Any tips to prevent water from freezing

[saltydawg]

Do the LIFEPO4 batteries output a constant voltage so the buck converter would not be needed for the temperature controller?

yes they are very flat

[rebapuck]

Not sure if this has any relevance, but I have heated bird baths that come on about 40*. Course they are round and use 120v.

[Socal Tom]

I came to the right place! Great information. I like the cooler idea and it would work great for a weekend.
After a longer period even the contents will cool.

For what I am doing the suggestion to put some heaters in the cooler with such low power consumption might be the long term ticket.

Ages ago I had a similar looking heater for a waterbed.

Where did you get the thermostat? Sounds great.

With the water bed you had to have the entire heater in contact with the cool water or the heater would burn. Maybe a flexible water container will do that.

Appreciate the help. Sometime I think I spend more time planning for and testing stuff than I do camping.

=Cosmo

Instead of a 12v heating element in the cooler, perhaps add a hot water bottle. Boil some water and put it in a gallon container with the water in the cooler . I would think it should provide enough heat. To keep things liquid for the night. I put a hot water bottle in my sleeping bag if it’s really cold.
Tom

[Cosmo]

"Instead of a 12v heating element in the cooler, perhaps add a hot water bottle. Boil some water and put it in a gallon container with the water in the cooler . I would think it should provide enough heat. To keep things liquid for the night. I put a hot water bottle in my sleeping bag if it’s really cold.
Tom"

Tom
I like this suggestion a lot. Its low tech and easy to replenish. Perfect.
Thank YOU

=Cosmo

[Dahlia47]

When we used to tent camp, one rare cold night in Central Texas it got down to 17*f. We kept the water in the tent with us. Didn't freeze and we had water for the next morning. Surprisingly it stayed above freezing in the tent. In the camper, we have stayed it in 2 nights just at freezing, but we had the heater those two nights. Everything in the cooler that was outside didn't freeze.

[Socal Tom]

"Instead of a 12v heating element in the cooler, perhaps add a hot water bottle. Boil some water and put it in a gallon container with the water in the cooler . I would think it should provide enough heat. To keep things liquid for the night. I put a hot water bottle in my sleeping bag if it’s really cold.
Tom"

Tom
I like this suggestion a lot. Its low tech and easy to replenish. Perfect.
Thank YOU

=Cosmo

Glad you like it. I to try and make do with what I have already, instead of buying more stuff.
Tom

[Squigie]

In cold weather, beverages go into coolers to keep them from freezing.
"Cold weather" here means I'm not even putting ice in my food cooler(s), because I'm trying to keep things from freezing, rather than trying to keep them cool.

Water bottles are typically left on leaf litter or a wood plank in the sun during the day, and then tarped or covered with a blanket over night. (Never directly on the ground, but also never on a table, bench, etc.)

If it is cold enough to risk a hard freeze of all water, then some will be placed in the solar oven (aka 'vehicle') during the day and have insulation packed over and around it at sunset (blankets, coats, luggage, gun cases, dirty cloths, whatever is available and suitable).

We started doing the above in the late '90s, when my Subaru GL wagon was convenient and easily served as the entire camp's beverage freeze protection apparatus, no matter how many people were there. And we really haven't had problems since - with sub-freezing days and 0 F nights being common.

[featherliteCT1]

Squigie,

I think I like your ideas the best. I hate the idea of having to take along more "stuff".