keeping cooler cold

Anything to do with camping, fundamentals, secrets, etc...

Postby MrgrumpyNJ » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:32 pm

I use 1 gallon zip lock bags. Fill one halfway, remove as much air as possibe and close. Lay it flat in the freezer a few days before camping and you will have a 1/2'' to 3/4'' block of ice. I use 4 of these in my 40qt Igloo cooler, last alll weekend for me

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Postby FireLion » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:50 am

What about dry ice wrapped in newspaper? No water drainage. Since heat rises, and cold sinks, dry ice placed on TOP of the food stuff should keep it very cold for a few days. Caution, always keep the dry ice wrapped in newspaper!!! DO NOT touch it with bare skin!
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Postby raprap » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:53 am

FireLion wrote:What about dry ice wrapped in newspaper? No water drainage. Since heat rises, and cold sinks, dry ice placed on TOP of the food stuff should keep it very cold for a few days. Caution, always keep the dry ice wrapped in newspaper!!! DO NOT touch it with bare skin!


The problem with dry ice is that the equilibrium temperature is almost -110DegF. That's cold enought to turn most foodstuffs that contains most common household liquids (water) suck as hamburger, milk, and beer imto a material you can drive nails into concrete with.

For a true freezing ice box, mix ice with rocksalt and use the property of solution freezing point depression, or use a low temperature blue ice solutions in a small superinsulated freezer.

I made (or rathere appropiated) a freezer cooler from a styrafoam shipping container for blood plasma. It has a form fitting lid and is covered with reflective bubble wrap. I jammed the whole thing into a plastic milk carton and made a latch to keep the lid secure. It works great---when filled with a 7 ponds bag of crushed ice and a cup of rock salt, I have kept a gallon of ice cream frozen for 36 hours. ---Note double wrap the ice gream---else you end up with slushy salty ice cream.

I usually carry three coolers---a superinsulated storage cooler (Coleman 36 quart extreme--it may not last 5 days but it will last four) in the galley, a smaller beer cooler (I drink dark, and according to friends warm, beer), and the freezer. Sometimes I'll add a fourth collapsible coo;er that I use to ferry foodstuffs, beer, and ice from the store to the campsite.

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Postby mandy » Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:54 am

Hey Rap,

I like how you think. I thought that I was the only one who has to absoultely have at least 2 coolers. Now I am actually contemplating using a third to hold Ice in with Dry Ice.

Doh!

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Postby caseydog » Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:45 pm

A lot of ideas on this thread. They are inspiring more ideas in my head.

Good posts! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

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Postby FireLion » Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:27 pm

I just bought a Coleman 54 qt. steel belted cooler, which now leaves me with an extra (I have 3 large coolers). The steel belted cooler will be for food, another 54 qt. plastic cooler will be for drinks (beer!) and I'm thinking of using the 3rd, a slightly smaller one for zip lock bags of frozen water, topped with dry ice, as an extra supply of ice.
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Postby Bill P » Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:23 pm

I took Steve's advice and added the insulating foil wrap to the inside of my coolers with spray adhesive. It works very well and seems to add at least another day. I also made a insulating blanket to put on top of the cooler contents as well.

Another issue with Dry Ice is that it sublimates to CO2 gas (colorless, odorless, and tastless). Make sure that if you're driving, and have your cooler INSIDE your vehicle, ensure that you are properly ventilated as the gas could build up and cause shortness of breath or dizziness. Never good things to experience while driving.

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Postby MOKI SEAKER » Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:43 am

I just purchased a 5 day extreme coleman at cabalas I think it was 70 QT. they are on sale for $20.00 normally $60.00. Jim G 8) 8)
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keeping the cooler cool

Postby zbrownmd » Mon May 05, 2008 2:06 pm

We have found that dry ice will keep things hard frozen for up to 4 or 5 days!

If you seperate your drinks from your food you can use dry ice in the food chest. Freeze everything that will freeze then grab one or two 5-10 lb. chunk of dry ice, it doesn't take up that much room surprisingly. Wrap the ice in newspaper and place on the bottom of the chest load everything else in on top and don't open unless needed. The items not frozen but cold will not be harmed or frozen by the dry ice.

With the drinks in a seperate ice chest you won't go into your dry box except for meals. Your drinks can be iced with any type of ice that is available at that point.
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Postby sdtripper2 » Mon May 05, 2008 8:43 pm

Bill P wrote:I took Steve's advice and added the insulating foil wrap to the inside of my coolers with spray adhesive. It works very well and seems to add at least another day. I also made a insulating blanket to put on top of the cooler contents as well.

Another issue with Dry Ice is that it sublimates to CO2 gas (colorless, odorless, and tastless). Make sure that if you're driving, and have your cooler INSIDE your vehicle, ensure that you are properly ventilated as the gas could build up and cause shortness of breath or dizziness. Never good things to experience while driving.

Bill


Bill: :)

I used white Velcro strips on the insulating wrap for ease of removal or changing.
My thinking is that when I want to thoroughly clean, dry and disinfect my
cooler I can take out the insulation and dry and spray disinfectant with
ease.

As a side discussion about food storage:

I use Glad same size snap plastic containers that fit in the cooler like
blocks and keep my food separate.

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How Cold is It

Postby Shadow Catcher » Fri Apr 17, 2009 11:15 am

We freeze milk jugs of water and OJ etc. I noted that ice from home lasted and store ice did not so got out the remote electronic thermometer. Temp in the freezer at home 0 with ice maker on -20 temp. in a sampling of store iceboxes the temps were about 30 degrees. They sell more that way :thinking:
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Postby caseydog » Fri Apr 17, 2009 11:33 am

As mentioned before, use block ice. Any plastic container will work for making block ice at home. I use empty squared-off juice bottle (ie: Ocean Spray cranberry bottles) and Glade ware containers.

Freezing the water inside a container keeps your cooler from filling up with water as the ice melts.

Also, if your cooler is not completely full, or has significant "cavities" with no food or ice blocks, stuff some towels in the cooler to fill it up. Or, even better, fill gaps with ice cubes in zip-lock bags. A full cooler will stay colder longer than one that has a lot of air space in it.

And, one more thing. I often use two smaller coolers instead of one large one. I keep my tasty beverages in one, which will get opened often to retrieve those tasty beverages. The other cooler holds food, and I open that as little as possible to maximize the life of my ice blocks.

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Postby caseydog » Fri Apr 17, 2009 11:37 am

TPMcGinty wrote:Don't they sell 5 day coolers that are supposed to keep your food cold longer but cost a little more?


Yes. I have one. They fib just a wee bit about that five day thing. I have not found my 5-Day cooler to be any better than my regular coolers.

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Postby caseydog » Fri Apr 17, 2009 11:43 am

One more cooler tip, for those who camp where raccoons live. Put your cooler in the car at night. The coons don't care if your food stays cold. They'll eat it however you pack it. And, they can open a cooler in seconds.

So far, I've not had any raccoons open my locked car -- yet. :roll:

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Postby rebapuck » Sat May 16, 2009 7:38 pm

When ice does melt, is it better to leave it or drain it?
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