The overnight hiking trip was planned well in advance. We made lists of things to pack: The tent, blow-up pillows we bought for the trip, our National Geographic book on “Birds of North America,” another book on identifying mushrooms, plastic bags of dried fruits, and of course emergency supplies such as flashlights with extra batteries, waterproof matches and a wind-up radio in case our batteries ran out. We got up early the morning of our trip and made six sandwiches: Two PBJs, two bologna-and-cheese, and two turkey breast sandwiches on five-grain bread with alfalfa sprouts and soy mayo (my wife’s idea). I packed the over-the-shoulder cooler with food, drinks and ice, and off we went. It was early fall in New Hampshire, still a bit warm, and we climbed Mount Belmont and had one of the best hikes ever. It was gorgeous. About 5:00 p.m., we set up the tent, built our fire and settled down for some peaceful reflections and our turkey-ala-sprout sandwiches for dinner.
Words cannot express the disappointment when I stuck my hand in and felt wet, soggy sandwiches. I extracted the now-unidentifiable vittles and we wanted to cry -- we were starved! Although we double-bagged the sandwiches, the water from the melted ice had seeped into our healthy sandwiches and ruined them. We made the best of it and ate a bunch of dried fruits and when we awoke, immediately ran for the nearest bush. On subsequent hikes, we used blue ice-packs rather than ice, but by the end of the day, they were warm and so was our food. They simply did not last from 6-to-6. We needed a solution to keep our food and drinks cold yet dry.
Fortunately for me, I was speaking with a fellow angler named Marshil who had been using a product called NU-ICE for a few years on his fishing trips. I asked him what the deal was with NU-ICE. First, I asked him what size and type he used. It is a 5-lb. Marine Grade Ice Pack. Then I asked how well it worked.
“The first time we used NU-ICE, we placed our 5-pound NU-ICE pack on the bottom of our large cooler, threw in a few bottles of water, and then covered it with one bag of ice,” Marshil said. “On top of that we put our drinks, food, and the fish we caught throughout the day, with an aluminum tray to separate the fish from the food. Our fishing trips are 12-hours, and we needed a way to keep everything below 36 degrees.”
I asked how long he thought that setup would last. He said had the same thought and had tested it that first night.
“When we came home that night and unloaded the cooler of our daily catch and leftover goodies, we noticed the ice was still solid, and the two bottles of water I had placed next to the NU-ICE pack were completely frozen. We decided to place everything back in the cooler (except the fish) and let it sit outside for a few days to see how well it worked,” Marshil said. “It lasted a solid three days, and by the fourth day, the ice had finally melted but everything was still very cold.”
The NU-ICE pack that Marshil was using was from the Marine Series. These are designed to offer 96 hours of sub-zero cooling time with a single charge. All you need is a pre-frozen NU-ICE Marine pack, and a tightly packed cooler. You can also extend the charge of your NU-ICE pack by combining it with traditional cooling methods such as ice, but only with a leak-proof cooler.
The Other NU-ICE Packs
Robert Bowie, a partner in the NU-ICE company, explained the difference in the various types of products.
“We have several types of NU-ICE packs, and each one is designed for a specific use,” said Bowie. “The Marine Grade Series is designed to keep frozen things frozen, and the Ultimate Cooler Pack is designed to keep cold things cold.”
The five-pound NU-ICE Marine Series keeps fish fresh for several days.
The main difference is that to use the Marine Grade packs (2-or-5 pounds), they must be frozen at zero degrees Fahrenheit for 48 hours prior to use. This initiates the chemical reaction within the pack. The pack immediately begins to absorb energy (heat) and emit sub-zero temperatures once environmental temperatures begin to rise. On the other hand, the Ultimate Cooler Pack only needs to be kept in the freezer for 6-8 hours, and is made to keep things cold, not frozen. The company also makes a Medical Grade Pack, which has some distinct features that the other two do not have, and is used mostly for transporting pharmaceuticals, blood and tissue.
A Sick Police Dog Triggers a New Invention
Robert Bowie’s partner at NU-ICE, a Veterinarian named Dr. Cliff Glade, trains dogs for Armed Services MPs and for various Police Departments. A few years back, a couple of his Police Officer dogs became ill and Dr. Glade ordered medication that had to be shipped quite a distance. By the time life-saving medicine arrived, it had turned bad due to insufficient cooling. Dr. Glade, along with his nephew who had a background in chemistry, decided to invent an ice-pack for the 21st Century. After some trial-and-error, they manufactured the Medical Grade Pack of the NU-ICE line and began selling it through Dr. Glade’s contacts in the police and Armed Services. It was also immediately brought into use by hospitals for shipping sensitive medicine. (NU-ICE works with the client through all stages of the shipping process to ensure that the precious and life-saving cargo gets where it needs to be at the temperatures required).
Refrigerated or frozen transport of crucial medical supplies was the beginning of NU-ICE.
Introduction to the Public
After a few years of exclusively marketing the Medical Grade Packs, NU-ICE developed variations of its revolutionary product for recreational use by the general public. They introduced the Marine Grade Series and the Ultimate Cooler Series at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show in 2011 and according to Bowie, the response was overwhelming. After further research and invention, NU-ICE announced in 2012 the availability of the recreational freezer and refrigerator packs.
The Yeti Cooler complete with aluminum trays, cutting board and three Ultimate Packs.
NU-ICE is a reusable product that allows boaters and anglers to save money on ice and at the same time maintain sub-zero temps for extended periods. Marshil just bought another 5-lb. Marine Pack and is thrilled about its ease-of-use and the money it saves him.
“I am able to now put another Marine pack in with my frozen bait and keep it frozen longer without any water intrusion destroying the cardboard bait boxes,” said Marshil. “I also use the Ultimate packs in my livewell to help keep my water colder and my livebait alive longer. It’s just an unbeatable product.”
The Pros Speak of NU-ICE
In Jensen Beach, Captain Rufus Wakeman, who runs Hot Tuna Charters, and his fellow professional sailfish Captains spend their days in Stuart, Fla., catching huge sailfish and using ballyhoo as bait. He said the Captains who pursue sailfish put a lot of effort into the job, and can’t afford to lose their bait due to a poor setup in their bait coolers.
“We pre-rig the ballyhoo with hooks and leaders, etc., and then salt their bellies to keep them from distending. Then we lay them on their backs in the cooler,” said Wakeman. “Prior to discovering NU-ICE, I’d put ice in the bottom of the cooler and before long, the water would slosh around and wash off the salt, which ruined the bait. Now, I just lay the rigged ballyhoo down on an aluminum tray in the cooler, put a towel over them and put a 5-lb. NU-ICE Ultimate Cooler pack on top. It works perfectly and there’s no mess.”
