Keep it Cool

How to Prevent Meat Spoilage when Travelling with Game

By Dominic Trimboli

What is the meat Danger Zone, and how do I avoid it?

In general, the best way to keep your meat cold is to either pack it into a freezer and run that freezer on a generator in the bed of a truck while you travel to your destination. Otherwise, you can debone and pack your meat into coolers packed with ice or dry ice to keep it chilled while you drive. You can also pack it into freezers and mail it home or take it with you on domestic flights.

For more information on how to pack your meat effectively for driving cross-country, click this link. You can find more information about flying with your meat here and finally learn about shipping your meat home at this link.

Tips and Mistakes to Avoid while Transporting Game Meat?

While keeping your meat cold might seem easy enough to do, there’s a few easy mistakes you can make that can ruin the entire trip.

Tip #1 Make sure your meat is completely frozen before starting to pack your cooler. Any warm spots will start melting first and that’s a recipe for disaster. You should also vacuum seal your meat for the best protection, packing and freeze possible.

Tip #2 The best way to make sure your meat stays cold enough is to use a Bluetooth meat thermometer with a wireless reader attachment. That way you can keep your eye on the temperature and re-stock your ice if necessary.

Tip #3 If you have a long, multiple day drive to undertake, make sure to drain and restock your ice daily. While some people swear by the “soaking” method of letting your meat sit in a bath of cold, sometimes salted water, it’s definitely not something we would recommend. Remember, if your water isn’t ice then it’s above 33F, which means you’re much too close to reaching the danger zone. This is especially ill-advised if you don’t vacuum sealing your meat before travel, as it will be waterlogged by the time you reach your destination.

Tip #4 Make sure your meat is completely frozen before starting to pack your cooler. Any warm spots will start melting first and that’s a recipe for disaster. You should also vacuum seal your meat for the best protection, packing and freeze possible.

Tip #5 Do your best to provide backup cooling options to keep your meat as cold as possible, for as long as possible. Cover your coolers with insulated tarps or pack the bed of your truck with snow to keep them insulated. Stack your coolers and do your best to keep them out of the sun. Any extra steps you can take will be massively helpful.

Tip #6 DO NOT open your cooler unless need to restock your ice. Every time you open your cooler, you release the cold air keeping everything insulated, and introduce warm air that melts everything faster.

If you want more information on how to best pack your meat to drive home cross country, then click this link. You can also find other options for getting your meat home that aren’t driving at this link!