Transporting meat for friends and family back East?

[samuel_284Win]

At some point in the next couple of months, I would like to get some wrapped elk meat to friends and family that live in TN. I will be flying back there over the holidays so could always fly with some. Any tips and tricks for flying with meat and keeping it frozen for ~ 12 - 15 hours? If not flying with meat, how do you guys ship meat home if you live in the East?

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Don't over think it, double bag meat in trash bags, surround it will towels or something that will absorb condensation.

Reality is if you bags are lost for a couple of days a cheap cooler isn't likely to save you, and a roto cooler can use up 1/2 or more of your allowed weight per bag.

You can also carry-on meat, I've put 30-60lb in a dry bag in a roller suitcase a couple of times.

Anchorage to Boston



Denver to Boston

 

[Bambistew]

I buy cheap 50qt coolers, They will about 50lbs of meat. if frozen solid, it will be mostly still solid 2 days later. If fresh and cold, it will be fine 8-12 hrs later. Tape it up.

I ship fish to my family every year. Frozen solid, in an insulated cardboard box. It goes USPS priority, gets there in 2 and sometimes 3 days and is just starting to thaw, but most all is still frozen solid. On an airplane when I take fish/meat home, its in a trash bag inside a cardboard box. stuff some newspaper around it. It will barley start to thaw, even after 6-10hrs of flying.

 

[JohnCushman]

I just shipped 20 pounds of moose to my parents in NY. I packed it in a styrofoam cooler inside a cardboard box. I packed the cooler tight and put 2 pounds of dry ice in with the already frozen meat. I shipped it fed ex ground, which is 3 days, and it arrived to them still frozen solid. Second day air was going to be $202, but ground was only $46.