BajaNomad

Best ice chest for long Baja trip?

 Pages:  1  

Whale-ista - 5-19-2014 at 07:10 PM

So what do people recommend for a multi-week summer trip into Baja? I don't want to get one that runs on electricity or propane, just an old-fashioned ice chest for enjoying fresh food and cold drinks on a hot beach, that keeps food/drink cold for several days between ice Runs.


Has anyone used one of the newer heavy-duty ice chests such as these fromPelican?


Recommendations welcome!

[Edited on 5-20-2014 by Whale-ista]

baja Steve - 5-19-2014 at 07:17 PM

The pelican is great. We have used if for 10 day + trips in 100 degree whether and still had ice. We do cover it.

wessongroup - 5-19-2014 at 07:25 PM

THAT is really something ... 10+ days, saw in a review, 15 days ...

They don't make them like they used to ... :lol::lol:

with these ... might have to worry about food spoilage :):)

[Edited on 5-20-2014 by wessongroup]

Whale-ista - 5-19-2014 at 07:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by baja Steve
The pelican is great. We have used if for 10 day + trips in 100 degree whether and still had ice. We do cover it.


Thank you for the feedback.

What do you cover it with? You mean keep it in the shade?

I'll likely keep it in my truck camper. Especially given the weight once it's full of food and ice.

bajaguy - 5-19-2014 at 07:30 PM

Buy a couple of cheap moving pads from Harbor Freight

http://www.harborfreight.com/40-in-x-72-in-movers-blanket-69...

http://www.harborfreight.com/72-inch-x-80-inch-movers-blanke...
Quote:
Originally posted by Whale-ista
Quote:
Originally posted by baja Steve
The pelican is great. We have used if for 10 day + trips in 100 degree whether and still had ice. We do cover it.


Thank you for the feedback.

What do you cover it with? You mean keep it in the shade?

I'll likely keep it in my truck camper. Especially given the weight once it's full of food and ice.

woody with a view - 5-19-2014 at 07:36 PM

yeti makes the same style.....

baja Steve - 5-19-2014 at 07:36 PM

We use the silver insulated blankets

Whale-ista - 5-19-2014 at 07:47 PM

I considered those but I wanted to support the company that is manufacturing them in the US.
Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
yeti makes the same style.....

liknbaja127 - 5-19-2014 at 08:01 PM

We used a new Yeti last week, for the 1000, Not sure! For the $500.00, You Can buy a lot of ice!

Whale-ista - 5-19-2014 at 08:19 PM

I found a 95 quart pelican at Costco for $300. agreed it will take quite a few trips to pay for itself but it will also give me more time away from town & on the beach not worrying about ice runs.

I just froze a couple of 1 gallon plastic jugs and put them inside the chest out in my truck for a test. Of course now the weather has cooled off considerably here.

Travels to Baja always include Time/money trade-offs...
Quote:
Originally posted by liknbaja127
We used a new Yeti last week, for the 1000, Not sure! For the $500.00, You Can buy a lot of ice!


[Edited on 5-20-2014 by Whale-ista]

n6nxl - 5-19-2014 at 08:54 PM

Speaking of time money trade-off... My dad built a super-cooler from a home depot plastic round tote, and a 4x8 sheet of 2" r-max foam. It looks like a foil wrapped hot tub, or something to carry nuclear waste in, but boy does it work well.10# block of ice has lasted up to five days- in the Laguna Salada!
Sure gets a second look at the military checkpoints,tho :D
Can buy a lot of Pemex or TKT for 400$

ehall - 5-19-2014 at 08:55 PM

Never used the pelican but alot of my friends have the yeti and they work well. My coleman extreme works almost as well and it was 50 bucks not 300

Cliffy - 5-19-2014 at 09:01 PM

Igloo makes one better than Yeti and it's made in Texas!
Better seals, better handles and locks. Really a good one.

Whale-ista - 5-19-2014 at 09:10 PM

You mean the 5 gallon tote or a larger size? I've considered a homemade design, need to check out capacities and material costs.

I thought I would try it this summer and see how well it works. I can return items to Costco that don't perform well. (100% satisfaction guarantee is a big reason I shop there.)
Quote:
Originally posted by n6nxl
Speaking of time money trade-off... My dad built a super-cooler from a home depot plastic round tote, and a 4x8 sheet of 2" r-max foam. It looks like a foil wrapped hot tub, or something to carry nuclear waste in, but boy does it work well.10# block of ice has lasted up to five days- in the Laguna Salada!
Sure gets a second look at the military checkpoints,tho :D
Can buy a lot of Pemex or TKT for 400$

Skipjack Joe - 5-19-2014 at 09:21 PM

I purchased a 75qt Yeti last fall and used it for a 14 day trip over the Christmas holidays. We purchased 3 blocks of ice before crossing the border and they lasted the entire period.

They provide a pamphlet of recommendations with the product. Advice which we followed:

1. Cool down the ice chest before using it. I bought crushed ice between SF and LA and replaced it with block ice in SD.

2. All drinks were bought ice cold and added to ice box in that state.

3. The lid was opened for very brief periods of time to remove or return food. This was to allow as little warm air as possible.

4. Made sure the ice chest was never in direct sunlight.

There may have been other things. I never wrapped it in a sleeping bag because the walls in the chest are so thick that insulation is likely close to perfect.

Virtually all the ice that did melt, I believe, was due to warm air entering during opening and closing. Once the food and drinks get cold they tend to stay that way if done right (remove milk, pour it, and return it right after).

This may seem like a lot of hassle but having fresh produce (heirloom tomatoes) every day made it worth the effort.

Hope this information is useful.

Whale-ista - 5-19-2014 at 10:04 PM

Thank you ! Very helpful.

Has anyone used any trays or baskets to keep food dry, up above water/ice levels? Things like fresh produce that would be damaged by water.

I welcome other ideas to maximize cooler benefits.

Quote:
Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
I purchased a 75qt Yeti last fall and used it for a 14 day trip over the Christmas holidays. We purchased 3 blocks of ice before crossing the border and they lasted the entire period.

They provide a pamphlet of recommendations with the product. Advice which we followed:

1. Cool down the ice chest before using it. I bought crushed ice between SF and LA and replaced it with block ice in SD.

2. All drinks were bought ice cold and added to ice box in that state.

3. The lid was opened for very brief periods of time to remove or return food. This was to allow as little warm air as possible.

4. Made sure the ice chest was never in direct sunlight.

There may have been other things. I never wrapped it in a sleeping bag because the walls in the chest are so thick that insulation is likely close to perfect.

Virtually all the ice that did melt, I believe, was due to warm air entering during opening and closing. Once the food and drinks get cold they tend to stay that way if done right (remove milk, pour it, and return it right after).

This may seem like a lot of hassle but having fresh produce (heirloom tomatoes) every day made it worth the effort.

Hope this information is useful.

willardguy - 5-19-2014 at 10:17 PM

keep in mind two small coolers (one for food that rarely gets open)and another just for drinks are more manageable.

Skipjack Joe - 5-19-2014 at 10:19 PM

Yes. The Yeti comes with a tray that suspends the food above the ice. But I found it to be insufficiently small. Everything that was not in the tray was placed in ziplock bags next to the ice. I just didn't want one food item to contaminate another. The produce went in the tray and the milk, meats, chicken, and eggs were below.

