supplement 12v freezer for cooler

[samsari]

So to explain my situation.

I like using my rotomold cooler for overland in my wrangler for its durability. However, i live in Arizona and during the hot months (which is most of the year) the ice and keeping the cooler cold only lasts at best 3 days. when its remote travel, obtaining more ice is not something I can get.

So I thought of getting a small 12v freezer to freeze Ice/water bottles to replace the ones that are melting. those of you experienced with 12v fridge/freezers, what are your thoughts? Is this possible or do they take too long to freeze things unfrozen?

Also, don't tell me to just go buy a 12v fridge that meets my size requirements and be done with it. Humor me for a minute with this idea.

 

[Hegear]

I run 2 Dometics a 45 and 65. Both can function as a freezer, they work well and I would say they freeze almost as fast as a freezer at home. when doing that though they do consume a lot of power. They pretty much run constantly when trying to freeze.

Have you tried freezing the food in your cooler before you depart? I did this for years before buying 12v fridge. It works well, no mess from melted ice and can last up to a week even in the Arizona heat.

 

[emulous74]

Are you supplementing the ice with "ice packs" those really help in keeping the "real" ice frozen longer. If you go down the small 12v freezer route, I would suggest freezing those rather than just water.

 

[mep1811]

Have you tried using dry ice?

 

[samsari]

All these suggestions are great, thank you.

I have tried freezing meat before the trip, but mixed with ice and unfrozen food it only lasted 2 days before I needed to eat it.

I have not tried mixing "ice packs" with regular ice, I'll give that a shot.

I have also not tried dry ice, but usually in the process of packing up and leaving going and getting dry ice is just another trip to the store I usually don't feel like doing. But that is a great Idea thank you.

 

[DirtWhiskey]

Use block ice and some sort of spacer in the bottom of your cooler to keep the ice out of the water. The water is a great place to keep beers. If you need to drain, use the dumped water to pre cool beer before putting them into the cooler. River cooler theory. It works. keep your cooler in the shade or covered. I've kept blocks for up to a week or more in hot weather with no regard to how many times the cooler is opened.

Quality of block ice and how cold it is to begin with is important. Vast majority of gas station block ice is compressed nugget ice. If you can find a vendor that has real block ice from a Clinebell machine or the like, cherish that vendor. I'm lucky. My cocktail bar has a Clinebell machine. Crystal clear 27 lb blocks. Need ice for a margarita? Bust off a few chunks.

 

[1000arms]

Add additional insulation by placing old sleeping-bags/comforters/blankets below and around/over the cooler. Use the lightest colored materials on the top.

 

[samsari]

Use block ice and some sort of spacer in the bottom of your cooler to keep the ice out of the water. The water is a great place to keep beers. If you need to drain, use the dumped water to pre cool beer before putting them into the cooler. River cooler theory. It works. keep your cooler in the shade or covered. I've kept blocks for up to a week or more in hot weather with no regard to how many times the cooler is opened.

Quality of block ice and how cold it is to begin with is important. Vast majority of gas station block ice is compressed nugget ice. If you can find a vendor that has real block ice from a Clinebell machine or the like, cherish that vendor. I'm lucky. My cocktail bar has a Clinebell machine. Crystal clear 27 lb blocks. Need ice for a margarita? Bust off a few chunks.

I didn't realize there where different block ice qualities. I wonder if "Water and Ice" stores have quality block ice? I'll do some investigating to see if there is somewhere close by that has good block ice, thanks.

 

[DirtWhiskey]

I didn't realize there where different block ice qualities. I wonder if "Water and Ice" stores have quality block ice? I'll do some investigating to see if there is somewhere close by that has good block ice, thanks.

A couple of ways. If you're in a major metro there are companies that sell blocks for ice sculptures and shave ice. Do a search for ice supplier. I was able to find clear ice at a few choice grocery stores in Southern Utah river country. There used to be clear block at Rays Tavern in Green River and in certain stores in Moab from a company called Moab Ice. I think they are still around, primarily supplying river trips. The Lins market in Price usually has solid 25lb clear cubes. Depends on where you are at.

When in doubt you can freeze your own blocks using whatever plastic containers you can find. Best results, and old cocktail bar trick, is to freeze quality filtered water in a small cooler with no lid inside a chest freezer. It allows the bubbles and fogging to exit the ice during freezing through directional freezing.

Also, if I need more than one block I keep one unbagged for general cooling and I keep another in the bag for drinks (to prevent cross contamination etc). I poke some small holes in the bottom of the bag so it can drain. Water is the mortal enemy to ice because it is a much more efficient heat transfer fluid than air!

 

[Junkboater]

I've had some luck using stainless steel coffee cans from BBB. I fill them with water to make blocks. The stainless steel seems to emit the cold from the ice into the cooler very well, but the bottom of the cooler stays dry with maybe only a little condensation. I carry an ice pick so I can chip off a chunk for my cocktails as needed. I have several so some are always in my small camping freezer (running off solar and a battery) and the others are in the cooler. I just keep rotating them.

 

[Junkboater]

Here's a pic of what I use. You can get half size versions of this as well.