Dry ice is the perfect coolant when looking to keep food colder for a longer period of time. While regular ice is commonly used for beach days or barbecues, dry ice is ideal for camping trips that may last longer. Dry ice is a cooling agent use by the general public and commercially to transport perishable items that must remain cold, or frozen. Here are a few reasons to consider dry ice for your next camping trip:
Benefits of Dry Ice for Camping
- It’s COLD: Dry ice maintains a consistently low temperature of -109.3°F and must be handled with care.
- Longer Lasting: Dry ice lasts much longer than regular ice due to its freezing temperature. While regular ice melts quickly as it warms, dry ice’s sublimates at a slower rate.
- Mess-Free: Dry ice sublimates as it warms, meaning the solid carbon dioxide (CO2) form converts directly to a gaseous CO2. This process does not leave a puddle to clean as regular ice or gel packs would while melting.
- Food-Grade: Noble Gas manufactures food-grade dry ice compliant with FDA regulations. This means our dry ice is safe for use with food and animal products. It is never safe to directly ingest dry ice.
- Natural Mosquito Repellent: Dry ice can attract mosquitoes and works well to bait them away from yourself. It is simple to create natural mosquito traps.
Dry ice is not as commonly used as regular ice or gel packs, but don’t let that stop you from trying it out! Dry ice is often used in cylindrical pellet or block form. We have put together a list of suggestions to help you maximize your use of the cooling agent, ensuring a spoil-free trip.
Dry Ice Tips to Maximize Use
- Layer It: Controlling whether food stays cold or frozen is affected by the layers used when packing your cooler. This determines if your food will remain frozen or stay cool.
- Freeze Food: Freezing food beforehand reduces the affect your food has on dry ice. Although the sublimation rate is slower than ice melting, packing frozen food prevents unnecessary dry ice lost.
- Well-Insulated: Invest in a well-insulated cooler to keep you food cold. If you’re taking multiple coolers, we recommend storing more popular items in a single one. This will limit the frequency in which the lid is open.
- Fill It: Filling all the nooks inside a cooler is beneficial to maintaining solid dry ice. If you can’t fill it completely with dry ice, supplement the top layer with regular ice. Regular ice or gel packs will melt at a slower rate if stored in the same cooler as dry ice.
It is important to know what safety precautions to take when handling dry ice. Do not use dry ice in your tent. Dry ice sublimates into gaseous carbon dioxide (CO2) and is hazardous to breathe. Always use dry ice in a well-ventilated area.
Where Do I Get Dry Ice? You can pick-up dry ice at a Noble Gas store near you. We can provide packaging if a cooler is not available upon pick up. Contact us for more information or visit our website.
