USVI-On-Line

Because I'm a glutton for punishment, and because we've never done so on past trips...I'm thinking about taking a cooler for this upcoming trip. I have no clue as to how much meat will fit in one of these things so I'm hoping someone might be able to give me some insight.

If I'm planning on taking Steaks, Chicken, Shrimp, Polish Sausage, Lunch Meat, Sausage, Bacon, & Hamburger Patties for 5 people, would I want to order the 24 pack? Thank you!

Yes!

Freeze everything solid, and as close to individually wrapped as is feasible since that will give you greater packing flexibility.

Our 24, stuffed to the gills with frozen food, fits under the seat in front of us on the plane, and is the perfect size to carry drinks and sandwiches with you to the beach in also.

Just my opinion, based on all the items you have listed, I believe you would need two of the 24 size coolers. Just two weeks ago we used the 48 can size, retrofitted with a beach cart and checked it on - we were on-island 8 full days and took steaks, spaghetti sauce, some bacon and sausage and ended up not being able to take everything. There were 8 of us and we only had two dinners in our villa and made breakfast most mornings. The Polar Bear is great at keeping everything froze on the way down and beverages frosty cold at the beach.

You might want to think about the polar bear back pack. My brother in law loved it and we took it to beach every day. He said it was very comfortable. He had to check though too big to fit under seat.

I own every available size of the polar bear coolers, and the backpack as well. Based on the amount of food you are bringing (and the number of people you are packing for), you will need the 48-can cooler. Or the 24-can size plus the backpack cooler would be another option (or two 24-can sized coolers). The 24-can size can go on board with you. The 48-can has to be checked. The backpack could go onboard but not under your seat--it would have to go up in the overhead.

When loaded with food/drinks/ice, the 48-can cooler is too heavy to comfortably haul down the beach. I only use that one to bring food down. It doesn't get used again until it's time to go home, when it gets packed with gifts etc. For beaching with 6 people, we bring the backpack loaded with the beverages and the 24-can size holds the food.

We have a 48 and it's great. Packed it full of stuff to the Bahamas last year...36 hours later, everything was frozen solid. Taking it to Kauai in June. I check my inside a rolling duffle bag with the rest of my villa supplies. I layer 4 sheets of techni-ice just for good measure...

I wish I had bought the 24pack...I got the 12 pack and it just doesn't hold that much...or maybe I don't know how to pack it.

I always have a very hard time zipping it. I filled with the hot water to expand before first use.

We love the backpack! Every family in our group has one this trip. We look pretty funny together

I agree with the others, you'll need the 48 can for that many people and that much stuff.

Agree to the 48 can,,
I used the 24 this year for cheeses (River Rat),sausages,and other breakfast items-
perfect size for the beach ...for my entourage!
Scoob

Definately the 48 can. Unless you have an extremely long travel day, you won't need any ice packs if you have it all frozen nice and solid. Last time we took a cooler, I had a similar list for the same number of people but I used too much techi ice and it added unnecessary weight.

We would take a small soft sided roller cooler that fits in the overhead. We took most of the stuff that you’re thinking of taking. I would individually wrap everything and freeze it rock solid. As for the shrimp – I’m marinate them and freeze them in them marinate. No need for additional ice packs – all the frozen food kept everything cold. The on the return trip home – I’d fill the cooler with booze that I got at the STT K-Mart. All in all, it’s worth doing.

On the advice of this forum, I bought a 24-can Polar Bear. Either I did something wrong or the cooler we had been using was pretty good already because the PB didn't perform that much better than my other, cheaper (from the Christmas Tree Shop)cooler had been doing. Nonetheless, we froze for a party of 2:steaks, chick breasts, swordfish steak, scallops, shrimp, turkey bacon, turkey breakfast sausage and kielbasa. I used two sheets of those ice packs that look like sheets of ravioli(?) and we put the PB in a suitcase and filled the rest of the suitcase with dry goods. Everything stayed nice and cold; it had been packed up around noon on Feb 6 - we drove to Boston, stayed overnite and flew out the next day, finally getting to the campground around 7 pm. But things were already starting to thaw by the next day. The kielbasa in a vacu-pack was a realy good addition because it didn't get waterlogged in the campground cooler and we ate it the second week of our vacation. You can chop some up and cook it with a black beans and rice mix or simmer it in spaghetti sauce. Anyway, that's my story.