Alaska businessman Don Harman set out to find a way to do just that.

Harman, of Tedhnologies Inc., transported an insulated container loaded with MatSu Creamery birch ice cream from Anchorage to Mountain Village on April 18, just to make a point.

Alaska businessman Don Harman displays an insulated box he used recently to transport ice cream from Anchorage to Bethel. The ice cream stayed nice and frozen during the trip. Photo/Rob Stapleton/AJOC

It was an effort to prove that his new line of shipping containers can be used to ship hot- or cold-sensitive food products.

Harman picked up 33 pounds of ice cream and put it on a flight to Bethel. Nine hours later, the container was opened and the ice cream was still frozen.

The temperature it was at minus 20 degrees when it came out of the freezer, said Harman.

"When we opened the container the temperature was plus one degree above zero, and if someone had not opened it up, it would have been far colder," he said.

The container was shipped as baggage, and Harman believes the Transportation Security Administration had opened it for inspection.

Huitte Taylor, director of food and nutrition services with the Lower Yukon School District, said the container arrived with the contents well intact.

"There were 15 quarts and some pints of ice cream. It was still firm and frozen, despite someone removing the tape and opening it up," said Huitte.

Taylor thinks Harman's containers will be helpful for special shipments.

"This worked out great," said Taylor. "And these don't have any temperature controllers, even after nine hours out of the freezer. I hope to use these in the future for special shipments. Right now, we are using bypass mail, and some things you just can't ship or they show up spoiled, frozen or thawed out."

"Just think about how green these containers are. You can ship them in any kind of truck, hot or cold, side by side and not have to keep your truck running to power a refrigerator by burning diesel fuel, which adds to the carbon footprint," said Harmon. "These are truly self-contained units."

The containers range from two cubic feet to 57 cubic feet, and some are on wheels so they can be maneuvered.

By expanding his line, Harman hopes to help Alaska shippers who produce fresh food or ship fish get their product to market in the best possible shape.

Meantime, Taylor is saving the birch ice cream, now tucked away in his freezer, for a time when he can break it out as a special treat for the Lower Yukon school students.

Rob Stapleton can be reached at robstapleton.@alaskajournal.com.