Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
When I graduated from high school and moved out of my parent’s home, one of the first things I did was to run to Salisbury and buy a freezer. I’m sure that for a lot of folks that sounds a bit strange as their own recollection of the first days of “freedom” probably jog memories of …. well, let’s just say doing things other than buying a freezer. But for me, at least at the moment, I knew that even with my upcoming stint of college approaching I’d be spending a lot more time hunting and fishing than ever before, and therefore, with all the fish and game that I just “knew” I’d have the opportunity to slay, I didn’t want to be held back by having to deal with a little weenie freezer in the top of the kitchen refrigerator or roommates complaining that I’m packing away so much fish and fowl that they can’t find a place to put their mint chocolate-chip or frozen Snickers bars!
So I went to Sears and bought a 14 cubic foot chest freezer and never looked back. The purchase was one of the few smart investments I made during those “dumb youthful years” and though that particular freezer has long since found it’s way to the great appliance graveyard in the sky, I have never been without at least one freezer of similar or sometimes larger proportions. I’m here to say now that anyone who fancies themselves a sportsman in any capacity should have one of their very own, because until someone has had the privilege of owning a decent size freezer, they’ll never understand what a useful and money saving tool they can truly be.
Being that I proudly bear the title of biggest “cheapskate on the dock” (Editors note: I agree!), some might wonder how I can justify not only the $400 purchase price of such a luxury, but also the cost of the kilowatts to keep the thing pumping out Arctic temperatures even during the heat of the summer. The answer is simple; I save enough money by having the darn thing that if I had to, I could buy a new one every year, pay the electric bill and still come out ahead. Of course I don’t have to buy a new one every year because with a little TLC the things seem to live for more than a decade and their energy consumption really doesn’t seem to be that bad.
In fact, the cost of operation is one reason for choosing a chest rather than an upright freezer. Since cold air falls, when a chest freezer is opened there’s not as much lost as when the door of an upright is opened. Chest freezers are also more versatile. Large bulky items like five gallon buckets, flats of butterfish, big bags of ice, and entire cases of bait will usually fit easily inside. Upright freezers usually have fixed shelves that are only so high and not very deep, so they aren’t as accommodating to all the crazy stuff a sportsman might be inclined to try and stuff into them.
As we know, the fish don’t always bite and the deer don’t always find their way down the trail we’re sitting over, but when everything “clicks” and we happen to be at the right place at the right time we can sometimes end up with incredible opportunities to bring home an annual supply of meat in a single outing. The most obvious advantage of owning a big freezer is the ability to stock it up with fish and game when they become available and the resulting joy of not having to purchase as much (if any) meat in the off-season. During economic times like this, when every penny counts, it sure is nice to start the winter with a full freezer of natural food that’s as good for you as it is good tasting!
Both inshore and offshore anglers know that sometimes an entire season’s worth of bait can suddenly become available. But they’re out of luck if they have no place to “put it up.” Here again, with a decent size chest freezer sitting in the basement or garage, a fisherman can collect fresh bait as it comes along, package it just the way they like for their own use, and be ready at a moments notice when the bite turns on.
Then again, owning a freezer can also get folks in trouble if they don’t take the time to properly wrap, label, and manage what goes in and what comes out of the alliance as well as conduct a little routine maintenance. Every time a freezer is opened warm-moist air from the outside rushes in and condenses on the interior walls creating frost. This requires that most chest freezers be emptied out, defrosted and cleaned at least once a year and probably more often if they’re used a lot. Cleaning and defrosting is no big deal, it’s just something folks have to remember to do in order to keep their units functioning efficiently.
Upright freezers do have the advantage that everything can be neatly stacked on shelves and it’s all right in front when the door is opened. With chest freezers it’s important that everything that goes in is properly wrapped, labeled, and stacked in such a way that nothing works its way down to the bottom and is forgotten about, resulting in freezer burn. Folks who wish to really stay on top of things can keep an inventory list beside the freezer and log “in” or “out” every item. It can also be helpful to have some kind of wooden or plastic grate on the bottom of the freezer that allows air to circulate beneath items stored down low and to protect the bottom of the unit from being scratched up. It’s also important not to pack unfrozen items in a freezer too tightly because they can spoil before they freeze if air cannot pass between them.
To meet my own needs, I now have two 14 cubic foot freezers. I find that it’s more versatile to have a couple modest size units instead of one extra large freezer because it’s more efficient to keep them full and “elcheapo me” can always consolidate items and shut one down if I only have half a load. A decent freezer is not a luxury for sportsmen,-- it’s a necessity that will allow those who hunt and fish to be more efficient and will pay for itself many times over. And come to think of it, a nice chest freezer could be the perfect graduation present for that senior on your list!
Captain Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.