Michelle Jacka replied:

First qn - is answered in detailed in our Trip Preparation section topic "Camping Hints" under the heading "Food Storage". Your second qn, go into Woolies in town and ask the butchers behind the meat counter to cryovac your selection. That's what we do.

snow replied:

hiya cruiser,
couldn't give you a firm date on the frist question although I kow its a while, but on the second question you should find that most butchers are equipped with cryovac equipment and in my experience often charge a nominal fee (40c) extra per wrap (we often cryovac each meat meal ie, steaks in packs of 2 etc).
snow

Rob replied:

Danoz has a cryovac machine too.

It is called the Foodsaver Compact II & looks to be pretty good. They
claim to have an industrial strength pump installed & showed 4 empty
aluminium cans being crushed in the plastic bag vaccumn sealing
process.

The unit costs $ 289, or four payments of $72.25 plus postage & comes
with a roll of reuseable microwave save plastic.

The website is found at www.danoz.com.au

Cruiser1 replied:

We seem to have two 'Cruisers' on this forum. I would have thought the registration process would avoid that??? I might just change my name to Cruiser1......

coops replied:

we recently got 4 weeks easy out of cryovac meat packs ex-Kununurra (great meat-recommend the chicken kievs) while on Gibb River/Kalumburu and still have some in the freezer at home.

Steve replied:

Kept at 4 C or below, most meat will keep approx 3 weeks !! Remember to remove as much fat as possible before Cryovaccing.. as the fat is what spoils the meat... In Brocken Hill there is a Butcher's Shop in the Woolies complex who will vac your meat .. reckon you could buy it from him also !! ...we still had some left when we got back home after 3 weeks !! Remember that families in the Bush and Outback vac their meat when purchasing ! so really you probably won't find it a big hassle to buy at a butcher with a vac machine !

steve

Rick replied:

Wholsealers of meat usually sell cryovac portions. So when you go to a reatuarant and ask for a scotch fillet, for example, it is likely to be from a cryovac pack. They do this beacause the process ages the meat very well, thereby gaining tenderness and flavour
.
AND it keeps up to 6 weeks at those low recommended temps.

If there's a mob of you at home, buy a crovac portion of your favourite cut. Check that it has a few weeks "age", and your collective tastebuds will thank you. You can slice it to the thickness you desire, and it is cheaper than a regular purchase of fresh meat.

Cheers
Rick

Terry replied:

You can get cryovac meat at a butcher shop in Alice Springs near Woolworths in the Y..........arcade. Can't remember the name of the arcade but the same one that Woolworths is in.
Our meat lasted 4/5 weeks in Engel fridge. I even had 2 packets left which lasted another 2 weeks. Chicken doesn't last so long - this is best eaten before the red meat. I had it packaged in quantities to feed 2 people.
Good luck!