

Kevin,
One time we got boxes like you want from (I believe it was) the Interior Alaska Fish Processor. We took our moose there to freeze while waiting on the airline to change our flights.

 

[KChunter71]

Great topic Kevin. I had one plastic tote I used break up on the bottom and tossed it up to being thrown onto belts and carts. But I bet your right the freezer had something to do with that too. this last year most of my fish was in cardboard boxes.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Thanks Walt. I definitely have IFP on my list of places to check. Another one is Alaska Interior Meats near North Pole. I'm hoping someone has a definite place in mind where these boxes can be purchased dependably.

 

[VernAK]

Kevin,
Can I assume that you are not talking about the waxed fish boxes?

Do you haul home all the meat from a big bull plus cape?

 

[AKDoc]

KD...the boxes you describe sound like what I have bought at the ANC Costco several times in the past. However, like all things at Costco, they're there sometimes and then not. Might be worth a call to the FAI Costco just to check, but it's a long shot...I wouldn't bet on it right now. They are heavy-duty waxed fish boxes, so perhaps Vern is thinking the same thing.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Kevin,
Can I assume that you are not talking about the waxed fish boxes?

Do you haul home all the meat from a big bull plus cape?

Vern,

They might be known as fish boxes. What I know for sure is they were big enough to hold a full 100# of de-boned moose meat. I can't recall the ones I used as being waxed. I seem to recall they had separate tops which slid over the bottom....but I could be mistaken about that. Whatever, they were stout boxes and had no problem holding up to the weight.

I don't bring home ALL the meat typically. This year I split it with a partner. No cape. A few times I've given 150 pounds to someone locally. My wife and just can't use all the meat from a bull before it would freezer burn.

 

[Kevin Dill]

KD...the boxes you describe sound like what I have bought at the ANC Costco several times in the past. However, like all things at Costco, they're there sometimes and then not. Might be worth a call to the FAI Costco just to check, but it's a long shot...I wouldn't bet on it right now. They are heavy-duty waxed fish boxes, so perhaps Vern is thinking the same thing.

Thanks my friend. I'm going to follow all leads!

 

[chinook907]

Locally they're called fish boxes. Often can find them in grocery stores in AK or the bigger sporting goods stores.

But if it were me, I would call the FexEX in Fairbanks, and ask them where you can get them in FBKS. Its the only type of box that FedEx will ship frozen fish in.

 

[chinook907]

I think this is the smaller version. Holds ~50lbs or so. Frozen fish on its way to family.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Locally they're called fish boxes. Often can find them in grocery stores in AK or the bigger sporting goods stores.

But if it were me, I would call the FexEX in Fairbanks, and ask them where you can get them in FBKS. Its the only type of box that FedEx will ship frozen fish in.

Yep....always called fish boxes. I see the 50 pound boxes at Fred Meyer every year. Good advice to contact FedEx.....I'll add them to my call list. Thanks!

 

[VernAK]

Do they look like the white box that Chinook pictured? If so they are not the waxed fish box.
Did they have a foam insulating liner?

Lotsa questions I know but I keep some in my garage just for friends traveling like you do.

 

[Htm84]

These ones?

 

[Kevin Dill]

Do they look like the white box that Chinook pictured? If so they are not the waxed fish box.
Did they have a foam insulating liner?

Lotsa questions I know but I keep some in my garage just for friends traveling like you do.

The boxes Chinook showed aren't waxed...I know that for sure. The boxes I used; I just don't recall them being waxed, but maybe they were. I hate to sound dumb but my memory isn't perfectly clear on them. I'd say they were 36" min to 42" max long x maybe 16" wide. They didn't have Styrofoam for certain.

 

[Kevin Dill]

These ones?

That box does remind me of them.

 

[kwackkillncrew]

I believe the walmart in Eagle river carries those waxed ones like htm84 posted. Way more heavy duty then the fish boxes with the Styrofoam insert. If theres a walmart in fairbanks maybe ask them.

 

[william schmaltz]

Alaska Butcher Supply in Anchorage sells the ones Htm84 shared. They're great people and would probably ship some up. They may even have some sort of supplier they work with that would hold for you. The boxes come with a bag liner and the way they are assembled makes them like a tub. There's gotta be somewhere up there that has what you need, but I guess it's hard to fill #50-#100 boxes with greyling and lakers!

 

[Kevin Dill]

^^ I found the Alaska Butcher Supply website earlier today. Definitely on my call list now.

 

[LightManSA]

100 lb Wet Lock Boxes

Try this outfit. Not Fairbanks, but likely the right boxes.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

Interior Fish Processors occasionally ships meat for our hunters in Sept/Oct. They usually have had the higher quality no BS waxed freezer boxes you describe. Ask for Virgil if they dont have them in stock. I bet he'd share his source with ya.