What size cooler to fly back 50lbs of meat??

[reganfbrown]

I hope to bring back one checked cooler full of frozen moose meat from northern BC. Assuming I can stick to the 50lbs limit for an additional checked bag. My plan is to buy a decent cooler when I land in BC and hope to have the outfitter/lodge freeze 50 lbs for me to take back. Wondering if anyone has done this and about what size of a cooler would fit 50 lbs of meat.
*Also, some friends have suggested duct taping the entire cooler and others have noted that will just challenge customs/TSA to cut it open??? Thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Nickziegler]

Try to carry as much as you can in your carry on also...I brought back 60 lbs of goat meat in my carry on bag that was wrapped and frozen...it was heavy to carry around but worth it

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[timmymac24]

My experience is a 48 quart cooler will get you right at 50 pounds I pick up cheap Colemans at TSC or Wally World when on sale. Thanks to a previous thread on here I bought a PolarBear 48 pack soft side cooler to give it a try. Don't use any ice or dry ice baggage guys always ask when checking the cooler not sure if it's a TSA rule or individual airline policy but it's not needed anyway. Meat is always frozen when getting from Chicago Midway to Ontario, CA airport which ends up being about 12 hours door to door.

 

[shader112]

I fit 92 lbs in a 70 qt cooler so as Timmy said a 48 qt should do the trick. I love the Coleman Extreame. Cheap and hold ice great. Tape it up good with some duct tape and you should be good to go

 

[GLB]

We always used the waxed fish boxes. I could fit 50 lbs of meat in those. Basically a Blacktail bone out.

 

[shader112]

Also, if TSA decides to cut it open, they have special TSA packing tape and will retape it. They didn't do a great job on mine but it was still frozen solid 10 hours later

 

[KChunter71]

Wax fish box, Coleman cooler, and Home Depot tote. Used all tree at different times from Alaska to KC. Stuffed my insulation layers from hunting around the frozen meat or newspaper works too.

Frozen before and still frozen when I got to KC. Tell the airlines the goods inside are frozen. They will put a sticker on it. Alaska Airlines put it in coolers if the layover is long.

100lbs in this one.


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[KChunter71]

Also put zip ties and duck tape on top with a note to tsa to secure it. Forgot this last time


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[reganfbrown]

Great, thanks for the info guys.

 

[Mike Islander]

Just to clarify, do most airlines let you carry on frozen meat? After all the liquid restrictions at security, this is a big surprise to me.

 

[Pro953]

I cannot speak about coming back from Canada but one comment I would make should this be a DIY type trip, if possible take time to clean and trim your meat before flying back. No reason to fly back trim, sinew, bones etc only to dump them when you get home.


Have a great hunt.



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[ericF]

Got back from Alaska a couple of weeks ago. We got 48 quart coolers at I think Home Depot. Filled them full of meat to the brim and they weighed 87lbs and 81 lbs. If you fly Alaska, then you can pay $100 for additional checked bags up to 100 lbs. I flew up direct on United and flew back on Alaska specifically to bring back meat. 4 checked bags with around $260 I believe.

 

[Salmonchaser]

We send a couple hundred folks home every summer with 48 quart ice chests full of salmon fillets. They come in right at 50 pounds.

 

[TSAMP]

Wax fish box, Coleman cooler, and Home Depot tote. Used all tree at different times from Alaska to KC. Stuffed my insulation layers from hunting around the frozen meat or newspaper works too.

Frozen before and still frozen when I got to KC. Tell the airlines the goods inside are frozen. They will put a sticker on it. Alaska Airlines put it in coolers if the layover is long

You really cant bank on the airline freezing it. I specifically asked and was told no by AK air. Youd have to re check it and pay for freezer storage. I had the stickers a few weeks ago on a 93 lb fish box and had a 12 hr layover in anchorage. Made the 24 hr total trip and was semi thawed by end. Id do it again in a pinch but the boxes were also free. If you have to pay for them id seriously consider the cooler route. My meat was also not froze solid to begin with, just an overnight in freezer.

100lbs in this one.


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[LostArra]

Polar Bear 48 has worked well with frozen Alaskan fish and fully packed is about 50lbs. The Polar Bear is also much easier to handle than the fish boxes which I've also used.

Pre chilling any cooler makes a big difference in keeping meat frozen if that is possible.

 

[timmymac24]

Mike I have done the trip to IL to CA for 20 years now flying Southwest never an issue just make sure meat is frozen with no dry ice or ice.

 

[Mike Islander]

Mike I have done the trip to IL to CA for 20 years now flying Southwest never an issue just make sure meat is frozen with no dry ice or ice.

Thanks TM. Read a bunch of regulations today. Delta allows 5 pounds of dry ice per container, checked and carry on as long as it isn't in Styrofoam. Really surprised me how simple it is.

 

[rlmmarine]

I have a few of these they weigh nothing. I use them as a suit case on the way out and put a duffle bag in them. They hold almost exactly 50lb of meat with a block of dry ice. I put my clothes in the duffle for the way back. I always bring back all my meat from out west or canada. The extra bag is cheaper tha. Sending the meat later on.
Hope this helps

 

[Blockcaver]

I’d buy a cheap one with a pop up handle and two wheels like Blacktail Bob got at Walmart for an elk hunt. Great to move it around the airport with meat in it. Think it was a Coleman. Similar size to what I brought 50 #s of meat from the NWT in last year. Will measure the cooler when I get home.

 

[Johnboy]

Don't use any ice or dry ice baggage guys always ask when checking the cooler not sure if it's a TSA rule or individual airline policy but it's not needed anyway.

Does anyone here know with certainty whether Alaska Airlines allows dry ice? Since I struck out in AK this year, it was a non-issue, but I had planned on fish boxes with dry ice. And I didn't have time to freeze meat before flying home, so I think I would've needed the dry ice.