Guns, Bows, Shooting Sports, and Hunting Pelican Case's

[BIGNASTY]

Nephew Jason and I have been looking at another option of getting frozen goods to camp and having them STAY FROZEN. Our method has worked well for quite a few years. Right now we use some of our plastic panniers put some dry ice in the bottom wrapped in newspaper to keep from cracking the panniers fill them with what ever you want to stay frozen and then pour in crushed or small cube ice and tape the lid shut. This works but when the cooks want to get something the only option is to open the pannier dump out the contents and chip it out of what has become a very large ice cube with frozen food in it . This pretty much makes what ever you had frozen have to be used we put back in the dry ice and other frozen foods and ice but it NEVER SEEMS TO BE FROZEN again. My Daughter when she was an Flight RN in the Air Force said to use the above products that is what the military used on board air craft to keep things frozen and be able to gain access and close up and keep frozen things frozen again they used the Dry ice but didn't have to put in crushed ice. Jason and I have ordered two and are going to test them to see how it works out, Daughter said she has no idea of how long they lasted because they just turn them in at the end of a flight and they are sanitized for the next use so if they are broken or something the military with UNLIMITED resources just replace them. Has anyone use a Pelican Product for an extended time and could tell us of their durability? as they are quite expensive.

Thanks for any info
BIG
http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail_coolers.php?Case=65Q-MC

 

[MChrist]

I'm on an adventure bike forum called www.stromtrooper.com. Several people use Pelican cases on their bikes and they seem to hold up fine on bikes riding off road, cross country, on highway etc.

 

[sarj]

I have a pelican I used abusively for tools at work. I've always worked in the field from job to job. I modified it with a flip up tray and compartments, carried scewdrivers, meters, countless pliers & visegrips, along with light wrenches 1" on down with it weighing in around 30-35lbs, and tossed it around because I could. I've used it as a step when my 6'4" / 220 lbs needed the extra reach. I'm ready to modify it into a case for traveling with hand guns. It's well over 20+ years old and works as tight as it ever did. They hold up well to abuse. I use another for camera, lens, and bino's when we go out on the boat on surf trips. Very good seal on them. They might work well for you. Their durability is not subject to question, and I wouldn't go with a cheaper knock-off.

I haven't seen or used their coolers, but the make very durable cases.

 

[CBari]

I have used their cases for camera's and dive gear and travel with them as checked luggaged and have yet to have one destroyed or damaged. Cooler wise not sure but worth a shot. The yeti coolers have become very popular in my neck of the woods while they are extremely pricey, they seal and hold the cold very well it isn't unheard of to dump as case or two of beer in them along with a bag of ice and they will stay cold for over a week with ice still in the cooler. I can't justify the cost for me and my beer cause ice is readly available around here, but for frozen goods at camp I bet they would work well.

I figured you packed a fridge/freezer unit in and ran it off of a solar unit.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Nawwwwwwwww the mules dont like the solar panels they reflect the sun and they have to wear sunglasses and the glasses dont fit very well.

Good to know about our choice of equipment tho thanks

 

[goodguys75]

what about the yeti ice coolers... they seem like they would work well... and pelican makes a nice product..... but i use for gun stuff... yeticoolers.com

 

[BIGNASTY]

what about the yeti ice coolers... they seem like they would work well... and pelican makes a nice product..... but i use for gun stuff... yeticoolers.com

Said it needs one pound of ice for EACH 12 oz bottle to keep cold that seems like a bunch have to look into them thanks for the info.

 

[HHhuntitall]

BIG,



We used the Yeti's where I used to work, years ago... . They worked good in desert heat. We had a small one, 48qt?, we kept in the transport that went with it... . We usually filled it with ice every 4-5 days, and had 3 guys getting their drinks and food out every few hours... . I've seen a lot of them recently, and they work pretty well. Summer before last, there was a big one on the VFD truck that came in for me to work on. It was here 3 days, had been sitting on the side of the road for 3 days, and there was still ice floating in the water... . 100+* heat everyday... . That's impressive. I went hunting and guiding with my friend that's a professional guide in Aztec, NM, and he swears by them in camp. We sometimes stay in camp all week before he has to go home to see his wife, and they'll keep ice all week in cool weather. With the dry ice, which is solid CO2, if you mix it with water ice, it freezes the water ice into a massive block due to the water freezing at a higher temp than the CO2..... I've looked at the Yeti's, but they're pretty high priced... . I've seen the Pelican's around, but not really been around them using them. A professional fishing guide uses them up on Lake Texoma every day, and he swears they're good coolers, just as good as the Yeti's, but a bit cheaper... . That's the first time I saw them, and the only reference I've really got on the Pelican coolers. I've got several of their products I've had for a long time, though, probably 12-13yrs? Three have been half-way around the world and back several times. One's a rifle case, two are gear cases, probably 48x24x24?. They look like hell after being beaten up by American airlines and UPS, but when going from low altitude to high, they still pop at you when you release the latches... ... . I've got another rifle case I've had for 5-6 years I use for my bolt guns, and it's even come off the truck on a gravel road, about 50mph, landing on it's end, flipping 2-3 times, and then skidding quite a ways... . Rifles were good, didn't hurt them, and case still seals up well, just looks like a drunk monkey took a die grinder plugged into 220v to it... .



As for the dry ice, I can give you a little info on that... . It's compressed CO2... . It evaporates, or sublimates, directly to a gas, with no liquid form, at -109*F. Ice crystals form due to moisture in atmospheric air... . The CO2 gas is extremely resistant to heat loss through thermal transfer or conductivity. If you can cap your container, the dry ice will sublimate until it fills the space with CO2 gas, then it will stabilize in temperature, by insulating itself with it's own gas. That's why it freezes all your food together in one mass. The cooler will greatly help with that, as you can use less water ice and more Dry ice. Also, with the cooler, if you can lift your food above the water, using a wire or plastic rack, or keep it sealed and not use water ice, it won't freeze in one clump, keeping the ice intact in the bottom of the cooler..... The larger the piece of Dry ice, the better it will perform, as there is less surface area to allow sublimation. I've seen 50lb blocks used in shipping for years, and they'll last a LOOOONG time. When dumped out on the ground, the smaller pieces are great to throw into diesel tanks of people you don't like... ... You didn't hear that from me..... Larger pieces go into my cooler to keep lunch and beer cool.

 

[BIGNASTY]

We are going to give the pelican a try the most important part I believe will be knowing what is in the cooler before its open that way its only open for a small amount of time get what is needed and close it back up. Not having to chip away ice and having it still be frozen will be a nice change for the cooks. Its not like its going to be out in a 100 plus heat, its in the mountains of MT and at the longest time would be the 8 day hunt then back into town