Hotel in Fairbanks with freezer space?

[swmoelk]

Does anyone have a hotel suggestion in Fairbanks?

I'm looking for a place to recuperate after a 10 day moose/caribou hunt and freeze the meat for the flight home. Just wondering if any locals had a suggestion or other hunters have had good luck with a certain place?

 

[AKaviator]

I don't know about freezer space availability...you'd have to contact them.

Sophies Station is comfortable and convenient to some big stores...Fred Meyer's and Safeway.
Pikes Water front hotel is nice and has a good restaurant in the same parking lot.

Both are pretty close to the airport, but Pikes is closest.

 

[JimP]

For freezing the meat any meat processor should have a freezer to do it in.

So how much meat do you plan on bringing home? I think that if it was me I would just bring the backstraps and tenderloins and donate the rest. Shipping for that much meat could get expensive.

 

[Tim McCoy]

Have used free walk in freezers in an Anchorage motel for freezing game before a trip home. Worked great for Caribou, Halibut, and Salmon. We shipped it home on a one way flight on AK airlines, they stored it in a refrigerator after landing, I got it two days later frozen solid. For the Caribou used the waxed cardboard boxes, seems 50-70lbs in each, the ones purpose built to ship frozen stuff in. Been a few years... I know there are options in Anchorage, do not know about Fairbanks, but odds are a motel, meat processor or a cold storage locker could be found. Ask your outfitter or transport service?

A Moose is a whole different deal. That is a bunch of meat. I love Moose and would bring as much home as possible. Can be costly and depending on how you pack it, may take several days to freeze. What we did with the cardboard boxes is fill just it about 1/2 full, then take the lid and turn it over and fill about it up about 1/3 full, maybe a bit more but under 1/2, then spread out the packaged meat to freeze faster. 24 hours in a zero degree walk in and it was all frozen solid. The boxes we got had lids that reach all the way to the bottom of the box, gives 2x insulation on all 4 sides.

I had gallon freezer bags I placed the disassembled meat in. Just be careful to try and freeze them in shapes you can fit in your box... Used about 1/4" - 1/2" news paper on the bottom of the box and crumpled paper to fill the little space left at the top. Bottom paper helps insulate, but if there is some thawing, will soak up fluid and keep box from leaking for a bit. A leaking box can be problematic in terms of commercial transportation. We duct taped the heck out of the boxes and off we went.

I've also packed my gear in 2 70qt or so coolers for the trip up. Then used a couple light nylon duffle bags to ship most gear home UPS, and my meat in the coolers. Where there is a will there is a way. Good luck!

 

[luckynv]

I believe that there is a semi truck that delivers to the lower 48 their website is alaskaexpresstrucking.com. (last year listed as Alaska Meat Express) on their website is listed prices and pickups and tentative route and schedule. They will also haul your antlers and capes. they have a phone number on their site. I have never used them and have no personal knowledge of their operation/reliability but it sure looks cheaper than shipping 50 pound boxes on the airline. If you end up using them please let me know how it went as I am looking/desiring to do this in the next two years. Good luck and God bless

 

[gonhunting247]

I took three coolers full of frozen meat home as luggage and extra luggage after my moose hunt. Then my brother-in law brought four more when he came up for our elk hunt in OR. It wasn't all that terrible expensive wise. Just do creative packing and use cheap,light coolers or the wax boxes to save weight. The first two bags need to be kept within AK Airlines weight limit, but the next can be over weight since they are charged the 75.00 fee anyway. I packed my clothes in with the first one, as to keep the weight right (70 pounds if I remember right), then put all frozen meat in the next two. $50 for the first two and $75 for the extras. I think the first one is actually free now. That was from Anchorage also, so not sure about a freezer in Fairbanks. Good luck and have a blast.

 

[AKaviator]

You might check out Interior Alaska Fish Processors and Santa's Smokehouse, Inc. They could process the meat and ship it to you. It's run by a Master Guide, Virgil Umphenour, who does really good work and really knows moose, and how to process them.

 

[swmoelk]

Thanks for the responses guys. I've already contacted ak airlines and have a quote to bring everything home. Yes it's expensive but not as bad as I thought. The meat from a moose and caribou will be around $900 to ship home that's worth it to me to have it and be able to share it with family and friends who will never be able to make the trip. I planned on breaking it all down in fish boxes then freezing it at a hotel or locker until time to drop off at the airport. Then it's less than a 48 flight home. So it should still be frozen or at least very cold.

If I had to fly it out the field to a village then to Fairbanks I probably would donate some to the locals but I will be driving it back to Fairbanks.

 

[mallardsx2]

If you fly first class you get to check a bunch of oversize bags for free on some airlines. Thats how I brought 400 pounds of shark meat home from California once.

 

[swmoelk]

If you fly first class you get to check a bunch of oversize bags for free on some airlines. Thats how I brought 400 pounds of shark meat home from California once.

That's good to know. I'll have to check into the extra $$ for tickets . Right now my commercial tickets will cost $40 round trip plus $50 haggard fee .