UPdate on my finding the right cooler for at least a 7 day run
*Cooler with Reflectix in and out kept temps from 35f-41f for 7 days.
I am not buying a new cooler at this time and that is Kewl for me.
My next uPdate will be for a ten day trip
Pictures below show Reflectix insulation held on to the in and out sides of my cooler
with hidden pieces of white Velcro. I then have the option of taking out
the insulation for better cleaning of the ice chest. Both insulation and Velcro
were bought at Lowes.
My interim choice was to follow uP with the
Note:
This finding isn't scientific cause I didn't use two coolers of the same
make and the same contents or even same ice. But here goes with what
conclusions I have made.
To clarify my situation:
I have a Igloo MaXcool upright with wheels
Ice Cube MaxCold 70qt. Roller
I was concerned that my food wasn't staying cold enough while out on
the road camping.
I then went on a quest for coolers and found dollar$ were needed to invest in the best units.
(Go back and read this thread for all the inputs)
My interim choice was to follow uP with the
Burning Man ice chest ideausing
Reflextix Insulation inside and outside of my cooler to see if the smaller
investment would pay off or at least apease my need for proof that an
inexpensive cooler could be retrofitted with this insulation, have it work and
hold uP under camping conditions.
I am here to tell you that joy has once more come to me, who wants food
cold for at least 7 days.
The core information leading uP to my last real outing at Mendocino and Camp Lane.
Inside and outside of the cooler was made with a layer of Reflextix
Insulation that claims it blocks 97% of radiant heat or keeps in cold to
that extent. So inside a car or at a camp site this stuff should work to keep
your cooler cold. I am here to tell you it did.
I started out with an 10 pound block of ice and a 2 pound block of dry ice,
nestled uP against each other so the dry ice would keep the block frozen. I
then took scrap pieces of Reflectix and put it around the two cool sources
to keep food containers from resting uP against them. I also put yet one
more piece of the Reflectix on top of the cooler contents to keep the cool in
when I opened the top uP.
Speaking of food containers. I have now gone to Glad same size top snap
top food containers that don't leak in or out and the air temp inside the
container stays constant.
So then as seen at the top there are two coolers setting side beside and it
is obvious the one that is Reflextix-ed. You can see the temp difference on
the indoor outdoor temp gages that I ran into the coolers to monitor the
temps.
The meat and taters of the experiment was this:
Prep cooler:
Put frozen ice bottles into cooler the 2nights before trip and had all food
and ale stored in refrig before trip. Taking the cooler to the store alone to
get the ice and dry ice the night before the trip so I could fill uP the cooler
one day out before the trip.
The MaXcold cooler started out at 35f and kept its cool for 7 days before I
put more ice in as I had some left over from my margarita episode. So the
temp kept at 35f for about 5.5 days and then on the 6th day was about 39f
and by the 7th day was in the 41f when I put in about 2 pounds of ice and
whoop it was back to 35f in no time.
After this first test of 7 days I put ice into the cooler randomly as at Camp
Lane they had an ice maker and so why not use what is given. So testing
for longer will be another uPdate down the road.
Note:
Attention to this detail seems important:
The water that melts in the bottom of the unit should NOT be poured off.
It seems to help in the overall well being of the cooler and the Burning man
discussion says the same.
The outside temps uP in the Northern California and mid Oregon those
weeks were not too hot for extended periods but 90f plus was hit around
the camp site and an average of about 75f.
The other cooler without the Reflextix put inside was 5-8 degrees warmer
all the time and ate ice like a polar bear in heat. Even with the blanket on it
and the car window screen of Refextix draped over it.
So for me right now the hunt and the need to spend more money for a new
cooler is put on hold unless I find a deal on the
Icee Kool products.
Facts to look at:
Keeping your coolers
cold even for Burning Man event on the playa.
Cooler tip guide
Again for those that want to find Reflextix Insulation:
Reflectix®
Box Liner
Havin' a party or cookout soon? Did you know Reflectix® Insulation can
double the life of ice in your cooler?
Reflectix® Insulation reflects the sun's heat; therefore it keeps your
refreshments cool in the middle of summer.
Reflextix facts (L@@k under "Retail" for information)
Reflextix info and finding nearest retail outlet:
Just dial
(800) 879-3645 push #1 customer service for
technical and installation assistance or e-mail
us at
[email protected].
Reflectix® Retailers:
Lowes, Ace Hardware, Orchards Supply
Reflectix® comes in rolls of 16" 2' and 4' widths:
I bought the 2' by 25' and have enough left over to do at least three more
chests inside. and maybe outside as well. It ran about 1 buck a foot at
Lowes.
to be thinking of your build and thoughts of insulation.
If not do you feel the seal was milled or had some special built 
