Camping Coolers

TerryV6

I looked Long and hard and didn’t come up with a dedicated topic for this. ( in addition to the fridge)

1.  What brand of cooler did you settle on?  
2.  How big did you go with? 
3.  Packing methods.  I did some looking online and found these.

https://www.outsideonline.com/2167381/how-properly-pack-cooler

https://youtu.be/RePA15bPhDQ

In 

https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/how-to-pack-a-cooler/

4.  Where is your cooler located on site?

So, we just got back from 3 days.  We bought a smaller Yeti 35 and I have to say it would be nice to have slightly bigger cooler.  Some said that 2 coolers work well, one for adult drinks, in case Eric visits.  Our cooler, once the frozen thingys are in, doesn’t leave much for food.  Also, if we store our cooler next to the camper, under the awning... whew, it can get darn hot under there... maybe in the TV...

Our cooler:

ericnliz

@TerryV6, First, thanks for thinkin' about my ....well being?
I use 2-3 coolers depending on how many go camping with me. I use the Coleman 5 day coolers, one large, one smaller & an old Igloo cooler for my frozen food, with veggies on the top. I use frozen water bottles & gallon milk jugs on the bottom of the coolers & as large a cubed ice I can find on the top. (Gotta keep the beer & Fireball cold!) To store, I find the shadiest spot I possibly can, use beach towels to cover the coolers with a reflective windshield screen on top to reflect sunlight off the coolers. I've gone as much as 10 days usng this method with only having to supplement the cubed ice after 3-4 days. This method has worked well for me, with the bonus of having cold drinking water to boot. I've looked in to the Yeti coolers, but can't bring myself to shell out that kind of money for a cooler. I think if I were going to invest, I would be putting my money towards an ARB cooler since it has both cooling & freezing capabilities while being efficient as well. Just my opinion for what it's worth. Meanwhile, I'll stick to what has worked for me for a long time!  

Verna

ARB is my answer, covered with three flannel quilts and it’s own cover with Reflectex.

4ncar

Yes...gave up quickly on the cooler idea and went with a 2 way fridge/freezer like Verna. I chose IndelB, but they both have the same advantage of not needing ice or ice packs! 

kybob

I am pleased with my Dometic CFX 28. I also have a Yeti 65.

Guten_TaB

We use to do a igloo cooler with freezer pack, Ice and sometimes dry ice, but would have to refill ice in a day or two, we went with a Yeti 45, got it with our credit card points, no shipping no tax. We are getting 4 days with freezer packs and Ice, with no refill.  We camp in warmer areas sometimes little shade. We found other Roto-moulded coolers that are lower price with just as good results, check You Tube reviews.  We carry our cooler in our TV.  A truck with a tonneau cover, so stays covered 

TerryV6

Well Eric, my beer of choice is Guinness, but I’ll drink anything dark, porter etc.  If you are at either rally, I’ll save you one..

jkjenn

Verna said:

ARB is my answer, covered with three flannel quilts and it’s own cover with Reflectex.

Why did you choose blankets over more Reflectex? I am sure there is a reason.

TerryV6

I guess I’ll have to google ARB and reflectex....    (footsteps fading down the hall and the sound of a door closing...)

Pinspot

I use an Artic 45 cooler. It gets great reviews on Amazon. It has all the Yeti has at about half the price.

Verna

@jkjenn, the flannel quilts are easier to keep in place than a piece of Reflectex. The ARB fitted canvas cover has a layer of Reflectex in it.

Also, the quilts are so useful—protects my truck shell when I have something heavy on the roof rack, they can be used as emergency blankets, or they can hide purchases. Lots of uses.  Oh, and they were originally sold by Menard’s as dog blankets and they have been used many times for their original purpose. They are flannel on both sides with some sort of padding in the middle so I think they provide lots of insulation. 

jkjenn

Verna said:

@jkjenn, the flannel quilts are easier to keep in place than a piece of Reflectex. The ARB fitted canvas cover has a layer of Reflectex in it.

Also, the quilts are so useful—protects my truck shell when I have something heavy on the roof rack, they can be used as emergency blankets, or they can hide purchases. Lots of uses.  Oh, and they were originally sold by Menard’s as dog blankets and they have been used many times for their original purpose. They are flannel on both sides with some sort of padding in the middle so I think they provide lots of insulation. 

