# What options are there if you want a small cooler but don't have electricity **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 25, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326 "2011-07-25T23:37:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/1 "2011-07-25T23:37:48Z")
If you are camping or outdoors for up to 16 hours and need a small cooler, something about this size. > **[Amazon.com : Coleman FlipLid Cooler, 5 Quart , Blue : Sports & Outdoors](https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-FlipLid-Personal-Cooler-Quarts/dp/B00363X3F2)** > > Keep food and beverages cold on the go with the Coleman FlipLid Small Insulated Cooler. This 5-quart portable cooler holds up to six cans of your favorite beverage, offering plenty of space to pack a full meal for an afternoon picnic or a day trip.... How do you keep the contents cold? I really don’t know much about this. I know that you can buy blue ice or ice mats, and some people have success with that. But how long do reusable ice packs last? Would they last 12-16 hours outdoors in 90F temperature? I’m assuming the packs use something other than water to hold heat energy, but I don’t know what it is they use or how much more effective it is than ice from water. Do they make small coolers with a battery attachment that keeps things cold or do the reusable ice packs do a good enough job that people usually don’t need one of those? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/2 "2011-07-25T23:46:07Z")
If you want to use a normal cooler, I would just get some dry ice. But they do make mini fridges that you can plug into a cigarette lighter. At the very least that would keep everything cold until you get to your destination and then normal icepacks could take over from there. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/3 "2011-07-25T23:51:22Z")
I go camping 2-3 times a year…what we do is buy a case or two of bottled water, freeze the bottles solid and use them to tightly pack the cooler with (frozen if feasible) food. As long as we keep the coolers in the shade, stuff stays cool for up to three days, and the bottled water is drinkable as it melts. A [silver mesh shade cloth](http://www.silvershademesh.com/) helps keep stuff cool too. The coolers I use are larger than that teeny one, though. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/4 "2011-07-26T00:11:07Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > . A [silver mesh shade cloth](http://www.silvershademesh.com/) helps keep stuff cool too. From the website > [@](#): > > Silver Mesh Shade Cloth > > - Reduce enclosed area temperatures up to 20%! > > - Reduce cooling costs up to 50% > > - 70% shade/reflection of the sun’s rays > > - Durable, light weight, easy to use Also, works great for keeping vampires contained. ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/5 "2011-07-26T01:34:42Z")
You could get one of these [Coleman Thermoelectric Coolers](http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/subcategory.asp?Categoryid=8570) They connect to your car’s cigarette lighter socket, the drawback, of course, is you have to keep the battery charged up. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/6 "2011-07-26T02:47:55Z")
I think a big question is what are you bringing that you want to keep cold? As noted, you could freeze water bottles, and drink them later. My general experience is that if everything is cold when you put it in, any reasonable cooler (and that seems to be one) filled with ice should last one day with things still cold when you take them out, particularly if you can keep it out of direct sun. When camping as a child, my mom used to pack a frozen roast for Sunday dinner - it would normally just be thawed out in time to cook it (after leaving home Friday evening). ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/7 "2011-07-26T03:30:15Z")
For 16 hours you should be good with that cooler. Just get a couple of ice packs from the camping section. Their about the size of books with a blue liquid inside. Just make sure to keep the cooler closed. With coolers I find it’s helpfull to have a strip of duct tape to ensure it stays closed. I’m going on a 6 night canoe trip next week and I’m in the middle of converting 3/4’s of my [Hooligan Barrel](http://http://www.hooligangear.com/images/_MG_30L_front.gif) into a cooler using styrofoam insulation and tin tape. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/8 "2011-07-26T04:55:26Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > I go camping 2-3 times a year…what we do is buy a case or two of bottled water, freeze the bottles solid and use them to tightly pack the cooler with (frozen if feasible) food. As long as we keep the coolers in the shade, stuff stays cool for up to three days, and the bottled water is drinkable as it melts. A cheaper version of that is just to use milk jugs or 2-liter drink bottles for the same purpose. Washed and refilled with water, of course. Leave space for the water to expand when frozen. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/9 "2011-07-26T14:34:12Z")