The ice cooler should be pretty stable in the car. You don't want the ice blocks sliding from end to end on washboard roads, crushing the contents of those bags.

aguachico - 5-20-2014 at 05:30 AM

A 120qt cooler holds about 1/2 bar of crystalina. It also provides usable water is it melts.
I don't store anything inside the cooler with my main ice source, except maybe a few vac sealed packs of meat.

I own two polar bear cooler bags and keep food in one, drinks in another and hack hunks of the block off as I need them.

I'm testing an 80 quart 12volt edgestar this weekend. trying to keep food dry while stored in ice is a losing battle. At $600 the fridge has a ton of advantages over ice, but there are some downfalls also.

john68 - 5-20-2014 at 06:43 AM

This review might help--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-TE4RnqT0U

Look Ma; no ice

durrelllrobert - 5-20-2014 at 06:57 AM

I use one these combination refrigerator/ freezers from Home Depot at about $500. Runs on 12V on road/ camping or 110V where available. In refer mode keeps everything ice cold and in freezer mode it will keep everything in bottom frozen until needed and will also freeze your fish fillets for trip home.



[Edited on 5-20-2014 by durrelllrobert]

Here's more info if anyone is interested

durrelllrobert - 5-20-2014 at 07:04 AM

This Whynter Portable Fridge / Freezer offers premium quality and innovative design to your frozen/refrigerated needs. This freezer is great for RVs, boats, campsites, fishing trips and is truly portable so you can take your fridge / freezer anywhere! All you need is either a standard household 110 Volt outlet or a 12 Volt power source, like an automotive battery. Whether on a day trip or major expedition, you can easily keep your food and beverages chilled, or frozen with this benchtop freezer. The Whynter portable freezers should not to be confused with less effective 12 volt novelty and beverage type "coolers". The Whynter portable freezer / fridge is a true freezer / refrigerator which cools between -8°F to 50°F. A cost effective and mobile solution for your recreational and critical freezing requirements.

45 qt. or 60 cans (12 fl. oz.) capacity
Compressor cooling system, which operates as a refrigerator or freezer
Adjustable temperature range -8 degrees Fahrenheit to 50 degrees Fahrenheit
Fast Freeze mode rapidly cools to -8F
Voltage power AC (110V - 65W/ 2.5A) or DC (12V - 4.5A Car Lighter Socket)
LED temperature control and display
Functions even when tilted 30 degree
Tough and solid outer casing with side handles
Two removable wire baskets

Bob53 - 5-20-2014 at 12:29 PM

Taken off the Yeti website...
(Q) WHERE ARE YOUR COOLERS MANUFACTURED?

(A) Our coolers are manufactured in the USA at facilities located in Iowa, Illinois, Ohio as well as at a third facility located in the Philippines. Want a YETI made in the USA? Call us at 512-394-9384 and we’ll make it happen.
Quote:
Originally posted by Whale-ista
I considered those but I wanted to support the company that is manufacturing them in the US.

Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
yeti makes the same style.....

MMc - 5-20-2014 at 02:31 PM

The Pelican Ice chest looks good, I have been with guys with a yeti, and they are impressive. I don’t own one, as they seem like a lot of money, I have wondered how long I could go using one. Most of my trips are about 2 weeks or less so my goal has always been to keep ice for drinks for that long. My month long trips are in my past and the future. I started this when getting ice was a problem. Most towns didn’t have 24 hour power so ice was rare.

How to keep ice for weeks, over the entire goal is to not ad warm air or water to where the ice is. Get the ice as cold as possible. Moving pads are great, the silver one’s even better, in a pinch a towel also works. If it is hot, wet the tarp/ towel to get a little e-vap cooling going. Keep everything in the shade always. Do not keep the ice chest in the truck without a pad under it. The truck bed itself has no insulation, not good for long term storage. In camp we will bury a chest ¾’s deep and put a pads on top. If you feel the ground under the ice chest that has been sitting for a couple of days it will be cool. Your melting ice is what cooled it. If you can pre cool and pre freeze it helps a lot. While you are camped you can pre cool stuff it’s a good thing too, we get a bucket of seawater and drop the drinks in it. They go from 80 to 60 degrees so ice chest is cooling from 60 to 35. It does not seem like a big deal but if you want to get two weeks it is. All of chest have at least a ½” insolite pad inside on the top (Blue soft foam)

We use 3 ice chest, Drinks, Food, Dry ice:

Drinks, If you add salt to the water it will get cooler therefore stay cool longer. The colder the drinks going in the longer the ice will last. The fuller the ice chest the less air is exchanged. If you are getting low on drinks and ice put the drinks in first so they cool down first, then adjust the water and ice.

Food chest, we use a plastic container (cheap) with a locking lid to store the ice inside the chest. We put the stuff that needs to be the coldest next to the container and the stuff like eggs and veggies around the outside. The plastic container keeps the food dry and will hold ice longer then the things that come with the chest. The water is also can be used for other stuff easily. Sometimes we use 2 smaller containers instead of one larger one. we will also put stuff that can get wet inside the ice container. The whole idea is stuff that is cold takes longer to re-cool then air. Also the protein we are using the next day helps keep things chilled.

Dry ice chest, This only get opened 1 time per day if we only bury 1 chest this is it. This is my 110qt chest. We start with a layer blue foam on the bottom, blocks of ice on top of that dry ice wrapped in a newspaper and black plastic bag (Do not seal the bag tight). We add any proteins we will have on top and fill any cubes or crushed. The idea is that the ice will keep the colder longer then air. Always pull out the next days protein and c-cktail ice when you start dinner. If you don’t it will not defrost for dinner the next day and it helps keep the food chest cool. This chest also has 1” of insolite on top, (2pads ) use the c-cktail ice the same day.

[Edited on 5-20-2014 by MMc]

MMc - 5-20-2014 at 02:51 PM

I just watched the review video, I own the Igloo marine and the Coleman extreme, I did not think they were in the same class, interesting.

paranewbi - 5-20-2014 at 04:05 PM

We have a large igloo plastic Walmart cooler that we can set 8 crystal geyser 1 gal. frozen water jugs in plus some pre-frozen vacuum packed meats with it.
We have a seperate daily plastic igloo cooler that we place 2 other frozen crystal geyser waters into. This works for the food items etc.
As the ice jugs melt down in the food cooler to half or so of ice left, we take one out and pour off the pure water into our drinking containers. We then cut the top off of the plastic jug and put the remaining small block of ice in a towel and beat on it to crush it...then into our margaritas it goes! We take a still solid frozen one out from the large cooler (really only time we open it) and replace the one we just removed from the food cooler.
No messy, stinky water floating ever in either cooler!
This method lasts us a week of remote camping and about that long of frozen meat to vary the mostly fresh caught fish diet.
Coolers cost us about $40 ten years ago.

dtbushpilot - 5-20-2014 at 04:12 PM

Good advice MMc, sounds like you have done it a time or two. I was impressed with the performance of the Coleman Extreme as well at about I/4 the price of a Yeti or Pelican.