Cool, thanks. I have the cover and am trying to decide what to put over it. 

newell

     We just finished a nine thousand mile coast to coast trip and here is how we do it.  First, we never bring blue ice freezer packs.  Once they thaw, they're useless and since you can't refreeze them on the road you just have another thing or things to store. 
     We use a YETI 50 for our dry cooler.  We put two blocks of ice in and put one of the wire kitchen racks that you get from Bed Bath and Beyond in to keep the food high and dry along with the rack that comes with the yeti.  Believe it or not, those blocks of ice will last 10 days.
     For our beverage cooler we use a YETI 45.  I doesn't matter if this stuff gets wet.  We use cans and not bottles because the cans stack 2 high in the 45 as opposed to the bottles that can only go one high.  Throw in the ice cubes and you're good to go except, the ice cubes only last a day or so depending on the temperature.  
     That's it, everything else goes in the refrigerator in the T@B.  Also, we always use the gas setting instead of the electric.  The gas keeps it colder and hardly uses any propane.  Of course we use the 12V when we're on the road.  

Clopidogrel

We use a Igloo yukon cooler (rotomoulded). We then put milk, beer, juice (think we use often) on one side and an insulated towel inside the cooler on top of everything. This way, when we open the cooler, we just flip the towel to get acces to the liquid side. This way we don't loose the cold air on the other side. 

Ratkity

The towel idea is a great!

Freshaire

@Clopidogrel, I had never even heard of a cooling blanket.  Looked on-line to find out what it was.  Does it stay cold over a few days?

Clopidogrel

It's not a real blanket. I use the  foam use to protect when I order online. 

Mouseketab

We just use the T@B fridge for our fresh food, and just use a generic igloo for drinks in cans or bottles. Even slushy ice water keeps them cold. We don't camp much long term, so for a weekend that is sufficient. For our one long term trip per year, we actually bring a 4.3 CF dorm fridge with us that has an actual freezer so that we can store a little more food. (It fits through the T@B door upgright.) Boondocking is not our thing. We're more the resort RV park types

4ncar

IndelB fridge/freezer + t@b fridge...enough room for a week for 2ppl. No canned drinks, however...

rfuss928

We have been using a Coleman 12v, 40 qt cooler as a supplement to the T@B's Norcold.  It works well - even freezes things left too close to the fan.

Not for boondocking!! Its a power hog.  ~5A continuous on 12V.  No problem running it in our TV and we use the AC adapter at camp.

It is a lot lighter weight than the compressor based units! ~15 pounds  (Maybe the main reason I haven't given in to an ARB?)

Readily available at many WM and Amazom for ~$85 incl AC adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Quart-PowerChill-Thermoelectric-Cooler/dp/B008GOBG1Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1529691768&sr=8-3&keywords=coleman+12v+cooler

Clopidogrel

Here's a picture of what i use to keep everything cold except the liquid side. It's a foam use to ship thing.




I don't know of you have that in the US, but here in Quebec, you can buy wine in a box. The inside is a very thick plastic bag. We use it as an ice bag:

 

Sharon_is_SAM

Good job upcycling!

Clopidogrel

And the good thing is you have to empty the wine bag first!

db_cooper

I've been researching coolers and fridges for a while now, and finally pulled the trigger on what hopefully will be a better cooler than the cheapo coolers I've had in the past.

Most of our trips are 3 nights or less, but we take a couple of week long trips and mostly boondock.  We use the tab fridge on propane for produce, and an ice chest for drinks and packaged food.  I just can't justify an expensive fridge or Yeti for that little use. Plus in a few years we may have a different setup entirely, so not ready to commit.  For our next trip I'd be happy if the ice lasts 4-5 days, by then there should be room for everything in the fridge.  

This is what I picked up, reviews are pretty good, and we have a couple of other Lifetime products that have been good.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lifetime-55-Quart-High-Performance-Cooler-Grey-90820/850043843

So here are my likes and don't like without using, will update once we've had 'er out.

Likes:
Lighter than Yeti/other rotomolded
Thick walls, but good volume at 55qts
Latch system easier to open than Yeti style.
Bottle opener!
Bear resistant, given enough time nothing is bear proof!

Dislikes:
Rubber gasket doesn't seal great around top, will leak if tipped over.
Rope handles aren't replaceable.

In the end it's just a box that holds ice, so if it does that I'll be a happy camper. 🍻

ScottG

Clopidogrel said:

...
I don't know of you have that in the US, but here in Quebec, you can buy wine in a box. The inside is a very thick plastic bag. We use it as an ice bag:

 

Oh yeah, we got that. Wine in a bag is a camping staple.

In fact. last time we went to Canada we had to pay duty for having one bag too many. I wonder if they were trying to make up for all the lost park pass revenue from the 150th anniversary--I took good advantage of that!  :-)

But I digress. This a great use of those bags--unlike a plastic container, they don't take up space once the ice is melted and the water is drained.