Wes, you will have your own opinion after you do it a few times. Each way has it plus and minus.
I have settled on styro lined boxes as they do a great job and are reusable if you take care of them. I get at least three trips unless I break the liner before going back north. The biggest negatives with the coolers are they get broken hindges, broken handles, etc very easy. The cargo
people must love to throw stuff, I really don't know how it happens. I had a metal coleman that was bent up like a car fender in a junkyard upon
arrival in PDX. The boxes will be strapped for you and will be double strapped for no exta money if you ask for it. I recommend the hardware store
in front of Safeway in Soldatna or the cannery at
Deep Creek for buying the boxes. Make sure you get
a full 24 hr freeze on your fish if you can and make sure that the box is as full as possible and stay under 70 lbs. For processing you are better off with a net weight processor. Don't go with a gross weight outfit. The cannery at Deep Creek ( Ninilchik ) does a great job. If you fish the Kasilof River I recommend the guy that Bob Ball uses as he is even better and you can ask Bob what his name is on an E-mail. I can't remember his name even after using him for the past dozen trips or so. If you nail a big halibut it is cheaper to buy a cardboard box and mail ( USPS ) your clothes etc home. There is a post office in Soldatna, in Ninilchik and the north end of the bridge at Kasilof. Get 140 lbs of fish on the plane. If you ship it, it will cost you more. As for airlines
I recommend Alaska Air. They are never snooty about fish boxes if they are a little over weight etc. Others can be a real pain in the tail for no reason. I have not been up north since 9-11 but I would guess that things will be fairly normal by the time of your trip. Let us hope anyway. Good Luck. If you get a chance Mike Price is a terrific
Reds Guide as well as Nooks. And of course the Bob
of this board is the best nook man on that chunk of real estate. Have a great time. It is terrific if you do it right. You will get it the way you like it best in a few trips. My comments are just the way I like to do it. And don't forget to go razor clamming if you like them. 50 clams a day
and you will dig them as fast as you are strong.
MaryAnne will do all the cleaning, bagging and freezing. Ask Bob about her as well.
First trip to Alaska was as a teenager in 1954. I hope you find it as terrific as I have, and can you believe it, my wife likes it even more than I do.