Adding salt allows the ice to melt at a lower temperature thus making the water (the melted ice) colder than 32 degrees, it doesn't make the ice any colder. If you want the coldest beer in town add some salt to the cooler.

tiotomasbcs - 5-20-2014 at 04:31 PM

We are always out of beer before ice! Good excuse to head back to CSL and a few Cantinas before headin Outback! Maybe a few Gringa Canadiens or Angelenas? Three to four days o mas is time to check in to Humanity beit a Cantina or Friends House. Don't get too technical! Todays Baja has a lot to offer. Enjoy! Tio

Udo - 5-20-2014 at 05:59 PM

I normally use the ARB Refrigerator/Freezer. It is both 12 volt and 120 Volt.
If you freeze your food the night before, whatever you put in it will stay frozen indefinitely.
If it gets unplugged for 8-10 hours, it is still OK...the fridge is quite well insulated.
The only draw-back is the cost...about $$700.0 US!
The one I got,can hold about 4 cases of beer but now they make three more sizes, smaller and larger.

MMc - 5-20-2014 at 06:11 PM

dtbushpilot
"Adding salt allows the ice to melt at a lower temperature thus making the water (the melted ice) colder than 32 degrees, it doesn't make the ice any colder. If you want the coldest beer in town add some salt to the cooler. "

dtbushpilot said it much better then I. Thank you.

tiotomasbcs, Sometimes CSL is a day or more away. I need to take enough drinks to last the trip. If I lived where you do It would be hard to get off the beach at all.

Skipjack Joe - 5-20-2014 at 06:22 PM

Forgot to add that draining melted water from the cooler is a bad idea. That water keeps everything cool longer and removing it speeds up the melting.

Also .... Pack the cooler as full as possible because everything within is contributing to the cooling and there is less air as well.

StuckSucks - 5-21-2014 at 04:14 PM

My wife and I have used the Coleman 54-Quart Stainless Steel Cooler for years and swear by it. I've used it side-by-side with a similar plastic model, and ice in the stainless lasts 2-3 times longer than the plastic. As a bonus, its smooth surface is steeker-friendly.

Bob53 - 5-21-2014 at 04:58 PM

I really like my Yeti cooler. Works very well and is extremely durable.

Whale-ista - 5-25-2014 at 12:22 AM

Thank you for the suggestion.
I checked the Home Depot website, but didn't see one of these. How long ago did you get yours?

Any idea how much the energy demand is? I don't have a deep cycle battery in my truck, just a small solar panel (30 watts) charging system and battery/inverter from GoalZero.

Has it been pretty energy-efficient in your experience?
Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
I use one these combination refrigerator/ freezers from Home Depot at about $500. Runs on 12V on road/ camping or 110V where available. In refer mode keeps everything ice cold and in freezer mode it will keep everything in bottom frozen until needed and will also freeze your fish fillets for trip home.



[Edited on 5-20-2014 by durrelllrobert]


[Edited on 5-25-2014 by Whale-ista]

Whale-ista - 5-25-2014 at 12:25 AM

Thanks for the research. I saw these at Dick's sporting goods store today.

Lighter and smaller than the pelican which interested me, but a lot more expensive versus Costco prices. The 65 quart was $400 versus $250.
Quote:
Originally posted by Bob53
I really like my Yeti cooler. Works very well and is extremely durable.

durrelllrobert - 5-25-2014 at 08:41 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Whale-ista
Thank you for the suggestion.
I checked the Home Depot website, but didn't see one of these. How long ago did you get yours?

Any idea how much the energy demand is? I don't have a deep cycle battery in my truck, just a small solar panel (30 watts) charging system and battery/inverter from GoalZero.

Has it been pretty energy-efficient in your experience?

Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
I use one these combination refrigerator/ freezers from Home Depot at about $500. Runs on 12V on road/ camping or 110V where available. In refer mode keeps everything ice cold and in freezer mode it will keep everything in bottom frozen until needed and will also freeze your fish fillets for trip home.



[Edited on 5-20-2014 by durrelllrobert]


[Edited on 5-25-2014 by Whale-ista]

Bought it last summer and have only used it plugged into the cigarette lighter once without the engine running. After a day and a half there was still plenty of juice to start my 5.4 liter engine. The rest of the time it's just used to haul frozen stuff from the US to Baja.
I just found it at this web site:

www.homedepot.com/…s/stores/servlet/CatalogQuick.....

Just entered "portable refrigerator freezer" in search box and this is what came up:

$476.10
Was $529.00 Save 10%
Whynter 65 qt. Portable Fridge/Freezer
Model # FM-65G

• Ship to Home
Free
• Ship to Store
Free

thecoolerdude - 11-28-2014 at 06:44 PM

Yeti if you have the cash. Igloo moxcold if you're broke. I found a new site that compares the two: cooler comparison

Fatboy - 11-29-2014 at 11:12 AM

Quote: Originally posted by StuckSucks  
My wife and I have used the Coleman 54-Quart Stainless Steel Cooler for years and swear by it. I've used it side-by-side with a similar plastic model, and ice in the stainless lasts 2-3 times longer than the plastic. As a bonus, its smooth surface is steeker-friendly.



+1 for this cooler of all the cheap coolers over the years this one just seemed to work the best...and for about a $100 it is areasonable price

bigzaggin - 1-3-2015 at 03:44 PM

A little late to this thread but the cooler topic has been a hot one for me and my Baja co-pilot for 15 years. Right now we bring one massive marine Coleman for all food - packed solid with block and some cube ice for c-cktails. We also bring my heavy duty 65QT Engel - very solid coolers - which we fill with frozen drinking water and open sparingly.
As the Coleman ice melts, we transfer frozen drinking water to it and - eventually - when those bottles melt, that becomes our drinking water.

(sidenote - freezing 10 days of drinking water is too much for most home freezers so we sometimes stash big bottles of water deep in the ice section of our local market a few days before shove off, then retrieve it the day we leave.)

Last winter we met a guy on a one month solo trip through central Baja who had relied 100% exclusively on a propane cooler and swore by it. It does SEEM like a very space-friendly way to keep food/beers cold (seems like most of use 60-70% of our cooler space just to keep ice) but I'm wondering if there's a drawback? Anyone have good/bad luck with propane coolers?

Ken Cooke - 10-23-2015 at 04:42 PM

New addition to my Baja arsenal. :bounce:

Dometic (Waeco) 62 qt. fridge/freezer -- It only runs when the Jeep is running. After getting a dual battery relay system, it'll be a continuous system.

TMW - 10-23-2015 at 06:25 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe  
Forgot to add that draining melted water from the cooler is a bad idea. That water keeps everything cool longer and removing it speeds up the melting.

Also .... Pack the cooler as full as possible because everything within is contributing to the cooling and there is less air as well.


There seems to be two schools of thought on this. Leave the water or drain it. I use to leave it then I read an article that said to drain the water as the water will speed up the melting of the ice. I started doing that and I find the ice lasting much longer.

