An apparatus (100, 200) with a single restrictive access opening for loading, positioning, removing, or accessing one or more items that can be stored, preserved or transported in a presence of dry ice, comprising: a tapered container with an interior volume defined by an interior body section and an interior neck section, the interior body section comprising at least a first region, wherein the first region is a dry ice chamber, said dry ice chamber adapted to receive substantially all of the dry ice that is selectively directed into the interior volume of the tapered container through the single restrictive access opening located at the interior neck section; the interior volume of the tapered container further including a second region that is non-overlapping with the first region of the tapered container, wherein the second region is an internal product storage volume contained within a barrier-like structure, the internal product storage volume defined by a substantial absence of the dry ice, the internal product storage volume configured to be accessed through the single restrictive access opening to remove or load the one or more items; the barrier-like structure having a first portion and a second portion with the internal product storage volume extending between the first portion and the second portion, said first portion of the barrier-like structure oriented within or towards the single restrictive access opening located at the interior neck section, said barrier-like structure having an opening into the internal product storage volume along the first portion, wherein said barrier-like structure partitions the interior volume of the tapered container into the first region and the second region, the barrier-like structure situated solely in the interior neck section, solely in the interior body section or within portions of the interior neck section and the interior body section; characterized in that the barrier-like structure is engaged with a guiding assembly comprising a removable cap structure which is sized to pass into the single restrictive access opening of the interior neck section and configured to block the opening of the barrier-like structure to prevent entry of dry ice into the internal product storage volume during filling dry ice into the dry ice chamber. a tapered container with an interior volume defined by an interior body section and an interior neck section, the interior body section comprising at least a first region, wherein the first region is a dry ice chamber, said dry ice chamber adapted to receive substantially all of the dry ice that is selectively directed into the interior volume of the tapered container through the single restrictive access opening located at the interior neck section; the interior volume of the tapered container further including a second region that is non-overlapping with the first region of the tapered container, wherein the second region is an internal product storage volume contained within a barrier-like structure, the internal product storage volume defined by a substantial absence of the dry ice, the internal product storage volume configured to be accessed through the single restrictive access opening to remove or load the one or more items; the barrier-like structure having a first portion and a second portion with the internal product storage volume extending between the first portion and the second portion, said first portion of the barrier-like structure oriented within or towards the single restrictive access opening located at the interior neck section, said barrier-like structure having an opening into the internal product storage volume along the first portion, wherein said barrier-like structure partitions the interior volume of the tapered container into the first region and the second region, the barrier-like structure situated solely in the interior neck section, solely in the interior body section or within portions of the interior neck section and the interior body section; characterized in that the barrier-like structure is engaged with a guiding assembly comprising a removable cap structure which is sized to pass into the single restrictive access opening of the interior neck section and configured to block the opening of the barrier-like structure to prevent entry of dry ice into the internal product storage volume during filling dry ice into the dry ice chamber.