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Coolers

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Coolers

Postby Elkhntr08 » 08 20, 2017 •  [Post 1]

This may have already been discussed, if so, I apologize. I picked up a Yeti 65 at a RMEF banquet last night. My question is, how many 65 quart coolers should I plan on for a boned out elk. Sticking with the 65 size cause I can pick them up and they fit well on my trailer.
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Re: Coolers

Postby N2mywake » 08 20, 2017 •  [Post 2]

We found a small size deep freeze and haul it. Instead of plugging it up we use dry ice. I switched to just putting it in the truck bed instead of a trailer. Works great.

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Re: Coolers

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 08 20, 2017 •  [Post 3]

Probably three of the 65 QT size for a boned out (or processed/frozen) elk. 200 QT capacity is about what a hunter should expect to need for a good sized wapiti.
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Re: Coolers

Postby Swede » 08 20, 2017 •  [Post 4]

I think my cooler is 164 quarts. It has been enough for my larger elk after they are processed. I think RJ's estimate of three 65 quart coolers is about right.
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Re: Coolers

Postby saddlesore » 08 20, 2017 •  [Post 5]

I agree, three. I have a 100 and a 60, I can just about get the bone in quarters (but not really quarters) in thos two. (no gut method).
If I wasn't so close to quitting elk hunting, I'd pick up one of those 7 cubic feet freezers from Costco or Home Depot for about $160 ,then use my 800 watt ,$90 generator from Harbor Freight to run it.
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Re: Coolers

Postby Ben Nicholson » 08 21, 2017 •  [Post 6]

I use a 120 Engel and a 65 RTIC. Works for me.
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Re: Coolers

Postby Brendan » 08 25, 2017 •  [Post 7]

Depends - boned out meat with enough ice to cool it down? Probably need 200 quarts - so 3 coolers. My Yeti Tundra 160 isn't big enough for this, I bought an additional coleman extreme 70 qt to split the meat up and make sure there was enough ice after shooting my first bull and figuring that out. If it's already processed and frozen you could get away with less.

Freezer isn't an option for me - I travel in a pickup with a cap so don't have room, and don't bring a generator.
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Re: Coolers

Postby Elkhntr08 » 08 25, 2017 •  [Post 8]

With my luck, a freezer is not in the plan. I also travel with a truck and working on a small trailer. The 65s will fit nicely across the trailer. I just need to figure a bomb proof way to secure them, it a open trailer. A freezer would be cheaper, but then the generator wouldn't start or something would break loose from the bouncing around. Like I said, I know my luck.
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Re: Coolers

Postby Tigger » 08 25, 2017 •  [Post 9]

We go the freezer route.

one thing to note about Yeti (and I do love mine), they lie about the size. A 65 Yeti I think holds 50 quarts. In aint even close.
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Re: Coolers

Postby Lefty » 08 25, 2017 •  [Post 10]

Have you seen the 400 quart Grizzly, Big enough for a hand full of ex girlfriends, and still cheaper than a coffin.even has a ace for forks on a lift.

I don't know how much juice the inverters on some pickups push out. As mentioned above, a harbor freight inverter and small freezer.
We use to haul a small freezer for fur when trapping too far from home.
If your meat is processed, and frozen, even the cheap coolers will work.
We were using our daughters Yeti 65, even too big for a week camping, but it will be in the truck Friday
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Re: Coolers

Postby N2mywake » 08 27, 2017 •  [Post 11]

Elkhntr08 wrote:With my luck, a freezer is not in the plan. I also travel with a truck and working on a small trailer. The 65s will fit nicely across the trailer. I just need to figure a bomb proof way to secure them, it a open trailer. A freezer would be cheaper, but then the generator wouldn't start or something would break loose from the bouncing around. Like I said, I know my luck.
I fit the small freezer under my topper (have to remove the lid and slide it back on after it's loaded. It has served us well.

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Re: Coolers

Postby scubohuntr » 09 11, 2017 •  [Post 12]

Every time I get ready to head out, I discover something else I hadn't planned on. Right now it's coolers. I've been hoarding gallon milk jugs for a while; I have about ten right now. I'm figuring on hitting Home Depot in the next day or two and get a freezer on their Labor Day sale, the biggest one the wife will let me get away with. Probably about 15CF. I'll start freezing milk jugs as soon as I get it plugged in and cooling. I have several of the standard 36-quart picnic coolers that everyone has. I know that's not close to enough for an elk. I'm hoping to get a 150 quart Coleman (under a hundred bucks at Walmart.com) soon. The plan, then, would be to have 6-8 frozen gallon jugs of water (wiped down with food-grade wipes) in the big cooler, and one or two in each of the smaller coolers. If (when!) I come down the mountain with a load of deboned elk, it will go into two or more of the (already cold) smaller coolers with an ice jug in about the middle of each. Back up the hill for more. When the next load comes down, the cooled meat will go into the (already cold) big cooler, spread out as much as possible, and the new load will go into the small coolers. Depending on the condition of the ice jugs, they may be replaced between loads.

My thinking (and it may be completely wrong) is that the ice jugs in the bigger cooler will last longer if meat goes into it pre-chilled. On subsequent loads new meat can get started chilling without warming up the meat already in the big cooler. Since I am completely clueless and on my own, the time between loads will be significant, and there will probably be at least four loads (provided I stumble across a very unlucky bull), so the time between first and last loads could be 12-16 hours, depending on how far back in the hills I end up. There is also a good possibility of having to leave meat overnight if I end up with more meat than daylight. In deference to my wife's ulcers, I won't pack through grizzly country alone in the dark wearing meat or at least smelling like meat. In that case, I intend to lug one or two gallons of ice back up with the last load for the night and tuck them into the meat bags before I hang em up. The nights are pretty cool these days, and it probably wouldn't be necessary, but since I'd be going up empty and have the ice at hand, why not? Hopefully a 150 will be enough to take a bull (deboned) and some ice jugs. Hopefully I get the chance to find out. If not, I'll still have the smaller coolers to catch overflow.
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Re: Coolers

Postby six » 09 12, 2017 •  [Post 13]

Boned out elk fits nicely in my 200 quart cooler along with 3 gallon milk jugs of ice. Just throw some dry ice on the top for the ride home.
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Re: Coolers

Postby Elkhntr08 » 11 14, 2017 •  [Post 14]

Decided on a couple Ozark Trail 73 quart cooler. Can pick them up for $174 each.
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Re: Coolers

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 11 14, 2017 •  [Post 15]

Elkhntr08 wrote:Decided on a couple Ozark Trail 73 quart cooler. Can pick them up for $174 each.


Let us know how they work out.
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