MMc - 10-23-2015 at 06:54 PM

I put the ice in a closed container so everything in the food box stays cold and dry. The drinks go into another cooler and we will pre-cool them before they go in. We put the drinks in ocean water for a hour or so we drop the temps to 60 instead of air temp. If you are driving make sure the H2O is out of the cooler as the bottles will float and break.
Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe  
Forgot to add that draining melted water from the cooler is a bad idea. That water keeps everything cool longer and removing it speeds up the melting.

Also .... Pack the cooler as full as possible because everything within is contributing to the cooling and there is less air as well.


There seems to be two schools of thought on this. Leave the water or drain it. I use to leave it then I read an article that said to drain the water as the water will speed up the melting of the ice. I started doing that and I find the ice lasting much longer.

days past

captkw - 10-23-2015 at 06:56 PM

sure don't miss the ammonia smell in the old ice,,, if you have the room a dometic on a 5 LP gas gallon works good..but IS not very potable

john68 - 10-23-2015 at 07:11 PM

Check out the RTIC cooler--half the price of the Yeti. I don't know anything more about it, but sounds good.

rticcooler.com

advrider - 10-23-2015 at 07:57 PM

Been running my ARB for about seven years and never had a problem. My wife got it for my birthday but wasn't happy about the price, at all!!!!! Now she wants it in the car when she is going shopping or on any other outing. We have a cabin that is off of the grid and its nice to have as a back up for the propane. Also works for extra cooling when you have a bunch of people over and need a little more space.

mtgoat666 - 10-23-2015 at 08:07 PM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe  
Forgot to add that draining melted water from the cooler is a bad idea. That water keeps everything cool longer and removing it speeds up the melting.

Also .... Pack the cooler as full as possible because everything within is contributing to the cooling and there is less air as well.


There seems to be two schools of thought on this. Leave the water or drain it. I use to leave it then I read an article that said to drain the water as the water will speed up the melting of the ice


Did any of you bother to take physics in HS or college?
You read an article? I find most articles on the web to be incomplete or plain wrong :lol::lol: do you still have your HS physics text in a box in your garage?

P.s. If you got $$ to burn, buy a yeti

Ken Cooke - 10-23-2015 at 08:27 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  

P.s. If you got $$ to burn, buy a yeti


If you got $$ to burn, buy a Dometic! :yes:

mtgoat666 - 10-23-2015 at 08:54 PM

Quote: Originally posted by soulpatch  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  

Did any of you bother to take physics in HS or college?
You read an article? I find most articles on the web to be incomplete or plain wrong :lol::lol: do you still have your HS physics text in a box in your garage?

P.s. If you got $$ to burn, buy a yeti


I, like many, probably liken virtually every one of your posts to your view of articles on the web. There is so much valid and confirmable information available on the web but hardly any in anything you post other than a quick insight into ego and it's misplaced importance.

I would have liked to taken physics in high school but I had to feed myself.

However, while you were still sucking on that silver spoon or whatever else you could fit in your mouth to advance, some of us had to actually apply survival skills at a young age.... probably only something you theorized about.

Fortunately for many, science was and is available through other means than riding a wooden seat in a high school and then making a career out of academia.

I, personally, used libraries, friends, mentors and, something that might surprise you, people that actually made their livings engineering things and making things work.

It is only sometimes true but the old axiom of those that can, do and those that can't, teach.
I am married to a person who was a professional teacher.... however, she does not fit that overused stereotype of the few you promulgate it.

You're in academia, right?


No.

The rest of you post was ignorant anti-education BS. Hope you don't fill you kids heads with such anti-intellectual rants. You have to be a dunce to say things like "those that can, do and those that can't, teach."



mtgoat666 - 10-24-2015 at 07:01 AM

Quote: Originally posted by soulpatch  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by soulpatch  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  

Did any of you bother to take physics in HS or college?
You read an article? I find most articles on the web to be incomplete or plain wrong :lol::lol: do you still have your HS physics text in a box in your garage?

P.s. If you got $$ to burn, buy a yeti


I, like many, probably liken virtually every one of your posts to your view of articles on the web. There is so much valid and confirmable information available on the web but hardly any in anything you post other than a quick insight into ego and it's misplaced importance.

I would have liked to taken physics in high school but I had to feed myself.

However, while you were still sucking on that silver spoon or whatever else you could fit in your mouth to advance, some of us had to actually apply survival skills at a young age.... probably only something you theorized about.

Fortunately for many, science was and is available through other means than riding a wooden seat in a high school and then making a career out of academia.

I, personally, used libraries, friends, mentors and, something that might surprise you, people that actually made their livings engineering things and making things work.

It is only sometimes true but the old axiom of those that can, do and those that can't, teach.
I am married to a person who was a professional teacher.... however, she does not fit that overused stereotype of the few you promulgate it.

You're in academia, right?


No.

The rest of you post was ignorant anti-education BS. Hope you don't fill you kids heads with such anti-intellectual rants. You have to be a dunce to say things like "those that can, do and those that can't, teach."





Jajaja, you are a pulga.
I have taught plenty.... and I can do.
I am so anti-education that I am still going to school.
I have relocated multiple times in my life to get the best education I can for my kids... yeah, that's me, anti-education.
I am just anti-a$$hole, of which you are a gaper!

Yes, I must be a dunce.... a highly trained one, but, whatever.. proving my experiential superiority has never been a priority for me.

You keep at it, though, because I think most here, yes, all us information seeking lemmings, find what you have to say close to interesting.... not quite, but close.

Peace



Ok, mr pro-education smarty pants. Use all your learning, including your experiential superiority, to tell us what is most efficient in keeping food cold in cooler, drain the water or leave the water?
Your answer should provide supporting evidence or references so the answer can be verified.


David K - 10-24-2015 at 08:47 AM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe  
Forgot to add that draining melted water from the cooler is a bad idea. That water keeps everything cool longer and removing it speeds up the melting.

Also .... Pack the cooler as full as possible because everything within is contributing to the cooling and there is less air as well.


There seems to be two schools of thought on this. Leave the water or drain it. I use to leave it then I read an article that said to drain the water as the water will speed up the melting of the ice. I started doing that and I find the ice lasting much longer.


From 50 years of camping background, we drain the water to make the ice last longer. This is especially the case when driving as the sloshing accelerates the melt rate. Water against ice is a more efficient extractor of cold/conveyor of heat (anything over 32º is 'heat' to ice). Air around the ice is a less efficient 'melter'.

Now, if wanting things colder that you add to ice, such as your cans or bottle of Pacifico... then leave the melted ice water in there... again because water is a more efficient transfer of heat/cold than air. However, if you are going to drive to another spot, drain the ice chest to save what is left.

TMW - 10-24-2015 at 09:52 AM

Exactly David. I don't question whether things are cold I just want my ice to last longer. I like ice in my Gin and Tonic or Jack and coke.

Also I often only have one ice chest and keep some food in it and I don't like it when water gets in it.

[Edited on 10-24-2015 by TMW]

mtgoat666 - 10-24-2015 at 10:14 AM

After Your cooler is filled and at equilibrium and ice has begun to melt, the temperature of contents will stay constant 32 degrees regardless of whether or not water fills the pore space in ice. Water in ice pore space is same temp as ice. Heat input to cooler will cause phase change before raising water temp. Water in ice pore space does not increase heat transfer rate from outside cooler to inside cooler.
Draining or keeping water will not significantly change ice life.
Repeat after me: draining or keeping water will not change ice life, will not change melt rate.
Draining or keeping water during the period that ice persists is really only a matter of personal preference.

durrelllrobert - 10-24-2015 at 10:15 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista  
Thank you ! Very helpful.

