Using Dry Ice in Coolers

[Loco Gato]

I know I've seen this thread before but,imho, the search engine here can't find it! Finds everything but. So the question is, whaat has been your experience in using dry ice for a long trip? Like Hawaii to california. Does it actually freeze meats and does it help to keep regular ice from melting in 2 day? Also say in a 30 qt. cooler, how much of it would you use?
Thanks

[Captain Bill]

I put 8 Lbs in a 40qt igloo 7 day cooler and it lasted the full week. It froze everything solid as a rock, so watch out for liquids, we busted a couple of soda cans the first day out. I had it covered in water ice and none of that melted until the dry ice was gone. Put cardboard or something between the dry Ice and the plastic or it can crack the cooler. A bigger block would probably last longer, but I doubt it would last for a month long passage.

[swagman]

Years back we found the best way to keep the dry ice away from sides and other items (like your fingers) was to wrap it well in multiple layers of newspaper. It will not get wet from the dry ice but could from any melting water ice you might also carry in the same space and a bit more eco friendly than carboard to dispose of at sea.
Cheers
JOHN

[IrishLass]

As I am sure you know the secret to keep dry ice frozen is to protect it from AIR. Other ice ("wet ice") and a cold environment are not necessarily needed to keep the dry ice from "melting" .... you need to keep the dry in an insulated area and protect it from air. It will absolutely freeze items and keep them frozen for a good while (7-10 days). The less air exposure will lengthen this time.

I suggest pack your items pre-frozen on dry ice and pack them for the late phase of the passage. Pack them in an inexpensive styrofoam cooler and tape it closed (airtight). Keep it below and do not open until you need these provisions and then try to open the cooler only once daily once you start using this supply. Captain Bill is right .... large blocks last longer.

Reminder .... this is frozen CO2 and will burn unprotected skin .... wear fabric gloves when handling dry ice.

[watson1990]

You will also want to keep in mind : It is now illegal to bring Dry Ice on a plane,,as in a commercial airliner .It was illegal before 9/11 because it is simple frozen carbon dioxide and when it "melts' it gives off that gas,,,thus limiting the amount of oxygen in a particular place,such as an aircraft. Nothing to worry about on a boat where you have plenty of air movement/exchanges but in a very confined space [an airplane] it could become a problem

[RTB]

Some helpful tips and warnings - Serv-Ice - Dry Ice

[rebel heart]

Same thing as someone else. I loaded up on dry ice, it froze everything well past solid, and I was cleaning out glass shards for a week.

For whatever it's worth I have an Engel now (stopped using the built-in fridge, just use it as dry storage). Much smaller but keeps everything cold and uses very little power. Highly recommended.

[NativeUSAindian]

Originally Posted by RTB

Some helpful tips and warnings - Serv-Ice - Dry Ice

Frigimat® Cub Dry Ice Maker - Dry Ice Makers

[Simes]

I looked into this about 1 year ago, had lots of helpful comments from this forum.
The basic decision was that buying Dry Ice was a good idea but that making your own on board was not (for lots of reasons).
We purchased a Yeti cooler and a small Adler type machine, uses a tiny amount of 12v power and makes ice easily. The Yeti is Awseome.

Simes

[Georgiegirl]

suggest you check out a book called The Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew by Lin Pardey. This has a lot of info on buying and sotrage food and how much dry ice they used.