Cooler Size Question

[InsaneBoost]

Have a bit of an off topic question here. This was one of the few places online that seems to know their stuff so I thought I'd give it a go and see if you all could help me, If there was a better place to post this I do apologize and hopefully it can be moved to said section.

I'm headed to see family this summer (driving across country) and have the opportunity to grab a 1/4 steer from my uncle. It will be butchered, packaged, and froze. It takes me just under 96 hours to drive from PA to CA and am curious if I can make the trip. Sams Club has a 150qt cooler for sale for $90, and it seems like a fair amount of hunters use this type or something similar. My uncle, as well as myself, are just concerned about the trip and the meat spoiling. While we know it can be done, I'm looking for some tips.

One being, can the 150qt cooler handle 1/4 a cow. According to my uncle he said I should expect roughly 80-100lbs from this cow if he had to guess, though he said it could yield a little more. Second would be ice. I assume dry ice would be my best option at keeping this cold for cross country travel. My question is, if I had enough, would I need to stop to refresh it? I've read if I have the entire top and bottom layered with dry ice, I should be able to make it without ever refreshing it. Others say a bottom lay is not necessary, just the upper layer. Anyone have insight on what is best?

I really appreciate any help. And if there's anyone who hunts white tail deer here, could this cooler handle a whole deer butchered and packaged as well? We don't have white tail here on the West Coast, and I would love to get one at my uncles farm come deer season if possible.

Cliff notes:

150qt cooler (5cuft)
1/4 cow (roughly 80-100lbs packaged meat)
Can meat fit along with dry ice and stay frozen across country?

Appreciate any help

[PRDATR]

Possibly.

[wildwoody]

I put my wife in a 105 qt. She stayed frozen for a week. Seriously get one you can plug in while you stop.

[InsaneBoost]

1 hour ago, wildwoody said:

I put my wife in a 105 qt. She stayed frozen for a week. Seriously get one you can plug in while you stop.

Thought about those, but they are all pretty small sized aren't they? I also don't know if my battery would make it through the night without dying.

[5guyshunting]

Step up that game. I've done Ohio to Phoenix several times in 27 to 32 hours. With deer meat.

[InsaneBoost]

2 minutes ago, 5guyshunting said:

Step up that game. I've done Ohio to Phoenix several times in 27 to 32 hours. With deer meat.

Haha trust me, I can do it faster, but with two kids it's a bit of a headache. Once they are older it won't be a problem, but after about 12 hours of driving they lose their minds. How did the meat hold up during that time frame? Dry ice or regular ice?

[5guyshunting]

1 minute ago, InsaneBoost said:

Haha trust me, I can do it faster, but with two kids it's a bit of a headache. Once they are older it won't be a problem, but after about 12 hours of driving they lose their minds. How did the meat hold up during that time frame? Dry ice or regular ice?

Regular ice and prossed in phx. Didn't know it was a family adventure.

[InsaneBoost]

Just now, 5guyshunting said:

Regular ice and prossed in phx. Didn't know it was a family adventure.

Yeah, family trip to see my family who is back East. Well, I would think at your pace, if I had to replace dry ice midway point I *should* be okay. Main question would be if it all fits in the 150qt cooler.

[5guyshunting]

35 minutes ago, InsaneBoost said:

Yeah, family trip to see my family who is back East. Well, I would think at your pace, if I had to replace dry ice midway point I *should* be okay. Main question would be if it all fits in the 150qt cooler.

Not sure bring an extra?

[InsaneBoost]

37 minutes ago, 5guyshunting said:

Not sure bring an extra?

That's my plan if there's an issue. Run into town and grab another. Hopefully someone else might have some better insight on what I'm attempting to do haha.

[maximus]

don't freeze the meat , do it when you get home. 

[twistzz]

Just stop once in awhile and get more ice.  And the kids ice cream lol sounds like an adventure for everyone.

[InsaneBoost]

10 minutes ago, twistzz said:

Just stop once in awhile and get more ice.  And the kids ice cream lol sounds like an adventure for everyone.

That's the plan if I can't get enough dry ice in to keep it cold the entire way. I think I read I need like 50lbs to do that, not sure if I can fit that along with the meat, but hopefully someone with more knowledge of beef can weigh in on that. I see some videos where I can easily see the persons 1/4 fitting, and then others where I'm thinking I need another cooler. Regardless this will be an adventure lol.

[Savageman2506]

It depends on how the meat is packaged, but I'd say you'll be close. You can fit a good-sized cow elk in a 150 quart cooler but not much room for ice. It was quartered, so probably 150ish lbs of meat. You might want to bring an extra 60 quart or so just in case. It's definitely big enough for an entire deer.

 

Another tip is to duct-tape the lid down expect for a small vent, so it holds in as much cold as possible. Don't want it air-tight or it'll pop itself. Dry ice also releases C02, so you'll want to be careful about that if it's in an enclosed space like a car.

[Crazymonkey]

If you get a big igloo cooler you can double  insulate the cooler . There is you tube info on it . I used the pink hard foam board from home depot about 25 bucks a sheet . Cut it to fit top ,bottom  and four sides . Shot a pig in California  and it was on ice in the cooler for a week no problem.  Use a trash bag to bag and tie off the ice so you keep the water off the meat and your good.