Has anyone used any trays or baskets to keep food dry, up above water/ice levels? Things like fresh produce that would be damaged by water.

I welcome other ideas to maximize cooler benefits.





A major benefit of not messing with ice is ice cold AND DRY everything. This one from HomeDepot draws very little current from your 12V car or boat battery (also rus on 120V at home):



Forgot to mention that the 36Qt model is only $136 on line.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW Model # P75 Internet # 202467891
The versatile Koolatron Kool Kaddy Kooler is ideal for big families and those going on long road trips, to sporting events, the beach or on a picnic. Just plug it into your car's cigarette lighter to keep all your favorite foods and drinks cool. It doesn’t require any ice so there’s plenty of space. It's even convenient for going grocery shopping in the middle of running several errands.
State-of-the art thermoelectric cooling technology that doesn’t require the use of ice
Brushless motor and internal air circulation for even temperature distribution
Use it horizontally like a cooler or vertically like a fridge
Includes a removable shelf for additional storage options



[Edited on 10-24-2015 by durrelllrobert]

mojo_norte - 10-24-2015 at 10:15 AM

I'm a drainer

dtbushpilot - 10-24-2015 at 10:23 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
After Your cooler is filled and at equilibrium and ice has begun to melt, the temperature of contents will stay constant 32 degrees regardless of whether or not water fills the pore space in ice. Water in ice pore space is same temp as ice. Heat input to cooler will cause phase change before raising water temp. Water in ice pore space does not increase heat transfer rate from outside cooler to inside cooler.
Draining or keeping water will not significantly change ice life.
Repeat after me: draining or keeping water will not change ice life, will not change melt rate.
Draining or keeping water during the period that ice persists is really only a matter of personal preference.



"Your answer should provide supporting evidence or references so the answer can be verified."

How can you expect us to give your theory any credibility without "supporting evidence or references"?

woody with a view - 10-24-2015 at 11:21 AM

holds more ice and 1/2 price of the Yeti.

https://www.rticcoolers.com/?www.rticcoolers.com

edit: this from the above site regarding water in the cooler:

Keep it Chilly

Water from melted ice is not a bad thing! Cold water that develops after a few days helps insulate the remaining ice better than empty airspace. Open your lid as few times as possible to reduce adding warm air from the outside. “All ice is not created equal” – in other words, ice performance can vary greatly. Block ice will melt slower than cube ice, but cube ice with a larger total surface area will cool items faster. You may want to consider a mixture of both types. Start with very cold, solid ice versus wet ice that has already begun to melt. Fill cooler with as much ice as possible to reduce empty air areas.

[Edited on 10-24-2015 by woody with a view]

David K - 10-24-2015 at 11:29 AM

Woody, where do they sell those in San Diego County?

mtgoat666 - 10-24-2015 at 11:35 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista  
So what do people recommend for a multi-week summer trip into Baja? I don't want to get one that runs on electricity or propane, just an old-fashioned ice chest for enjoying fresh food and cold drinks on a hot beach, that keeps food/drink cold for several days between ice Runs.


Has anyone used one of the newer heavy-duty ice chests such as these fromPelican?


Recommendations welcome!

[Edited on 5-20-2014 by Whale-ista]


All of the premium coolers work well. All have very thick walls, so the coolers are very large (and heavy!) if you want large cooler capacity. The yetis are built TOO tough, so you pay for more than you need. Grizzlys are tough too, but less expensive. Pelican and engel are good alternatives to overpriced yeti

woody with a view - 10-24-2015 at 11:38 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Woody, where do they sell those in San Diego County?


online only as far as i can tell. free shipping. check the site.

mtgoat666 - 10-24-2015 at 11:41 AM

Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view  
holds more ice and 1/2 price of the Yeti.

https://www.rticcoolers.com/?www.rticcoolers.com

edit: this from the above site regarding water in the cooler:

Keep it Chilly

Water from melted ice is not a bad thing! Cold water that develops after a few days helps insulate the remaining ice better than empty airspace. Open your lid as few times as possible to reduce adding warm air from the outside. “All ice is not created equal” – in other words, ice performance can vary greatly. Block ice will melt slower than cube ice, but cube ice with a larger total surface area will cool items faster. You may want to consider a mixture of both types. Start with very cold, solid ice versus wet ice that has already begun to melt. Fill cooler with as much ice as possible to reduce empty air areas.

[Edited on 10-24-2015 by woody with a view]


Woody, that's another Another faux logic discussion of cooling.

Key is to buy ice twice in first day of trip. First bag will melt fast as it cools the chest and contents. Then drain that melt water to gain volume space, and add another bag of ice to fill cooler. Keep cooler out of sun. Avoid opening it often. Eat the perishables before your ice is gone.
Repeat as necessary.

woody with a view - 10-24-2015 at 11:46 AM

i'd rather concentrate on the beer inventory than freak out over melt ice. ice melts, it's a fact of life. if the water is drained then the beers come to ambient outside temp faster than in the melt water. i prefer 50 degree beer in melt water over 90 degree beer in a dry cooler with 3 ice cubes in the bottom when 35 degree beer isn't an option any longer. it just means another trip to town!

David K - 10-24-2015 at 11:48 AM

Here is the deal... you want ice to last the longest, use BLOCK ice. You can use some crushed to fill the gaps and have for c-cktails, but it will melt faster. The bags of cube ice will be gone in hours, and are a waste if you have the block option. As we know, the Oxxo stores and other markets usually only have the ice cubes in bags, so better than nothing if you are almost out.

dtbushpilot - 10-24-2015 at 11:51 AM

I'm a "leave the water in it" guy, I will drain it when I have access to new ice. I put food etc. that I don't want to get wet in a gallon Ziploc or plastic container.

[Edited on 10-24-2015 by dtbushpilot]

David K - 10-24-2015 at 12:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by soulpatch  
Looks like this little dust up got some decent input since I went on a mud run with my kids this morning!

Nice to see people contributing something other than a nice big glass of frosty snarkiness!
Jajajaja!

Here is what I do.
I just buy more ice or use a portable fridge/freezer.
I have supplemented with dry ice.

Water transfers heat more efficiently than air. It's all about the BTU's moving through a medium more efficiently.

If you are trying to cool things quickly and ice is readily available then leave the water in.

If you want your ice to last a bit longer than drain the majority of it out and keep the lid closed.

I'm no scientist but heat transfer is heat transfer.


You are right on Frank!

mtgoat666 - 10-24-2015 at 12:35 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Here is the deal... you want ice to last the longest, use BLOCK ice. You can use some crushed to fill the gaps and have for c-cktails, but it will melt faster. The bags of cube ice will be gone in hours, and are a waste if you have the block option. As we know, the Oxxo stores and other markets usually only have the ice cubes in bags, so better than nothing if you are almost out.


