Transporting Crab?

What is the best way to transport live crab on your way home?  I had thought a cooler and some ice was sufficiant, but the last two times I did this, one of the crabs died that was down closest to the ice.  Last week, I tried crab in a cooler, with frozen water bottles, and kept the crabs in the wet sack I used to stash them while on the water.  Still one of them died on the 1.5 hour drive home, and made for some bitter crab meat that I ended up  tossing  out.   

I put about an inch of seawater in my cooler no ice and I have not lost one yet. Usually an hour till I get home and ready to cook.

I had thought about trying that...  My cooler has wheels, so why not!    I'll give that a shot next time James!

Just make sure not to cover them in water.

Just make sure not to cover them in water.

+1 on no water

Also try wet wads of newspaper.  Last time I tried that method with 2 frozen water bottles at top to maintain temp in cooler and it worked great and my crabs were super lively even after 3-4 hours.   Supposedly this method should keep your crabs alive for even a day if done correctly.  Can't remember where I read this, but I could swear it was on NCKA.

I fill a container with about 2-3 gallons of saltwater (enough to submerge all the crabs) and use a portable aerator. I've had crabs live 2+ days with this method, though I wouldn't recommend going any longer than a day.

I also think it's an important step to keep the crabs submerged between pulling trap/nets OTW. I make it a habit to throw my divers game bag in the water any chance I can get.

Keeping them in the water may help as well, since they spent a good deal of time on the tramp while I was crabbing.  Honestly not sure, maybe it died before I put him in the cooler if that's the case.  However I really like them to 'settle down' after pulling them from the pots, and generally the breeze and keeping them wet in my sack has ketp them cool and calm.  Maybe it's time to try making a floating crab well. 

Depending on if you can find any or not but kelp works well too.  Fresh water will kill them in no time...so I wouldn't use loose ice.  And if they die you must immediately cook them or the enzymes in the liver start to break down the meat.  I personally just use sea water and they are nice and lively after 1 1/2hrs driving.

I put them in the cooler and cover it until the all calm down, then I soak a towel (or burlap sack) in sea water and cover the crabs with it; then I put frozen ice pack (blue Ice) or frozen bottom of water on top the sack. I have kept them alive over night using this method.....

Leaving any sea water in the cooler without proper aeration will drown them; water from the melting ice is just as worse.... in addition, putting too much ice will slow the metabolism to the point they die, but will not stop the toxins from building up in the crab....

Keeping them in the water may help as well, since they spent a good deal of time on the tramp while I was crabbing.  Honestly not sure, maybe it died before I put him in the cooler if that's the case.  However I really like them to 'settle down' after pulling them from the pots, and generally the breeze and keeping them wet in my sack has ketp them cool and calm.  Maybe it's time to try making a floating crab well. 

I was gonna ask how you keep them otw. I have been able to keep them alive for over a day of transporting using a similar method to Glenn using block ice. I keep them in the water in a canvas/mesh ab bag I bought at Sports Chalet for $20. works great and holds 10 + crabs easy. Heavy as shit though when it comes to loading it for the paddle back in. As long as the crabs go on ice fresh they are usually good to go, I have done it this way several times.

I cooked some crab yesterday that I pulled from the ocean on Friday.  I kept em outside in an ice chest with sea water.  Saturday I checked on them and they were fine.  When I was ready to cook em Sunday, the water had colored a little yellowish.  I dumped it and the crab were all still alive, but one was barely alive.  Tasted fine to me.  I have left em high and dry overnight a few times with no problem either.

I put them in the cooler and cover it until the all calm down, then I soak a towel (or burlap sack) in sea water and cover the crabs with it; then I put frozen ice pack (blue Ice) or frozen bottom of water on top the sack. I have kept them alive over night using this method.....

This is probably the best method without requiring a bunch of seawater and aerator.  Just like the wet newspaper method, I have read that keeping them moist without being in water and keeping the temp cool enough "should" keep the crab alive for a few days.  I have put a lively crab in a fridge and it was still quite alive a whole day later, so it seems as if temp is pretty important, not to mention not leaving them on your trampoline under the sun! 

I use 5-gal buckets and a battery powered aerator. Drill a little 1/4" hole in the lid for your aerator tube and you're good to go. Crabs stay nice n' feisty until they hit the hot tub.

I gotta start using a bucket instead of my ice chest. Said container is NOT water tight and spills all over my car. But I do the whole water + battery powered aerator deal and it's only left me with 1 dead crab so far. Downside to an ice chest is they have plenty of chance to crush each other w/ their claws. Had many a broken limb or torn off claw. Even had one crab with a big chunk missing out of the upper carapace.

Downside to an ice chest is they have plenty of chance to crush each other w/ their claws. Had many a broken limb or torn off claw. Even had one crab with a big chunk missing out of the upper carapace.

The best way to avoid damage to your catch is to minimize irritating them. When transferring crab from one container to another, is to due it a couple of crabs at a time and then close the lid; he darkness will calm them down. Once the wrestling in the container has stopped, transfer over a couple more crabs and repeat the process. Also try avoid tossing/dropping one crab on another when transferring them; I'm pretty sure you wouldn't like someone constantly pushing you inside a packed room .

Lastly, coolers/ice chest with a drain vavle at the bottom are GREAT!!!! If you fill you cooler up with water and then put the crabs in the cooler, they are less likely to attack one another; then all you do is put a rag/towel on top the water, drain the cooler, place a ice pack on top and off you go.... This is my preferred method... crabs stay happy in the water until right before you are about to leave.... when I get home, they still are as feistie as when I first caught them....