This is as close to RVing as I'm probably as I'm ever going to get. I needed to buy an ice chest to use while waiting for refrigerator parts to be delivered. I don't know much about ice chests. I bought a plastic (?)Coleman at Target. But, I'm wondering if I would be better off with a metal ice chest? Also, for bonus points how many blue freezy-type things do I need for a 60 quart ice chest?
Plastic vs. Metal Ice Chest?
- Thread starter redduck
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Plastic is fine and Coleman is a good brand. Not sure how many blue freezy-type things, but even if you had them, how would you get them freezy? I'd get a bag of ice per day and live a minimal food life until the refrigerator is fixed.
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
duck, metal or plastic doesn't really matter, what is important is the thickness/effectiveness of the insulation.
How many "blue thingys" you need is a computation involving the density of the food in the chest (more is better), the temperature outside the chest (the lower the better), the amount of sunlight on the chest (none is best), how often you open the chest (none is best here, too), and the temperature of what you put in the chest (you guessed it - lower is better).
Then see the first sentence in this post.
Oh, and it also helps to wrap the chest in as many (non-electric) blankets as you can get around it.
How many "blue thingys" you need is a computation involving the density of the food in the chest (more is better), the temperature outside the chest (the lower the better), the amount of sunlight on the chest (none is best), how often you open the chest (none is best here, too), and the temperature of what you put in the chest (you guessed it - lower is better).
Then see the first sentence in this post.
Oh, and it also helps to wrap the chest in as many (non-electric) blankets as you can get around it.
Rustic23
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I have found the cheap foam chest out do most moderatly priced plastic chest. Not counting the $200 plus Yeti and such.
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
Personally I'd buy a very small, very cheap plastic or foam ice chest and some canned or other non-perishable food that can be kept in a cupboard without refrigeration.
Then I'd go shopping every day for whatever small amount of perishable stuff I felt that I absolutely had to have that day and a small bag of ice, put that in the ice chest, and throw the leftovers out after each meal.
Or, I'd just not buy any of that and eat out at restaurants for a few days. This sounds like a very short term situation.
Metal ice chests can be very heavy, if that ever becomes an issue.
Then I'd go shopping every day for whatever small amount of perishable stuff I felt that I absolutely had to have that day and a small bag of ice, put that in the ice chest, and throw the leftovers out after each meal.
Or, I'd just not buy any of that and eat out at restaurants for a few days. This sounds like a very short term situation.
Metal ice chests can be very heavy, if that ever becomes an issue.
aja8888
Moderator Emeritus
Duck, have you thought about having a BBQ and invite all your friends and relatives? Save money and won't need to buy an expensive ice chest if you cook all the frozen stuff!
gamboolman
Recycles dryer sheets
As long as it is not a GD Anti-American Yeti..... then we are Good 2 Go....
I remember using Burlap sacks to wrap the ice in....... just saying..... Poor Man Has Poor Ways....
These days living in in shiitehole location in a 3rd world paradise..... I'm just happy to get some GD ice that does not send me to the medic with me squirting out my eyeballs...... ha.....
Near to 40 year ago, as a roughneck ....and we was out of drinking water.....the Driller would send me to civilization to ask the first house or store I came upon if I could get a 5 gallon Igloo cooler full of water from the GD tap.....and proud to get it.....
The more things change......
I remember using Burlap sacks to wrap the ice in....... just saying..... Poor Man Has Poor Ways....
These days living in in shiitehole location in a 3rd world paradise..... I'm just happy to get some GD ice that does not send me to the medic with me squirting out my eyeballs...... ha.....
Near to 40 year ago, as a roughneck ....and we was out of drinking water.....the Driller would send me to civilization to ask the first house or store I came upon if I could get a 5 gallon Igloo cooler full of water from the GD tap.....and proud to get it.....
The more things change......
flintnational
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I buy this cooler at Walmart. It is also a Coleman, $44. Not cheap but it seems to hold ice much better than the cheaper coolers. Like others mentioned, I don't think metal or plastic matters. Its more about the insulation. I don't use the blue thingys. We just freeze water in used gator aid bottles.
Well, first hand experience is that solid plastic & metal ones hold up much better than the foam ones when you sit on them.
Red Badger
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Plastic is fine & I am in the buy bags of ice camp.They run ~$2 around here. Two bags in a 60 quart cooler should last 3-4 days or more. If ya can, get a cooler with a drain. As the ice melts, drain off the water - remaining ice will last a little longer.
Oh, and what gerntz said (+1)
Oh, and what gerntz said (+1)
aja8888
Moderator Emeritus
I'm pretty sure the Duck would not want any expanded polystyrene (aka, "foam") chests due to his understanding of the product properties and limitations.
meierlde
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One issue since you are basically looking at a one time use of the coolers while the fridge is down, buy the foam ones, and you can toss them when the fridge is back up and running. Note that you could even put dry ice in the foam coolers to keep frozen stuff as many frozen food shippers do this. The nice thing is that you don't have to necessarily worry about finding a place to keep them as the are cheap enough to throw out when done with them.
We have a freezer in the garage which is working just fine--so freezing the blue freezy-type things shouldn't be too difficult. Getting a bag of ice a day would be a pain as the refrigerator may not be fixed for two weeks. You gotta' promise me you will never, ever buy a Samsung refrigerator. And, yeah, we already started the minimal food life. I'm not taking to it all that well.
Music Lover
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
If it's only a temporary use until the fridge is fixed, borrow one from a friend.
On the rare occasions I've needed to use a cooler, I have a $5 foam one from 20 years ago that works fine. Just don't sit on it as someone has pointed out.
Instead of ice, I freeze a few bottles of water in advance. It prevents getting wet food from a leaky bag of ice, plus you have drinking water.
On the rare occasions I've needed to use a cooler, I have a $5 foam one from 20 years ago that works fine. Just don't sit on it as someone has pointed out.
Instead of ice, I freeze a few bottles of water in advance. It prevents getting wet food from a leaky bag of ice, plus you have drinking water.
I think the best solution might be wrapping up the frozen blue things in a Burlap sack and then putting it all into a ice chest that is not made from expanded polystyrene, but that is, however, wrapped up in a non-electric blanket.
As for buying a truly cheap ice chest--I'm kind of into the pride of ownership thing.
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Then I would freeze water in small jugs instead of buying the blue things.
I bought an RTIC cooler a year or two ago. Same as Yeti but half the price. They were sued by Yeti for patent infringement and had to modify their design but I don’t think it was a major mod.
It’s the greatest cooler I’ve ever used. I’ve had it sit in the trunk of my car for three days and still had lots of ice in it. Very heavy but very efficient.
It’s the greatest cooler I’ve ever used. I’ve had it sit in the trunk of my car for three days and still had lots of ice in it. Very heavy but very efficient.
GravitySucks
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Fill some water bottles 3/4 to the top freeze them then seal with the cap. Two 1 literature bottles will last 2 days in a cheap Coleman plastic cooler
Beats the blue thingies.
Beats the blue thingies.
Music Lover
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
The blue thingies have their uses...they come in various sizes and can be handy when space is at a premium. I also have a few formed ones that fit around pop/beer cans and work great in cooler bags.
HI Bill
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Coleman Extreme (72-hour) coolers rock! I use them to ship samples that have to be held at just above freezing for multiple days...
RunningBum
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Agree, slightly less quality than Yeti for a much better price.
powerplay
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I think I would just go buy one of the small refrigerators for around $100 and use it for the days/weeks until the parts and repair are complete. You could then sell it if you have no need for it and recover part of the money spent. Much easier than playing at camping during the repair time.