Re block vs cube ice... It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram block ice. It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram cubed ice.

dtbushpilot - 10-24-2015 at 01:25 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Here is the deal... you want ice to last the longest, use BLOCK ice. You can use some crushed to fill the gaps and have for c-cktails, but it will melt faster. The bags of cube ice will be gone in hours, and are a waste if you have the block option. As we know, the Oxxo stores and other markets usually only have the ice cubes in bags, so better than nothing if you are almost out.


Re block vs cube ice... It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram block ice. It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram cubed ice.


You are both right of course, it takes the same amount of energy to melt ice regardless of the configuration. Cubed ice has lots of spaces around it and usually are a tube shape resulting in even less ice per cubic foot. You can put a whole lot more ice in a cooler if it is in a large block.....but even the goat knows that...

woody with a view - 10-24-2015 at 01:35 PM

Baaaaa!

BajaRat - 10-25-2015 at 12:39 AM

Always get more beer, Always get more ice,
And when given the chance......... Salute The Maestro :cool:

Thanks for all the great tricks and techniques. We have been loving on the ESKY line of Coleman coolers. Half the price per Qt of the Yeti, tough, tons of features and holds ice for a very long time using some of the tips posted here. I use the cooler year round, Cervezas just seems to taste better on ice.
I'm not a physicist, but I have figured out through extensive and rigorous beach testing some of the enemies of long lasting ice.
Surface area of the ice, conductivity and temperature of elements it contacts, amount of insulation and outside ambient temperature.
If we're not using frozen fresh water bottles or ice is not available we crack the smaller drain to allow a slow drip in the sand without allowing air transfer.

David K - 10-25-2015 at 09:20 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Here is the deal... you want ice to last the longest, use BLOCK ice. You can use some crushed to fill the gaps and have for c-cktails, but it will melt faster. The bags of cube ice will be gone in hours, and are a waste if you have the block option. As we know, the Oxxo stores and other markets usually only have the ice cubes in bags, so better than nothing if you are almost out.


Re block vs cube ice... It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram block ice. It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram cubed ice.


Since you only ride a bike or walk in Baja, how would you know? :lol::lol::lol:

mtgoat666 - 10-25-2015 at 09:48 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Here is the deal... you want ice to last the longest, use BLOCK ice. You can use some crushed to fill the gaps and have for c-cktails, but it will melt faster. The bags of cube ice will be gone in hours, and are a waste if you have the block option. As we know, the Oxxo stores and other markets usually only have the ice cubes in bags, so better than nothing if you are almost out.


Re block vs cube ice... It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram block ice. It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram cubed ice.



Since you only ride a bike or walk in Baja, how would you know? :lol::lol::lol:


Some of us just know it all. Some of you just don't. :lol::lol::P:P

Interesting tip

bajaguy - 10-25-2015 at 10:35 AM

From the RTIC cooler site (https://www.rticcoolers.com/cooler-care):

Rock salt tip: rock salt naturally lowers the melting point of water, making it super cold. Add a few handfuls to the top of your ice filled cooler and temperatures will be even lower.

woody with a view - 10-25-2015 at 10:50 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Here is the deal... you want ice to last the longest, use BLOCK ice. You can use some crushed to fill the gaps and have for c-cktails, but it will melt faster. The bags of cube ice will be gone in hours, and are a waste if you have the block option. As we know, the Oxxo stores and other markets usually only have the ice cubes in bags, so better than nothing if you are almost out.


Re block vs cube ice... It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram block ice. It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram cubed ice.



Since you only ride a bike or walk in Baja, how would you know? :lol::lol::lol:


Some of us just know it all. Some of you just don't. :lol::lol::P:P


that's funny cuz i tell my wife i'm right 98% of the time. not perfect, but i'm working on it!

bigjohn - 10-25-2015 at 10:51 AM

Been doing the rock salt tip
when bringing the fish home from BOLA! :cool::cool:

mtgoat666 - 10-25-2015 at 10:55 AM

Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Here is the deal... you want ice to last the longest, use BLOCK ice. You can use some crushed to fill the gaps and have for c-cktails, but it will melt faster. The bags of cube ice will be gone in hours, and are a waste if you have the block option. As we know, the Oxxo stores and other markets usually only have the ice cubes in bags, so better than nothing if you are almost out.


Re block vs cube ice... It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram block ice. It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram cubed ice.



Since you only ride a bike or walk in Baja, how would you know? :lol::lol::lol:


Some of us just know it all. Some of you just don't. :lol::lol::P:P


that's funny cuz i tell my wife i'm right 98% of the time. not perfect, but i'm working on it!


Woody,
Keep trying! I have been 100% right for so long that I can no longer remember a time when I was wrong. True!

ehall - 10-25-2015 at 11:02 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
From the RTIC cooler site (https://www.rticcoolers.com/cooler-care):

Rock salt tip: rock salt naturally lowers the melting point of water, making it super cold. Add a few handfuls to the top of your ice filled cooler and temperatures will be even lower.[/rquote

Careful with the rock salt. We froze a whole tub of beer by putting too much in. Delayed the drinking for a couple minutes.

bajaguy - 10-25-2015 at 11:39 AM


Moderation in all things.....except fish tacos and Pacificos
Quote: Originally posted by ehall  
Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
From the RTIC cooler site (https://www.rticcoolers.com/cooler-care):

Rock salt tip: rock salt naturally lowers the melting point of water, making it super cold. Add a few handfuls to the top of your ice filled cooler and temperatures will be even lower.[/rquote

Careful with the rock salt. We froze a whole tub of beer by putting too much in. Delayed the drinking for a couple minutes.

dtbushpilot - 10-25-2015 at 04:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Here is the deal... you want ice to last the longest, use BLOCK ice. You can use some crushed to fill the gaps and have for c-cktails, but it will melt faster. The bags of cube ice will be gone in hours, and are a waste if you have the block option. As we know, the Oxxo stores and other markets usually only have the ice cubes in bags, so better than nothing if you are almost out.


Re block vs cube ice... It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram block ice. It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram cubed ice.



Since you only ride a bike or walk in Baja, how would you know? :lol::lol::lol:


Some of us just know it all. Some of you just don't. :lol::lol::P:P


that's funny cuz i tell my wife i'm right 98% of the time. not perfect, but i'm working on it!


Woody,
Keep trying! I have been 100% right for so long that I can no longer remember a time when I was wrong. True!


One time I thought I was wrong but I was mistaken.....:lol:

Hook - 10-25-2015 at 08:00 PM

Can one really live out of a 65 qt ice chest for more than a three day weekend? I dont think I could. It would take two.

For that reason, the Coleman Xtremes cooling capacity per dollar really comes into play. I see that the everyday price for a Coleman 70 qt marine Xtreme at Walmart is 49.95. What an incredible bargain!

I have grown to appreciate the wheeled versions of the Coleman Xtremes. Not that there is a lot of pavement or sidewalks in Mexico, of course; especially on the beach. But it is nice rolling it around the lot from the outside kitchen to the separate bodega where the freezer is, where the boat is stored, down the ramp and along the dock at the marina. A 65-70 qt ice chest is not light when filled.

And, naturally, my Xtreme is filled with fillets EVERY TIME I return from fishing!! :biggrin:


"Come on, wheels! Take this chest a-way!!!"

