The following are questions to and answers from a past user of the penguin cold caps who cooled the caps in cooler boxes with dry ice
Q: What is the capacity of the coolers?
A: 100 quarts and 62 quarts
Q: What is the amount of dry ice used in each cooler?
A: 5 To 6 bags in each cooler dry ice is sold by by poundage. Approximately $10 to $11 per bag.
Q: Is the dry ice in small cubes or a solid lump?
A: A solid lump - we break them into 4 pieces. We used 10 bags the first time and will be increasing it to 14 bags next time.
Q: What did you use on top of the cap boxes to protect them from the dry ice?
A: Nothing.
Q: How much room was there from the top of the boxes to the top of the coolers?
A: We put the dry ice on the base bottom of the cooler,
Then the boxes
Then another layer of dry ice
Then the boxes
Then another layer of dry ice
One cap box will fit on the side
9 Boxes in total in one cooler
2 Large coolers in total (18 caps)
Q: What was the actual temperature of the caps before use?
A: Put on dry ice at 7:30 am, at 10 am they should be at -31 to -28 degrees celcius.
We use the cap boxes from the bottom of the cooler first, as they get the coldest first.
By the end of the day they went down to -33 degrees celciuus and were to cold to kneed.
Q: What make are the coolers you are using?
A: Coleman - 5 day cooler - 100 quarts / 130 cans
Model - Xtreme , thermozone insulation
Price - $99.00 On sale $76.99
Quanity of coolers used each treatment - 2
On wheels with handle for pulling
Coleman - 5 day cooler - 62 quarts / 85 cans
Model - Xtreme, thermozone insulation
Price - Around $75.00
Quanity of coolers used each treatment - 1
On wheels with handle for pulling
Shopping List  (materials are in red)
1.) Coolers -  For 10 caps in their container's you will need a minimum of 2 large cooler's. 36" or longer. Target or Walmart.
 
2.) Dry Ice - Call your local stores to see who stocks Dry Ice. Tell them the day and time you will need it. If you have a PUBLIX, they are cancer friendly and will even open up early for you on chemo days.
a.) You need to put the cold caps on dry ice as early in the morning of chemo as you can. If chemo is at 10 am, put the caps on dry ice by 6:30 - 7:00 am. You should keep your caps in a freezer to pre-freeze them at all times.
b.) For 10 - 12 caps you need 5 - 6 bags. Put double towels on the floor where you will be working with the dry ice.
c.) With a hammer, wearing gloves (dry ice is dangerous if gotten on skin or in eyes) bang the ice into about 2 - 3 inch chips (do not fill the cooler up with dry ice).
d.) Place the ice - 6 chips on the bottom of the cooler.
e.) Place the containers on top of the dry ice.
f.) Place dry ice on the top of the containers.
g.) Place another container on the top of the first container.
h.) One container should fit on the side.
3.) Thermometer - you are going to need a thermometer that goes down to more than 28 degrees celcius. Call Sear's or a barbeque supply store.

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