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weebray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1094
Registered: 7-19-2010
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
Mood: lleno
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Quote: Originally posted by David K  | In another thread, I posted a new observation that we made last month on Shell Island...
What weebray said with an exception....
| Quote: Originally posted by weebray | | You will have the best success if you follow these rules. Use the largest piece of block ice you can fit. Keep your cooler out of the sun and
insulate it with your sleeping bags or ????. Keep the lid closed. Know exactly what is in your cooler and where so you can quickly grab what you
need. No opening the lid and "looking around". Drain off the melted water. Never add anything warm to the cooler. Cold food and drinks are a
luxury. Consider dried foods and powdered drinks to relieve the pressure on your coldness. All drinks should be in aluminum cans. Use the
refrigerators of friends, motels, stores and strangers to your advantage. I'm sure there are other tips I've forgotten. |
The exception being about draining the melted water out.
I (and my father) always believed that removing the water helped the ice to last. In fact, if the melted water is left in, at least 50% anyway, the
remaining block melts slower. This is in a stationary condition, not driving/ sloshing.
We had identical Coleman 5-Day chests.
One had two (10#) blocks, and some frozen water bottles and some crushed ice to fill in gaps. This one was for food and some drinks.
The other had just one (10#) block and crushed ice, into which went the beer and water bottles. This one was not drained and was the one opened
frequently (to get drinks).
The food box with two blocks and some crushed was only opened at meal times very briefly and the water was drained daily.
After 4 days, over 90° days, the drink box with just one block and melted water left in, still had almost half a block remaining... and the water with
the beers in it was ice cold.
The food box, originally with 2 blocks, drained daily, rarely opened, was nearly gone of ice.  
That was an eye-opener and except when driving, I won't be draining the melted water out or much unless we are driving and will be getting more ice.
(food is placed in snap-tight containers, so the melted ice shouldn't hurt)
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I'm going to have to agree. Because of the high specific heat of water it would be better to leave the water in the cooler. It would act as an
insulator. I have not tired this personally because I always freeze large gallon containers to use the water to make cold drinks from powdered
drinks.
Every beautiful beach in the world needs a few condo towers - NOT.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64491
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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It was sure enlighting to have a side-by-side comparison and such a dramatic difference!
The chest with twice the block ice, opened less, but drained daily, melted faster than the chest with less ice, opened more, but not drained!
They both contained several frozen plastic water bottles at the start, as well.
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bajabuddha
Banned
Posts: 4024
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: Baja New Mexico
Member Is Offline
Mood: Always cranky unless medicated
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As having run Cataract Canyon several summers, as well as a dozen other desert canyons for over 25 years in dead of summer using 100 and 120 qt. Gott
coolers (I understand Yeti and such are way superior now) the secret to cooler management USED-TO-WAS THIS:
CARD-BOARD YOUR ICE. Don't let anything rest against it. Plastic tubs on top for veggies, etc., side of BLOCK ICE (cardboarded) for sealed containers
of perishables (Tupperware, etc). As mentioned above, place items in order of removal; keep anything from floating in water; you have too much.
Water melts @ 32º... cold water WILL MELT FROZEN ICE, so dump your water every morning to chill the beer cooler.
COOLER MANAGEMENT: Morning, first-light, dump COLD water from food coolers into drink coolers and re-stock drink coolers with cans of 'refreshments'
still cool from night's chill. Note; DO NOT refill drink coolers during later daylight hours when warm; drink 'em warm, or suffahhhh.
2nd COOLER MANAGEMENT: If you're on an extended trip, DRY ICE, cardboard, pack your 'take-em-outs' in layers, and DUCT TAPE the cooler shut. Open
only at first light, and re-duct tape. Ice cream for dinner dessert on day 6, July, Cataract Canyon.
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
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PaulW
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3009
Registered: 5-21-2013
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After digesting all the Nomad references on coolers including this one.
http://www.fourwheeler.com/product-reviews/1512-the-ultimate...
Surprising that the famous brands are not the best.
I decided to get a Dometec refrigerator, just like Ken did
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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: Current
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My favorite Baja cooler is the one with with the cold beer in it.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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BooJumMan
Senior Nomad
Posts: 875
Registered: 8-11-2007
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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I've given up with the whole ice thing. Yeti and pelican coolers are expensive. For a few more bucks, you can just get a 12V fridge freezer... This
one pulls 4 amps when turned on. Once the fridge is to the set temp, it turns on about 5 minutes every 45-60min. It is helpful to have a 100w solar
panel if camping.
https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Refrigerator-Freezer-Qt-Edge...
In that pre-Google Earth and social media epoch, The Code was adhered to. It was based on a simple verity: if a locale had been transformational for
you, and you had put the hard yards in to get there and to learn it, to know it, why in god�s name would you broadcast the news, thus ruining the
future experience not only for yourself, but for future adventurers?
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17339
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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West marine has engel's on sale this week. Just picked one up.
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