Marla Daily - 10-26-2015 at 07:21 AM

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryangrepper/coolest-coo...

How about the guy who designed the "COOLEST" Cooler. His $50,000 Kickstarter campaign raised an astonishing $13,285,226!
He had 62, 642 backers. Now that's good business!

David K - 10-26-2015 at 09:07 AM

We have two Xtremes Hook, one is for food and one is for drinks. However, we have also had one reserved with just ice and kept sealed and used the other for food and drinks. It is opened only when the other needs ice added. We have ice for a week in the summer doing that.

The method of ice preservation is: to limit time with the box opened, to keep the box covered or in the shade, to drain melted ice daily and especially if you are going to be driving. We do leave melted ice in one chest if it is just for drinks.

Igloo Exreme

captkw - 10-26-2015 at 09:47 AM

I got one when they first came out,,very happy with it,...since all they did was ad some foam insulation to it.. melted ice is aways nice for the dogs...

4x4abc - 10-26-2015 at 02:46 PM

if this is your last trip in hot temperatures any insulated cooler is good. The differences are not worth writing about.

If you will go out into the wild again - get a real fridge freezer. I have been exploring Baja since 1986. Always stayed away from fridge freezers. I can buy ice for the rest of my life and still come ahead with a cooler. I thought. I was willing to live with the mixture of melting water, broken beers and busted eggs with a generous helping of cheese.
Then I found out that not all fridge freezers are $1,200 overland Gucci models. You can get them for around $500 (with blemishes for $300). They did not fare well in the overland champagne cooler tests. They look kinda bland. But a little research revealed that all (ALL) fridge freezers have the same German made internals. Except Engel, they have Japanese internals.

So, long story short. I went fridge-freezer (Wynther/Edgestar) about 5 years ago. It was almost like a religious experience. You know, like getting your first Mac/iPhone. Life is soooooo much better now. Perfectly cold beer. Protected cold cuts and veggies. Safe eggs. This was one of those rare "regret" moments. I regret that I did not go fridge/freezer 30 years ago.

Advice: Hard wire the fridge/freezer with a fuse directly to your battery. The cigarette lighter plug in burns up within a few days. They pull some serious amps.

I have 48 and 64 quarts. More beer is always good.

Hook - 10-26-2015 at 03:26 PM

Does anyone make a fridge freeze compressor model where you can have a decent portion that is a freezer and a portion that is a fridge, so you can make, say, a standard ice cube tray of ice or two of the RV sized cube trays? The one bummer about going ALL fridge freeze is the lack of ice cubes for stronger adult beverages. Beer gets old, shots get old, after a few days. You really cant afford the space to keep your mixers in your cooling device so you end up with margaritas and martinis that start out at, at best, 40 degrees and go downhill rapidly from there.

bajaguy - 10-26-2015 at 03:55 PM

Harald - How loud are these when they are running and how much heat do they throw out??? I was planning on putting one on the back seat of my double cab pick-up
Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
if this is your last trip in hot temperatures any insulated cooler is good. The differences are not worth writing about.

If you will go out into the wild again - get a real fridge freezer. I have been exploring Baja since 1986. Always stayed away from fridge freezers. I can buy ice for the rest of my life and still come ahead with a cooler. I thought. I was willing to live with the mixture of melting water, broken beers and busted eggs with a generous helping of cheese.
Then I found out that not all fridge freezers are $1,200 overland Gucci models. You can get them for around $500 (with blemishes for $300). They did not fare well in the overland champagne cooler tests. They look kinda bland. But a little research revealed that all (ALL) fridge freezers have the same German made internals. Except Engel, they have Japanese internals.

So, long story short. I went fridge-freezer (Wynther/Edgestar) about 5 years ago. It was almost like a religious experience. You know, like getting your first Mac/iPhone. Life is soooooo much better now. Perfectly cold beer. Protected cold cuts and veggies. Safe eggs. This was one of those rare "regret" moments. I regret that I did not go fridge/freezer 30 years ago.

Advice: Hard wire the fridge/freezer with a fuse directly to your battery. The cigarette lighter plug in burns up within a few days. They pull some serious amps.

I have 48 and 64 quarts. More beer is always good.


[Edited on 10-26-2015 by bajaguy]

Bob53 - 10-26-2015 at 04:09 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
Harald - How loud are these when they are running and how much heat do they throw out??? I was planning on putting one on the back seat of my double cab pick-up

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
if this is your last trip in hot temperatures any insulated cooler is good. The differences are not worth writing about.

If you will go out into the wild again - get a real fridge freezer. I have been exploring Baja since 1986. Always stayed away from fridge freezers. I can buy ice for the rest of my life and still come ahead with a cooler. I thought. I was willing to live with the mixture of melting water, broken beers and busted eggs with a generous helping of cheese.
Then I found out that not all fridge freezers are $1,200 overland Gucci models. You can get them for around $500 (with blemishes for $300). They did not fare well in the overland champagne cooler tests. They look kinda bland. But a little research revealed that all (ALL) fridge freezers have the same German made internals. Except Engel, they have Japanese internals.

So, long story short. I went fridge-freezer (Wynther/Edgestar) about 5 years ago. It was almost like a religious experience. You know, like getting your first Mac/iPhone. Life is soooooo much better now. Perfectly cold beer. Protected cold cuts and veggies. Safe eggs. This was one of those rare "regret" moments. I regret that I did not go fridge/freezer 30 years ago.

Advice: Hard wire the fridge/freezer with a fuse directly to your battery. The cigarette lighter plug in burns up within a few days. They pull some serious amps.

I have 48 and 64 quarts. More beer is always good.


[Edited on 10-26-2015 by bajaguy]

And how long will it run before your battery dies?

wessongroup - 10-26-2015 at 04:19 PM

Always a fun thread ... keeping things "cool"

mtgoat666 - 10-26-2015 at 04:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Hook  
Does anyone make a fridge freeze compressor model where you can have a decent portion that is a freezer and a portion that is a fridge, so you can make, say, a standard ice cube tray of ice or two of the RV sized cube trays? The one bummer about going ALL fridge freeze is the lack of ice cubes for stronger adult beverages. Beer gets old, shots get old, after a few days. You really cant afford the space to keep your mixers in your cooling device so you end up with margaritas and martinis that start out at, at best, 40 degrees and go downhill rapidly from there.


Crikey! You want to bring an ice maker on a camping trip?
Why do you want to bring your entire kitchen on a camping trip? A goal is to get away from all the nonsense, reduce, simplify.
Take wine, and liquor that is not such rot gut it needs to be disguised with mixers:lol::lol: takes up less space than beer, does not require ice :light:




Dometic CoolFreeze CFX65 DZ (Dual Zone)

Ken Cooke - 10-26-2015 at 04:32 PM

My Dometic CoolFreeze CFX65DZ has a separate Freezer compartment along with a Fridge compartment. Real convenient for storing fresh fruit along with beans, fresh soup, and keeping Gardenburger patties frozen.

