Dry Ice Information, continued...
(The following excerpts are by no means a complete and exhaustive study on dry ice. The information provided here relates to an outdoor activity and is not meant to be all inclusive. This information is from www.dryiceinfo.com, visit them for more information about dry ice.)
CAMPING AND TRAVELING WITH DRY ICE:
Caution: Keep Dry Ice away from children if they cannot be closely supervised at all times.
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."