Quilt for the ice chest!?

[nevadatear]

Here is my idea. After reading Steve's meanderings on the subject of making your ice last longer, I took it a bit farther. I added the foil insulation inside from the "burning man" method (I do live in the same county as burning man after all) and added a homemade outside quilt. I had some blocks and fabric left over from the quilt I made for the trailer, so I fashioned a fitted quilt for the ice chest.

My husband thinks I'm crazy, or what he actually said was he would have thought I was crazy if I had actually purchased fabric for this project instead of just using left overs. It is fitted at the back, and open in the front, lapping over the sides to keep the air in. It could have also been made as a "toaster cover" type, but I figured each time I openned the ice chest, it would be to get something out, so my hands would be full and I didn't want to have to figure out how to put the quilt back on that way. so instead it has the open front and is velcroed to the top. Our first trip out, if the trailer gets finished, is Memorial day, so we will see how it works!

Sure, you could put a sleeping bag or wet beach towel over the top to accomplish the same thing, but what would be the fun in that?

[dreadcptflint]

Hey I like the idea of a cooler cozy but I am a little wierd that way.

[mfkaplan]

That's a great idea! I know just limiting the number of times the ice chest gets opened helps. Use block ice, fill in with cubes. Keep the ice chest in the shade. Don't dump the melt water. I like the aluminum insulation you added also. I'm going to do that. I wonder if you could put that stuff on the underside of the quilted cover. The other thing I do is keep drinks in a smaller ice chest.

[CAJUN LADY]

Debbie, that looks great! What a good idea you came up with. You get a up!

[mandy]

I just saw that on the other thread. I love it too. I think you may have started a new craze. Last year it was the pet cool, this year it's the cooler cozy.

[Miriam C.]

That is a great idea and so beautiful!

[nevadatear]

That's a great idea! I know just limiting the number of times the ice chest gets opened helps. Use block ice, fill in with cubes. Keep the ice chest in the shade. Don't dump the melt water. I like the aluminum insulation you added also. I'm going to do that. I wonder if you could put that stuff on the underside of the quilted cover. The other thing I do is keep drinks in a smaller ice chest.

Actually, I did. If you look closely at the picture with it partially lifted up, there is a piece of the foil insulation between the quilt and the ice chest. It is velcroed to both the quilt and the chest. I also thought of using "insulbrite" which is a insulating material used for potholders, which has a reflective surface, but I only had a little, and the stuff is expensive and doesn't do folds very well.

[b.bodemer]

Debbie,

Just want to say: Way Coooooool!

Barb

[Arne]

i throw a white beach towel over mine. the quilt is a much better ideas.

found wal-mart now sells 22 pound bags of ice...

also, the type of cooler is critical. cheap ones had thin walls and no insul in the top... marine coolers, white, are the best at an affordable price.

[S. Heisley]

Before automatic defrosting refrigerators, we used to wrap our frozen foods in towels while manually defrosting the 'frig. A tailored quilt is a great idea for the cooler! Looks pretty and is efficient, too!

[Lynn Coleman]

Very nice, I'm sure it will help keep things cooler too.

Lynn

[tjx]

Debbie,

We made a inside cooler cover also last year for our cooler. We throw the insulation away at work so I brought some home. It works great
When we camp for the weekend, we usually come home with ice still in the cooler

We also made a cover for the outside out of the insulation but it is big and bulky. I like your quilt cover idea .... I may have to try that. Great winter project.

tina