Using Dry Ice in Your Cooler

I disagree. We tried this once. While it DOES keep your food cool longer, and melts much slower, it gives food items (especially fruits like apples and oranges) a chemical taste. We did not enjoy it at all.

I love using dry ice. It keeps things very cold. Then it evaporates rather than melts so there’s no messy water to drain from the cooler. I have a friend who claims it will even keep ice cream cold. Haven’t tried that yet.

Dry ice,if it is put in direct contact with the cooler, will crack the plastic that most coolers are made of. This is speaking from experience on my part and also of a friend who did not believe this would happen.

If you use dry ice protect the plastic from direct contact with the extreme cold of the dry ice.

Dry ice is good. Be sure to handle carefully. Also it can build up pressure as it releases gases. I know when making Rootbeer, it can cause the lid to come off. It isn’t always the best idea. I have camped a lot and if you just keep the coolers out of the sun, lots of ice and don’t open them too often, the contents stay good. I use a different cooler for drinks or other items where I know it will be opened and closed alot. Keep your meats separate and they will keep colder and if you don’t open it as often. Camping can be fun or a disaster, depending on your approach. Plan ahead.

Here are some tips to increase the life of your ice:
• Pre-chill drinks and food prior to going into cooler.
• Pre-chill cooler itself (add ice several hours before use).
• Pre freeze drinking water.
• Load food/drinks in the order you’re going to use.
• If possible, use two coolers. One for drinks, one for food.
• Keep air space to a minimum.
• Load ice last, cold air travels down.
• Block ice lasts longer, crushed ice cools faster. It’s a good idea to use both.
• Leave melted ice water in cooler.
• Keep lid tightly closed.

http://www.coolerinsulators.com

Nice idea!

We are planning a week-long camping trip and would like to use dry ice instead of water ice. Freezing is not wanted, extending the life of the dry ice is desired. How about wrapping the dry ice in newspaper to slow down it’s evaporation and prevent the cooler contents from freezing? (some freezing on the bottom OK) Is it possible to get 5-7 days of cooling with a large (8 cu. ft.) cooler with say 30 pounds of dry ice??
bandgmexico@hotmail.com

For dry ice try using styfoam in bottom of cooler and a piece on top, use a grocery bag and keep dry ice in plastic, put meats in grocery bag and close, I use 30 lbs of dry ice and it keeps meats frozen for about 7 days

DOes dry ice keep icecream cold? Scouts r trying to do ice creams as a fundraiser but have no way of keepinig cold and were wondering if it works.

Dry ice is extremely cold (-109.3°F or -78.5°C). It will definitly keep Ice Cream cold.

The trick is having the right amount of insulation between the Dry Ice and the ice cream (or other foods). To keep things frozen put the ice in a paper grocery sack on top of your food.

Since there are several variables you have to work with, you have to experiment and adjust. (put a thermometer on top of food in each cooler for food safety.)

1. Temperature of the enviroment (convection)

2. Heat hitting the cooler, in the sun, by a fire, etc.(Radiation)

3. Coolness lost by what the cooler is setting on or touching (conduction)

4. Cooler’s insulating ability

5. Size of cooler

6. Temperature of cooler

7. Amount of food in cooler

8. Temperature of food in cooler

9. Amount of dry ice

10. Amount of insulation around the dry ice.

11. Location of the dry ice in the cooler

Check out the links at bottom of page for more help

Good Experimenting!!