Transporting smoked meats by domestic commercial air

[asa]

Twice in the past two weeks I've had good success taking stuff to friends. I used a cooler that looks like a roller duffel, with an extendable handle, and zipper access around one end. It seems fairly well insulated. Both times, I started with a large blue ice pack on the botton, then ribs and pulled pork that had been previously vacuum-packed and frozen. Then another blue ice pack, followed by some paper bags for insulation and then a 3# slab of Canadian bacon and some salami, both of which had been refrigerated. Finally, topped of with a jar of my sauce. It was, of course, checked through and both times it arrived in good shape - was hand examined the first time only. The ribs and chopped Q were still frozen solid ~ 11 hours later, so it seemed to work well. I'm not sure where we got the cooler but can check and let you know if anyone is interested. And the surprise factor when you unload it at the other end is priceless.

[iceman]

I'd sure be interested in that asa. I travel alot and like taking along "suprises" on my visits.

[asa]

Iceman:  My daughter says she got it for us at a local dept store like Dillards or Belks. It is a "TCL Cool-carry." Google that and you'll come up with a number of relevant hits that should give you an idea of what's out there. It looks like the one at http://www.go2marine.com/product.do?no=89634F. And here's one at WallyWorld:  http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2603675. Ours actually looks like this (http://www.irvs.com/image.php?itemno=TCL-%2033019&engine=shop_tracker&keyword=TCL-%2033019&source=nextag&kw=TCL--33019) but it may not be quite as big as the one shown in the photo. It seemed to work well with just two icepacks (they were the biggest our grocery store carries, almost filling the width of the cooler). My guess is that it will keep things cool, if not frozen, for at least 18 hours, but I haven't monitored it for that length of time yet. Certainly 15 hours should work, and much longer if you only needed to end up with thawed but refrigerated product.

[West Coast Kansan]

In the day of peanut flights this looks like a whole new world of carry your lunch on board. Great tools for lots of applications!

[Gizmo]

Do they have cargo hold seating for lunch or dinner?  Considering they won't feed you on even a cost to coast flight (without a charge for a rock sandwich or candy), a 1st class seat in th cargo hold with an awesome Q could be the new offering for the ailing airlines.  In that case, I wouldn't go frozen.

[iceman]

Thanks for the info asa. That's next on the shopping list. I'm taking a bunch of halibut and salmon down to my brother in a couple of weeks.

[asa]

Great Iceman. Hope it goes well. Let us know what you get and how it works out. Sounds like good fun. It seems to me that this kind of carrier would be better than your typical cooler because of the danger of one of those coming unlatched and spilling the contents. Although for a really large batch, I guess you could try that and cinch it with some kind of strap that can be opened by TSA and then closed again. It would be good to have wheels on one end though, come to think about it.