I don’t where you could get one, but anIcy Ballwould do the job. I’ve heard of people building their own, but it requires charging with high pressure liquid ammonia. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/10 "2011-07-26T18:51:07Z")
I find that ordinary ice in a well-insulated cooler will last one heckuva long time. Ice packs and/or dry ice ought to do it, too. If you don’[t want to draw on your car’s battery, you can use a propane cooler: > **[How Refrigerators Work](https://home.howstuffworks.com/refrigerator5.htm)** > > Gas and propane refrigerators are used in RVs and areas where electricity isn’t available. Learn about gas and propane refrigerators and how they work. [http://propanecooler.com/](http://propanecooler.com/) [http://www.propaneproducts.com/catalog/gas-refrigerators/dometic-rc4000-portable-propane-cooler-470.html](http://www.propaneproducts.com/catalog/gas-refrigerators/dometic-rc4000-portable-propane-cooler-470.html) But I really thnk that’s going overboard. They’re pricey, too. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/11 "2011-07-26T23:20:49Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I find that ordinary ice in a well-insulated cooler will last one heckuva long time. Ice packs and/or dry ice ought to do it, too. > > If you don’[t want to draw on your car’s battery, you can use a propane cooler: > > [http://home.howstuffworks.com/refrigerator5.htm](http://home.howstuffworks.com/refrigerator5.htm) > > [http://propanecooler.com/](http://propanecooler.com/) > > [http://www.propaneproducts.com/catalog/gas-refrigerators/dometic-rc4000-portable-propane-cooler-470.html](http://www.propaneproducts.com/catalog/gas-refrigerators/dometic-rc4000-portable-propane-cooler-470.html) > But I really thnk that’s going overboard. They’re pricey, too. If well built, they may be worth it. Search the Icy Ball links and you’ll see people used those units for years. They don’t need moving parts, so as long as the refrigerant doesn’t leak out, they should keep on working. This is oldest form of artifical refrigeration, and still considered as a possibility for remote areas lacking power. Einstein attached his name to a more complex form of this[type of refrigeration](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_refrigerator). ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/12 "2011-07-27T04:21:02Z")
For a mere 16 hours, a cheap styrofoam cooler with ordinary ice works fine. Just keep it closed and in the shade. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/13 "2011-07-27T04:33:28Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > For a mere 16 hours, a cheap styrofoam cooler with ordinary ice works fine. Just keep it closed and in the shade. You probably would use a flyswatter to get rid of flies instead of a 25mm chain gun with lasers. How quaint 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/14 "2011-07-27T05:02:08Z")
The blue paks seem to last better than ice. I use a larger cooler than you linked and have had frozen shrimp be still frozen the next day (I thought it would thaw more). I routinely take a quart of milk and have it be good all weekend. If you start with cold food and drinks, pack the rest of the space with ice packs, in only 90 degree weather (one of the places I go generally gets over 100), and keep it in the shade you should be fine. ---
**Author:** ![RalfCoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@RalfCoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RalfCoder)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-options-are-there-if-you-want-a-small-cooler-but-dont-have-electricity/590326/15 "2011-07-27T12:26:34Z")
Blue Ice packs will work if you have them, and will not be as messy as ice. If you do use ice, then be sure whatever you want to keep cold is well sealed from the water as it melts. Closed containers like beer, pop, etc will be OK as is, but if you have bread, cold cuts, etc in there, they need to be in a waterproof container. If you can find it, block ice will last longer than a bag of cubes, but for 16 hours or so, that shouldn’t be a real issue. Or you can use quart or half gallon milk jugs filled with frozen water here, and have the best of both worlds for a minimal cost. Dry ice will keep stuff really cold, but you can wake up and find your milk has frozen solid. Also, if you’re camping with sprouts, then standard warnings about keeping them away from the stuff apply.