BEST WAY TO PACK FROZEN GOODS ON AIRLINES TO WCCC 2010
As you know, I travel all over the country on airlines to chili cookoffs and was asked to give my technique for packing frozen meat/sauces/peppers/etc.
I simply double bag the frozen goods (in case of leakage) and pack or wrap clothes around them. I check the bag. The frozen goods will stay frozen, or most nearly so, for a good 12-16 hours. Keep in mind that the cargo holds on most jets are not heated. Worried about misconnected bags? There were two occasions where my bags were misconnected and received them approximately 24 hours after I packed them at home with the frozen goods. They had mostly defrosted, but were still extremely cold. No need for expensive dry ice or added weight for the blue ice packs.
If it really bothers you that your frozen goods are not kept on ice, you can do several things;
1) Pack in dry ice. This may put you in jeopardy. You are supposed to tell the airline you are carrying dry ice, as it is considered “hazardous cargo”. There may be paperwork to fill out and added charges. If you decide not to tell the airline, TSA may decide to confiscate the dry ice anyway, depending on what airport and what TSA employee.
2) Pack in “blue ice”. The “blue ice” containers are heavy and you may run into a weight issue when checking your bags. This is considered a liquid, so it MUST be checked with your frozen goods.
Keep in mind that any sauces, liquids or anything that looks “squishy, mushy” MUST be checked or subject to confiscation from TSA if you try to bring it through the security check point. This is why I don’t take chances with trying to carry on my frozen meat. You never know what type of TSA employee you’re going to get…
Bottom line;
If you want to be absolutely sure that there will be no problems of your meat arriving when you do, and assured there will be no “issues” at the security check point. I HIGHLY recommend you pack everything in checked baggage. You CAN carry on your spices, but most likely they’ll want to look at them.
Good luck! If you have further questions, email me at alienpilot3@gmail.com
Jim Stoddard
