Caution: Keep Dry Ice away from children if they cannot be closely supervised at all times.

WHAT IS IT?

Dry Ice is frozen carbon dioxide, a normal part of our earth's atmosphere. It is the gas that we exhale during breathing and the gas that plants use in photosynthesis. It is also the same gas commonly added to water to make soda water. Dry Ice is particularly useful for freezing, and keeping things frozen because of its very cold temperature: -109.3^o F or -78.5^oC. Dry Ice is widely used because it is simple to freeze and easy to handle using insulated gloves. Dry Ice changes directly from a solid to a gas sublimation in normal atmospheric conditions without going through a wet liquid stage. Therefore it gets the name "dry ice."

HANDLING

Dry Ice temperature is extremely cold at -109.3^oF or -78.5^oC. Always handle Dry Ice with care and wear protective cloth or leather gloves whenever touching it. An oven mitt or towel will work. If touched briefly it is harmless, but prolonged contact with the skin will freeze cells and cause injury similar to a burn.

STORAGE

Store Dry Ice in an insulated container. The thicker the insulation, the slower it will sublimate. Do not store Dry Ice in a completely airtight container. The sublimation of Dry Ice to Carbon Dioxide gas will cause any airtight container to expand or possibly explode. Keep proper air ventilation wherever Dry Ice is stored. Do not store Dry Ice in unventilated rooms, cellars, autos or boat holds. The sublimated Carbon Dioxide gas will sink to low areas and replace oxygenated air. This could cause suffocation if breathed exclusively. Do not store Dry Ice in a refrigerator freezer. The extremely cold temperature will cause your thermostat to turn off the freezer.

VENTILATION

Normal air is 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and only 0.035% Carbon Dioxide. If the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air rises above 0.5%, carbon dioxide can become dangerous. Smaller concentrations can cause quicker breathing but is otherwise not harmful. If Dry Ice has been in a closed auto, van, room, or walk in, for more than 10 minutes, open doors and allow adequate ventilation before entering. Leave area containing Dry Ice if you start to pant and breath quickly or your fingernails or lips start to turn blue. This is the sign that you have breathed in too much CO² and not enough oxygen. Dry Ice CO² is heavier than air and will accumulate in low spaces.

PICK UP TIME AND TRANSPORTING

Plan to pick up the Dry Ice as close to the time it is needed as possible. It sublimates (changing from a solid to a gas) at 10%, or 5 to 10 pounds every 24 hours, whichever is greater. Carry it in a well insulated container such as an ice chest. If it is transported inside a car or van for more than 15 minutes make sure there is fresh air.

BURN TREATMENT

Treat Dry Ice burns the same as a regular heat burns. See a doctor if the skin blisters or comes off. Otherwise if only red it will heal in time as any other burn. Apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection and bandage only if the burned skin area needs to be protected.

DISPOSAL

Unwrap and leave it at room temperature in a well ventilated area. It will sublimate from a solid to a gas.

Plan on using 10 to 20 pounds of dry ice for every 24 hour period depending upon the size of the ice chest. Dry Ice will keep everything frozen in this ice chest, including extra ice, so keep non-frozen goods to be refrigerated with regular ice in a separate ice chest.

Dry Ice normally comes in 10 inch squares, 2 inches thick weighing about 10 pounds each square. Plan to put one square per each 15 inches of ice chest length. This will work out to 2 squares (20 pounds) for an average 40 quart cooler. For larger containers and longer camping or traveling times, multiply dry ice quantities by these rates.

Dry Ice will freeze and keep frozen everything in its container until it is completely sublimated. These frozen items will take some extra time to thaw because they have been so cold.

HOW TO PACK DRY ICE

If the Dry Ice is placed on top of the food (cold sinks), it will work better. Many people prefer to keep the Dry Ice on the bottom of the ice chest for convenience. When packing items in the container fill the empty space with wadded newspaper or other filler. Any "dead air space" will cause the Dry Ice to sublimate faster. The best storage container is a three inch thick urethane insulated box. Lining the inside of your ice chest with sheets of Styrofoam will increase the life of Dry Ice. Dry Ice sublimation (changing from a solid to a gas) will vary depending on the temperature, air pressure and thickness of insulation. The more Dry Ice you have stored in the container, the longer it will last.

TRANSPORTING

Plan to pick up the Dry Ice as close to the time it is needed as possible. If possible pack insulating items such as sleeping bags around the ice chest. This will stretch the time that the Dry Ice lasts. If it is transported inside a car or van (not in the trunk) for more than 10 minutes make sure there is fresh air.

HOW TO KEEP ICE FOR WEEKS

One camper reports: "I have a 100 quart Coleman that I pack before leaving with a 50 pound block of dry ice and two 25 pound blocks of regular ice on either side of the dry ice. The dry ice is wrapped in many layers of newspaper, which is a marvelous insulator. If the cooler is kept in the shade and covered with a heavy blanket, the dry ice will last from 8-10 days at which time the wet ice first begins to melt. This will then last another 4-5 days. I would be willing to bet that using another method I heard (burying the ice chest in sand) in conjunction with mine would keep the wet ice available for 2-3 weeks. However, there is a downside. (1) Only frozen foods can be kept in the cooler until the dry ice is gone (no beer). (2) Lots of weight, the whole shebang weighs 100 lbs.. Dry Ice is very dense,a 50 lb. block is the same size as a 25 lb. block of wet ice."