4x4abc - 10-26-2015 at 05:24 PM

noise: very low fan noise (only hear it in the quiet garage)
heat: they need good ventilation (leave some room around the vent slots) - however, they do not burden the temp in the car

ice: get the 64 quart unit, get a bag of ice, set temp to about 27. Keeps ice frozen, beer just the way it should be, veggies (on top) will not die the ice death

WestyWanderer - 3-5-2016 at 11:42 PM

Harald, in your experience, how is the drawn on your battery? Do you just have a single car battery or does your rig have a separate house battery as well? If I were to have, let's say, the 64 quart model you have, could I park my car Friday, leave the unit running all weekend and still have enough juice to start my car Sunday afternoon?

mtgoat666 - 3-6-2016 at 08:22 AM

Quote: Originally posted by WestyWanderer  
Harald, in your experience, how is the drawn on your battery? Do you just have a single car battery or does your rig have a separate house battery as well? If I were to have, let's say, the 64 quart model you have, could I park my car Friday, leave the unit running all weekend and still have enough juice to start my car Sunday afternoon?


If'n you are going to leave cooler running for a long time on battery, best to have a separate battery storage system for cooler so you don't drain your car battery.

durrelllrobert - 3-6-2016 at 08:56 AM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
if this is your last trip in hot temperatures any insulated cooler is good. The differences are not worth writing about.

If you will go out into the wild again - get a real fridge freezer. I have been exploring Baja since 1986. Always stayed away from fridge freezers. I can buy ice for the rest of my life and still come ahead with a cooler. I thought. I was willing to live with the mixture of melting water, broken beers and busted eggs with a generous helping of cheese.
Then I found out that not all fridge freezers are $1,200 overland Gucci models. You can get them for around $500 (with blemishes for $300). They did not fare well in the overland champagne cooler tests. They look kinda bland. But a little research revealed that all (ALL) fridge freezers have the same German made internals. Except Engel, they have Japanese internals.

So, long story short. I went fridge-freezer (Wynther/Edgestar) about 5 years ago. It was almost like a religious experience. You know, like getting your first Mac/iPhone. Life is soooooo much better now. Perfectly cold beer. Protected cold cuts and veggies. Safe eggs. This was one of those rare "regret" moments. I regret that I did not go fridge/freezer 30 years ago.

Advice: Hard wire the fridge/freezer with a fuse directly to your battery. The cigarette lighter plug in burns up within a few days. They pull some serious amps.

I have 48 and 64 quarts. More beer is always good.


45 qt Whynter is $486 at Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Whynter-45-qt-Portable-Fridge-Freezer-FM-45G/202555696

65 qt Whynter is $513: www.homedepot.com/p/Whynter...Portable-Fridge-Freezer.../20255569...

and 85 qt is $589: www.homedepot.com/p/Whynter...Portable-Fridge-Freezer.../20255570...

Ken Cooke - 3-6-2016 at 10:38 AM

The Wyntner links don't work, but I would check out the Dometic line of fridge/freezers. I bought their flagship model - the Dual Zone 65 Qt. model. It also includes USB connectivity to charge my electronics.

Price = $700

Dometic 65 Qt -- Amazon.com

Sweetwater - 8-29-2016 at 08:48 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Hook  
Can one really live out of a 65 qt ice chest for more than a three day weekend? I dont think I could. It would take two.

For that reason, the Coleman Xtremes cooling capacity per dollar really comes into play. I see that the everyday price for a Coleman 70 qt marine Xtreme at Walmart is 49.95. What an incredible bargain!

I have grown to appreciate the wheeled versions of the Coleman Xtremes. Not that there is a lot of pavement or sidewalks in Mexico, of course; especially on the beach. But it is nice rolling it around the lot from the outside kitchen to the separate bodega where the freezer is, where the boat is stored, down the ramp and along the dock at the marina. A 65-70 qt ice chest is not light when filled.

And, naturally, my Xtreme is filled with fillets EVERY TIME I return from fishing!! :biggrin:


"Come on, wheels! Take this chest a-way!!!"


Mayday, mayday
Coleman Xtreme 100 qt wheeled going on Amazon prime lightning deals in 2 minutes.
Free shipping, no sales tax.
edit: $57.03
on order

[Edited on 8-29-2016 by Sweetwater]

[Edited on 8-29-2016 by Sweetwater]

basautter - 8-29-2016 at 06:52 PM

If you have the room, bring a small generator ( Honda 2KW) and a small freezer. A few gallons of gas will get you through the trip with all the ice you need. I use 16 oz water bottles. You can re-freeze or drink!

Doug/Vamonos - 1-30-2017 at 07:35 PM

Screw coolers. I put two big batteries in the bed of my truck, 1/0 cable to my main batteries with a battery isolator in between and fuses (charges off my alternator while I drive), an 800 watt inverter, and a small 3 cubic foot chest freezer. Awesome. Awesome. All my frozen stuff goes in for my drive. When I arrive in LA Bay, or wherever, the freezer comes out to become a kegarator. Also wired in a thermostat so I can run it at 30 degrees for the cerveza. And on the return trip it is full of frozen vacuum packed filets that never defrost till I'm ready for some fresh sashimi or grilled fish dinner.

[Edited on 2-3-2017 by Doug/Vamonos]

Skipjack Joe - 1-31-2017 at 11:33 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Here is the deal... you want ice to last the longest, use BLOCK ice. You can use some crushed to fill the gaps and have for c-cktails, but it will melt faster. The bags of cube ice will be gone in hours, and are a waste if you have the block option. As we know, the Oxxo stores and other markets usually only have the ice cubes in bags, so better than nothing if you are almost out.


Re block vs cube ice... It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram block ice. It takes 80 calories to melt 1 gram cubed ice.


The same amount of heat melts the same amount of ice in an ice cube or a block. However, the amount of heat applied is related to the surface area. The ice cubes inside of blocks of ice don't receive the heat until all the ice surrounding ice has melted. So a block lasts much longer.

mtnpop - 1-31-2017 at 05:54 PM

we bought an RTIC kind of direct thru Amazon this year... similar tyeti and much less expensive..
left Colorado jan 10 arrived jan 13 in Mulege, did not open it until we arrived still had ice , nice coolers....

drzura - 5-3-2018 at 02:22 PM

I bought two RTIC coolers... they are excellent. Basically same thing as a Yeti but almost half the cost when purchased on sale.
Quote: Originally posted by john68  
Check out the RTIC cooler--half the price of the Yeti. I don't know anything more about it, but sounds good.

rticcooler.com

caj13 - 5-4-2018 at 03:40 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista  
Thank you ! Very helpful.

Has anyone used any trays or baskets to keep food dry, up above water/ice levels? Things like fresh produce that would be damaged by water.

I welcome other ideas to maximize cooler benefits.



If I'm hauling produce and cheese and meatr etc, stuff i do not want wet. I buy 1 gallon crystal geyser spring water, pour out 1/2 a cup or so to deal with expansion, and freeze em down. usually 3 for a big ice chest. once they are frozen solid, they keep everything in the box cold and dry! and when they melt - they are pure drinking water. i will also put in frozen meat etc inside double ziplocks, extends the life of the ice.

i usually put my beer and soda in a wet chest - use ice on those.

[Edited on 5-4-2018 by caj13]
 Pages:  1