Transporting cooked crab home from BC to AB

[Yui_kim]

Hello!
Looking for some advice.
Planning to take some crab home from BC to AB through a victoria to edmonton flight through Air Canada.
Im planning to cook them, ensure theres no juice, store it in a hardy plastic bag, then a hardside coleman or similar cooler, and then ill throw 2-3 bags of frozen peas. Then i’d secure the cooler’s handles either with duct tape and/or some rope.
Ofcourse within the size and weight restrictions of the cooler, and the possession limit between me and my boyfriend.
Will this be sufficient enough to be checked in as baggage?
any other advice?

 

[Brian Reiber]

Just so you know as I'm sure you will get jumped on. What you want to do is technically illegal. Crab needs to be transported to your principal residence with the carapace attached for measurement and sex must be identifiable.

Now for your actual question. I would shell the crab and then vacuum seal the meat if possible. We do this at home and it last for months.

 

[Yui_kim]

Just so you know as I'm sure you will get jumped on. What you want to do is technically illegal. Crab needs to be transported to your principal residence with the carapace attached for measurement and sex must be identifiable.

Now for your actual question. I would shell the crab and then vacuum seal the meat if possible. We do this at home and it last for months.

Oh, thank you. I do intend to bring the crab, as it is, with the carapace and all. We do eat them steamed the way it is and usually do not take the meat off until we are about to eat it. Any advice regarding that?

 

[brutus]

Hello!
Looking for some advice.
Planning to take some crab home from BC to AB through a victoria to edmonton flight through Air Canada.
Im planning to cook them, ensure theres no juice, store it in a hardy plastic bag, then a hardside coleman or similar cooler, and then ill throw 2-3 bags of frozen peas. Then i’d secure the cooler’s handles either with duct tape and/or some rope.
Ofcourse within the size and weight restrictions of the cooler, and the possession limit between me and my boyfriend.
Will this be sufficient enough to be checked in as baggage?
any other advice?

Fill your cooler with shave ice as much as you can, keep them as cold as possible

 

[Yui_kim]

Fill your cooler with shave ice as much as you can, keep them as cold as possible

I thought ice wasnt allowed through checkin? Also this advice of yours, thank you!! But also since you didnt mention, the airline will not have a problem with a cooler of crabs right?

 

[brutus]

I thought ice wasnt allowed through checkin? Also this advice of yours, thank you!! But also since you didnt mention, the airline will not have a problem with a cooler of crabs right?

Don’t see why it would be a problem, I send frozen salmon to my family in montreal all the time

 

[CIVANO]

freeze some plastic bottles of water for the cooling

 

[easydoesit]

I thought ice wasnt allowed through checkin? Also this advice of yours, thank you!! But also since you didnt mention, the airline will not have a problem with a cooler of crabs right?

You will want to check with the airline(s) involved as they each have their own regulations. This is accessible on line. Sometimes a bit confusing as the terms are unusual, eg “bounty” for meat and antlers. I spent hours on this and still had some surprizes. I thought I had it figured out and bought soft sided coolers. Wrong, found out at the airport check in only hard sided coolers were allowed, so it was off to the hardware store in town to buy coolers

Bringing game meat home with me on a couple of flights within BC over he last few years there were a number of airline restrictions that applied. There are maximum weight restrictions as to the weight of each of the individual coolers and contents (meat & cold packs). You cannot use dry ice or regular ice on extra baggage On some airlines. Gel packs were accepted by both airlines. One airline would only allow passengers to bring frozen meat, but not refrigerated.

Logic and common sense doesn’t trump THE RULES at the check in counter.

Good luck, it can be done!

 

[outbeen]

I have travelled extensively multiple times per year with meat and fish as luggage on domestic flights with AC and Westjet. Everything should be frozen solid with no ice and bagged in a large bag inside the cooler if checked baggage. A regular Coleman cooler with frozen contents and a single layer of cardboard along the outside will hold around 50lbs of packaged fish or meat and will still be frozen solid after 24 hours in most conditions. Carry quality duct tape in case you need to open it for inspection.

Carry-on can be a bit more interesting, but I have never been turned away even with fresh fillets, oysters or crabs in a small hand held cooler.

There have been some memorable moments such as putting a backpack of frozen moose liver, heart and soup bones through the x-ray machine. The attendant opened the bag to inspect and ran off the line (presumably to throw up) after we told them what it was. Another attendant rolled her eyes and waved us along. I always make sure to carry my fishing license, hunting license or a letter from the harvester, though I have never been asked to provide documentation.

 

[browningmirage]

Follow the regs. That's all I have to say.