Cold food storage?

[Janis Vanis]

We have been looking for a good quality cooler to ensure our cold food is kept fresh as long as possible. I've seen Yeti brands mentioned quite a bit with other van dwellers. Is this a good brand to invest in? Any suggestions welcome otherwise also! We would be likely keeping things like cheese, eggs, and vegetables. Nothing that would need to stay frozen such as meats as we would buy and immediately eat, and not store that type of food. Will be dwelling in the city for the summer months (live in central Canada so the seasons are limited) and want to ensure that in the heat of the day that nothing spoils as it sits in the van while we are at work. . . Ideally of course we would try and eat all cold foods so nothing sits, but there are times when we will have extra so it would be nice to keep eggs and vegetables fresh for at least a day or 2, or until we can put new ice in.

 

[Janis Vanis]

I guess if you are on an expedition the Yeti would be a good choice for it's durability but I can't see paying $300-$400 for a cooler to keep in a van to keep some cheese cool. One of the high end models of the more pedestrian brands like the Coleman Xtreme or Igloo Maxcold should do the job at a small fraction of the Yeti price.

Guy

Yes! ^^ Thank you for that recommendation. I wanted to make sure I'm not nuts thinking that we could get by with a bit of a heavier duty novice brand. . .but it's sounding more reasonable also just getting a second opinion to NOT invest in something like a Yeti until we are out of city limits for long periods. I also have been looking into the reflective liner to put on the windows to keep the heat out, will definitely help with the spoil factor ten fold if the interior is kept as cool as possible and out of direct light.

 

[Willy]

$300-$400 and you're getting close to compressor cooler territory. In fact, I picked up the 'as new' Waeco L'd been using for near a decade off Craigslist for $350. The Engel I now have was also bought off Craigslist for $520. It's been running non-stop for going on a year now, my how time flies, and is basically stuffed full of frozen reduced meats. Right now I REALLY regret not renewing my enhanced drivers license, and not getting a passport, since I saw a listing just over the border a bit (near Bellingham) for a 70L Waeco that the guy is selling for $200! Damn.. I'd be all over that like a cheap polyester suit. Oh well.. Willy.

 

[Almost There]

IIWM and I was doing city dwelling where you're close to stores that sell blocks of ice, I'd be simply using a regular cooler with a plastic container large enough to hold the block of ice as it melts so food isn't floating and a good quality regular cooler.

Even in the heat of the summer I've gotten 2 1/2 to 3 days from a block of ice in a cheap cooler. If you take that cooler and either build an insulated frame around it with 2" foam insulation or simply wrap it well with a moving blanket it will extend the useful life of the ice by another day at least, probably more. And of course, opening it as seldom as possible helps too. I use 2 coolers when I'm using ice, one for drinks and one for food, it keeps the food much colder when I'm not into the cooler multiple times a day.

When you're ready to hit the road and want to be able to go a week or more without shopping then invest in a compressor cooler/fridge. Word of warning, buy it stateside when the currency exchange won't kill you, Canadian prices are usually crazy.

 

[Janis Vanis]

Loving these recommendations! Many thanks! I found this one on Amazon and it looks decent - I like the dimensions in case it needs to go underneath or between something.

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00009PGNS/...TF8&colid=2GL9YU2Y7MURU&coliid=I1JSFPA5YKAOSN

 

[Almost There]

Loving these recommendations! Many thanks! I found this one on Amazon and it looks decent - I like the dimensions in case it needs to go underneath or between something.

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00009PGNS/...TF8&colid=2GL9YU2Y7MURU&coliid=I1JSFPA5YKAOSN

Noooo, don't do it!

Those things are power hogs for starters. You can't leave them plugged in to the engine battery overnight or you won't be going anywhere in the morning. And they'll drop a house battery in a few hours.

AND they aren't true refrigerators, they only cool UP TO 40 f cooler than the ambient temperature. Which means if it's 90 inside the van, the frig is 50 minimum, likely closer to 60F

When we talk about compressor coolers here's what we're talking about:

http://www.whynter.com/product/refrigeration/portable_freezers

Easy on the power source, 12 or 120v and temp adjustable. Downside is the price which is why I recommend sticking with block ice and a cooler for city dwelling and only going to one of these for full-time boondocking.

 

[gramakittycat]

I second the NOOO! I have one made by coleman and what AT says is true Useful for some purposes but not as good as the Igloo 3 day cooler I also use. It really does keep ice for 3 days but I put the ice (block or cube/crush) in a leak proof bag or container to keep food stuffs dry.I bought a smaller size one and I don't have it open for very long when I need to get something out. I trust the igloo enough that I store my insulin in it when traveling.

 

[Janis Vanis]

OK great! Thank you both AT & GKC for the prompt replies- I was afraid of the powered cooler for the battery, but the reviews looked good. . . definitely thankful for these comments as it helping us greatly! Never fun wasting money or worse getting stranded :/

 

[Janis Vanis]

I got to also thinking. . .Wouldn't solar panels provide enough electricity to run something like a compressor cooler?

 

[highdesertranger]

yes solar will run a compressor refrigerator, but what you linked to is not a compressor refrigerator. actually solar would run that too. however I would not waste money on that, I know, I did and it was a waste of good money. highdesertranger

 

[minimotos95]

I did the math on this the other day and determined 200w of solar was the bare minimum I needed to safely run my 5 amp thermoelectric cooler all day and shut it off when I sleep.

I will fourth the no to buying thermoelectric coolers. The technology works much better in climate controlled sticks and bricks locations to chill wine bottles than it does outdoors or in a van to keep food from going bad.

 

[towhee]

 I put the ice (block or cube/crush) in a leak proof bag or container to keep food stuffs dry.

I want to ask about the leak proof bag for ice. I haven't had much success with plastic bags. I mean. The large 2 gallon ziplocks are expensive and they get punctured fast. 

Maybe a dry sack like for rafting would wrk better. 

I investigated containers but one large enough to hold a 10 pound block of ice takes up a lot of space in my cooler. 

I guess I just need to work a bit harder on solving this problem. 

Any brilliant solutions out there?

 

[Willy]

I've been running a compressor cooler off my solar for about 10 yrs now, 24/7, rain or shine. I keep mine a few degrees below freezing and thus take advantage of bargain/family packs of meat.. frozen solid and no expiration date. With a regular cooler, unless you're using dry ice, food will eventually spoil and the moisture can lead to other problems. I figure that my Waeco/Engel coolers paid for themselves within a year, the money saved now going back into my pocket, whereas a regular cooler, regardless of how good, is an ongoing expense (buying ice and extra trips to get more ice). ..Willy.