jjcanoeguide wrote on Jul 6^th, 2009 at 3:31pm:

With all the reviews, I'll have to try the fresh/frozen food plan sometime.  Since we usually go in early/mid august for at least 8 days, I'm betting frozen food won't stay that way for much more than 5 days in the August sun & heat.  Wonder if the burlap trick (wet a burlap sack routinely and the evaporation cools the contents somewhat) would help keep temps down when sitting all day in a canoe.

 I think it would help for sure. I use this trick to keep a Laker I caught in Jean and gutted and put in Zip lock, then canvas "money" bag fresh and cool while paddling east down Sturgeon on a 90 degree day.
 I kept bag under my seat out of the direct sun, and just re-whetted when needed. I could of kept it cool a long time using this method.
 I "wonder" if you couldn't take a foil type rescue blanket and with the reflecting side out, make a makeshift cover for the food pack as it lay in the canoe? If you had say a big potato burlap bag inside pack, with your food in a plastic liner inside that, if you couldn't wet the burlap before you portage and use the mylar cover, if it wouldn't keep you food a lot longer? Also keep pack out of sun in camp and keep burlap wet overnight.  Between that and the ice jugs, I would think you'd get a few extra days?