Keeping produce while camping

[TimC]

Any hints on keeping produce that ordinarily wouldn't be kept in the fridge at home fresh while camping? Specifically I'm talking fruit and veggies.

Does the cooler covered with a wet towel work for most purposes? How about in a hot parked car?

Thanks
Tim

[S. Heisley]

The last time I camped, I took one of those silver Reflectix windshield/dash protectors and wrapped it around the top and long sides of the ice chest. This helped reflect the sun's rays and left me still with some ice on the 5th day. My ice chest is rated for 5 days; but, normally, I have only cold water on the 5th day; so, I think it did help. Also, I freeze my own ice in narrow plastic containers (the size of a cereal box) before any trip, as block ice lasts longer. Ice that you purchase in the store is kept at the highest temperature that they can while still keeping it solid. This saves the store on electricity plus keeps you coming back sooner for more ice. My ice-filled containers go straight into the ice chest, upright, and, when I'm ready to replace the ice, I pour out the water and replace with purchased ice cubes. By keeping the ice in containers, the food doesn't float nor get soggy.

[Shadow Catcher]

One of the things we have found with our refrigerator is that the temperature is stratified colder at the bottom and will keep things frozen while vegetable at the top are not. And yes I used Reflectix as Sharon does, less heat gain sitting in the car or in the sun.

[QueticoBill]

No tips but out of sun, but here's an article on which fruits and vegetables last longer - based on testing.

https://paddling.com/learn/fresh-food-f ... long-haul/

[me&z]

Same use of reflectex here. Also we pile the pillows, blankets, or sleeping bags on top and around the cooler for extra temporary insulation.

When parked, try to keep the car from super heating. Those windshield sun reflectors do make a difference.

Wet towels will only help if you are in a low humidity area.

[working on it]

The last time I camped, I took one of those silver Reflectix windshield/dash protectors and wrapped it around the top and long sides of the ice chest. This helped reflect the sun's rays and left me still with some ice on the 5th day. My ice chest is rated for 5 days; but, normally, I have only cold water on the 5th day; so, I think it did help.
Also, I freeze my own ice in narrow plastic containers (the size of a cereal box) before any trip, as block ice lasts longer. Ice that you purchase in the store is kept at the highest temperature that they can while still keeping it solid.....

* While I don't carry any fresh produce along (my preferred fruits and veggies are canned), i have tried to make my cold storage more efficient, and keep my cold items cold longer. My usual campout is 3 days, and trending towards a 4-5 day excursion, while I keep modifying my coolers to work in the heat (usually 70-95 degrees), without having to refresh the ice supply (once at camp, I hate to leave for ice).

* Like Sharon, I wrap my big old inefficient "5-day" cooler with a cozy, made from reflective Mylar/Denim insulation (UltraTouch), and it probably helps a little http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=61135, then made a "cooler inside a cooler" (a 14 qt. cooler inside a 48 qt. cooler) http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=68543&hilit=supercoolerfor my frozen meats, but finally resorted to freezing the bulk of my water and pre-mixed iced tea, to extend the little ice I now use, to last longer.

* I freeze 36-48 16.9 ounce water bottles, 4 gallons of iced tea in plastic jugs, and keep them in the big 56 qt cooler (with cozy), and in my new Igloo IMX 24 qt. rotomolded cooler, for use later in the week. I surround the frozen drinks with ice at the last minute before departure (all are frozen to -10 degrees F in a chest freezer), and use Cooler Shock freezer bags in the cooler-in-cooler, to prevent possible water saturation as the meats gradually thaw.

cooler shock.JPG (30.62 KiB) Viewed 2114 times

* For use while traveling, and the first day or two in camp, I have more drinks in a smaller cooler, frozen and with ice (but it thaws within 24 hours), and a Sam's Club freezer tote (in the truck cab, with ice and unfrozen drinks). This method worked well during my previous 4-day trip, and I only used 4 bags of Ice! Nothing got hot, and I still had cold drinks for a few days after returning home.

[TimC]

Thanks all for the input. I do have a fridge and it does stratify, so, that is an option until it is very full. I also bring along a cooler with ice. I just like ice for my iced tea. Didn't know about the "just frozen" ice at the stores. I usually buy ice on the road at the Golden Arches Club as an eight pounder is only a buck. It does melt quickly, but, oh so good.

I'll pick up one of those cold shopping bags for produce and possibly keep a small ice pack in it with a wet towel on top. Yeah, that only works if the humidity is below probably 75% or so. The drier the better for that method.

Tim

[TimC]

* I freeze 36-48 16.9 ounce water bottles, 4 gallons of iced tea in plastic jugs, and keep them in the big 56 qt cooler (with cozy), and in my new Igloo IMX 24 qt. rotomolded cooler, for use later in the week. I surround the frozen drinks with ice at the last minute before departure (all are frozen to -10 degrees F in a chest freezer), and use Cooler Shock freezer bags in the cooler-in-cooler, to prevent possible water saturation as the meats gradually thaw.

cooler shock.JPG

* For use while traveling, and the first day or two in camp, I have more drinks in a smaller cooler, frozen and with ice (but it thaws within 24 hours), and a Sam's Club freezer tote (in the truck cab, with ice and unfrozen drinks). This method worked well during my previous 4-day trip, and I only used 4 bags of Ice! Nothing got hot, and I still had cold drinks for a few days after returning home.

Great idea... freezing my iced tea. At least the bulk of it. I'll have to try that on my next trip.

Tim

[TimC]

No tips but out of sun, but here's an article on which fruits and vegetables last longer - based on testing.

https://paddling.com/learn/fresh-food-f ... long-haul/

Thanks QBill. That article deserves a sticky in my opinion. Interesting how many fruits and vegis make it longer than I would have expected.

Tim

[me&z]

There is always a zeer pot. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot-in-pot_refrigerator

If you are in a area with:
1) low humidity
2) shade
3) constant breeze

And you don't mind lugging around 50 lbs of pots and sand. And extra water.

[Dahlia47]

Love the article! I always wonder about how long different foods will last. I have a mini fridge, but the only things I really put in that need to be cold is a stick of butter, a small milk, small creamer, a small package of lunchmeat, and the big meats such as chicken or beef go in the cooler. And that cooler idea...covering it with the reflectix, I would have never thought of that. That will definitely work for our trip in May. I eat a lot of raw vegies and fruit, now I know what I can bring along. I hate making multiple trips away from our site. The whole idea behind my camping excursions is to get away from everything for a while!