Checking a cooler

[mdcoles1]

Okay, everyone talks about "soft sided" coolers. What about checking a regular cooler, with wheels? It meets the luggage dimensions and I will make sure I do not go over with weight....has anyone else done this?

[Teresa_Rae]

I do it every year. The wheels make it easier to lug around. I tape the cooler shut at the gate with tape from the airline (I use dry ice and sometimes they want to weigh it at the ticket counter)...then if the TSA wants to inspect it, in my experience they'll re-tape it.

[Chris V]

Just went down with 2 coolers. We just freeze the meat and use it as ice. So we dont use dry ice. I use a baggage strap across the top that goes from handle to handle. We did the tape thing up untill the last trip where TSA did not tape it back. Up till then they had always been helpful about using their tape.

[FlaGeorge]

I have a friend that is originally from STT and he always takes a big a$$ cooler full of food down with him. He has a big blow-out feast with his island family. Then he fills it with booze on the way back.

[Connie]

No problem at all. We had one of those coolers with the wheels and a handle. We packed everything the morning we were leaving. We froze all the meats, chicken, breakfast food. It worked out great. We had hamburger, chicken, ham, bacon, pork rool, even 4 lbs of shrimp. Had 9 people with us and every bit of that food went.

[Margy Z]

Always bring a cooler(s) but have never brought hard sided. We usually take two oversize foldable soft-sided (one of frozen, one of refrigerated stuff), pack them about 2 AM and everything is fine when we get to the villa around 5-6. Used to use blue ice but now love that techni ice. Then we have the lightweight coolers and techni ice for the beach. If we are staying on STJ, then we stop along the way to Red Hook for milk, eggs, fresh veggies, fruit, etc., and pop that stuff into one of the coolers to stay cold for the car ferry over. We put both coolers in a large rolling duffel, lock it with a TSA lock and then pack the liquor in the rolling duffel on the return trip. Have not had any problems so far. Here's a link for techni ice, although we got a better price on eBay:

http://www.techniice.com/english/index.htm

- Margy

[RickG]

Here's a link for techni ice, although we got a better price on eBay:

- Margy

Thanks for the tip. I just picked up some of the HDR for cheap on ebay. I've never tried it, but it sounds good for the beach. We're bringing a cooler for the Halloween trip.

Cheers, RickG

[Margy Z]

That techni stuff is pretty versatile. It's lighter than blue ice, less bulky and great for layering. Once it's activated and has been frozen once you can thaw it and then heat it in the microwave and use it as a hot pack as well. Sometimes we cook up some chicken or a pork tenderloin in a Reynolds hot bag on the villa grill and then put it in our second cooler to have hot food at the beach. The warm sheets also work great to keep takeout hot if your villa is a ways away. The sheets are large enough if you don't trim them so on the way home they make great wrap for the liquor bottles - just wrap around and secure with a rubber band. I also like to wrap the cold sheets around wine bottles to keep them chilled on the deck without ice or a bucket - wrap a towel around if you really want to get fancy - - nahhhhh. DH cut up one of the techni sheets and puts a short band inside his baseball cap when he's doing yardwork to keep a cool head- lol.