Tips on using your coolbox.

[JodiB]

As the heading suggests here are a few tips on using your coolbox effectively.

If you don't already have a coolbox and are planning on getting one then I suggest buying the biggest one you can afford but avoid buying the cheap supermarket ones because they are next to useless. They don't actually have any insulation in them just a pretend vaccuum. Coleman extreme or igloo are very good ones for example. They also make for good seating.

Forget using those blue iceblocks or bags of ice. Instead use frozen 500ml water bottles. Frozen water bottles melt a lot slower compared with using ice and you don't get water sloshing around your the bottom of your coolbox. When the water bottles are melted you then have icey cold water to drink.

Try to always completely fill your coolbox and open the lid as infrequently as possible. (air warms up quicker than matter or something like that)

Best tip is this:

"Pre-charge" your coolbox before using it.

About 2 to 3 days before the festival completely fill your coolbox with the frozen water bottles, close the lid and leave it.

The night before the festival take out about half the bottles and re-freeze. The remaining bottles should still be mostly frozen at this point and still capable of keeping your box very very cold inside.

In the morning just before you set off take out the bottles in the box and put to one side for another time or use them for the journey. Fill up your coolbox with your goodies and as many re-frozen water bottles as you can, obviously the more the better. Also it is obviously best if your goodies are also as cold as possible before putting in the box.

Using this method with a coleman extreme for me means I get ice cold drinks and water for 6 days (even when I end up cooling a six pack or 2 for neighbours too). Also if I need ice I simply break open a frozen water bottle and smash it up a bit.

Enjoy your fest to the best.

Edited May 12, 2011 by JodiB

[t0paz]

This is pretty much what I plan to do with the fridge in my camper. It's a compressor so I think I can get 3 days out of it on the battery. Add that to the ice bottles and I should be good for the whole fest.

I can't wait for cold beer, tea with real milk on hand and a proper bed (It's my first year with the van)

[DrWackadoodle]

You need to speak to Emily Cummins about her Sustainable Refrigerator ... smart gal, much respect.

[droneoid]

Forget using those blue iceblocks or bags of ice. Instead use frozen 500ml water bottles.

Edited May 12, 2011 by droneoid

[JiltedJames]

Can't tell you how much I love my igloo. Still had ice by the Sunday last year.

Frozen bottles of water is a good idea (or cocktails). I used massive chunks of ice last year and although alot of the smaller stuff melts, the bigger stuff just seems to form an even bigger lump and lasts for days.

[ark]

I have one fro family camping, but thought it would be too big to bring to glastonbury. Must see if it will fir on my trolley. Would be excellent to have chilled drinks all weekend!!!

[Neeeeeedles]

Could someone recommend the best Igloo for under £50?

Really want a decent coolbox this year, the tesco's one I had last year didnt last very long.

[Ponyegg]

This is our one.

Cost me about £50 four years ago. Has worked like a charm since. Filled with ice we've had it supplying us with perfect drinks for the entirety of the festival.

Sone notes on how this has faired over the 4 years, NB we load it with ice cubes rather than the above method of frozen bottles, the frozen bottle method is a brilliant idea though.

1] We only use this for Glastonbury, so it only gets out of the house once a year. Other times it's a place to rest drinks on outside the back of our house.

2] The wheels are probably the most likely thing to go first. I've noticed that four years of being dragged across Glastonbury fields and roads have worn them down a bit. I've been meaning to build a new set replacing them with those pneumatic ones you get on garden trolleys, I'm afraid I'll break the whole thing though. we'll see.

3] When you load up with ice we now decant all the bags of ice into the box. The reason being is that on some ice bags they have blue printing on them and this was rubbing off inside the box itself which means when you decant the icve out you've also got some print/ink remnants in with it.

4] It can hold about 15-17 2kg bags of ice ONCE you've decanted them out of the bags.

5] The handle is pretty much stuck in the extended position now. The process of dragging the box over rough ground hasn't helped. This is also a possible break-point with the box, if the handle gives out you're pretty much knackered really

6] DON'T load your icebox onto a trolley. The centre of gravity becomes quite high on the trolley if you do this. There is a possibility of it rolling over and spilling out your precious ice.

7] Secure the lid of your ice box with something secure like gaffer tape or similar (to stop any accidental spillages).

8] To minimise opening the box we take a secondary icebox which we use to decant ice to be used over the next few hours into.

9] Consider using a silver/reflective thermal blanket to cover the box during the day.

10] When full this thing weighs upwards of 30+kg, consider this when planning your entrance to the site.

11] Oh, it makes a handy seat as well :-)

This version of it is only £47.99 plus postage, and holds more ice than mine.

http://www.campandfish.co.uk/igloo-island-breeze-60-roller-coolbox-51547-p.asp

Edited May 12, 2011 by Ponyegg

[jameshunt]

If you want to keep things cool, put them in your coolbox.

If you want things to warm up, take them out of your coolbox.

[stutheblue]

Thanks for these tips, going to Bearded Theory tomorrow, will have to try and find some empty 500ml bottles. Might buy some cheap water ones tonight and freeze.

[JiltedJames]

Could someone recommend the best Igloo for under £50?

Really want a decent coolbox this year, the tesco's one I had last year didnt last very long.

[Paul Backskin]

We were going to buy one of these:

http://www.icey-tek.com.au/

Havent got round to it yet but they are meant to be the dogs danglers.

Actually here is a better link

http://www.coolboxesuk.co.uk/shop-online/camping-leisure.html

Edited May 12, 2011 by Paul Backskin

[dost]

Freeze just about everything that goes in;milk juice sausages bacon etc etc

[JodiB]

Tesco have an offer on at the moment. Highland spring 12 x 500ml spring water, Two for £4.

Morrisons also do value water (not spring water) for about 10p each.

If you have a Makro near you you can get a 24 pack of Rioba spring water for about £2.70.

[fur_q]

Last year I took a Coleman extreme, (the walls of the Coleman are apron twice as thick as the igloos but then the insulation in them isn't quite as good so the thermal properties are about the same) rather than freeze water or take bags of ice i froze 3 cartons of juice 12cans of bitter and a full blared from a westons cider box. The fruit juice still had chunks of ice in it on Monday morning.

My advice is to freeze things that your going to consume during the festival (beer cider juice) so your not wasting your effots carting ice that will just melt and get poured away.

[robith]

I had a coolbag from sainsbury's last couple of years.

In 2009 the fruit juice was icy still on Saturday.

Last year everything was warm by the end of Thursday

What would be people recommend in the £20-30 range. Don't really want to spend too much

[JodiB]

I had a coolbag from sainsbury's last couple of years.

In 2009 the fruit juice was icy still on Saturday.

Last year everything was warm by the end of Thursday

What would be people recommend in the £20-30 range. Don't really want to spend too much

[port]

the definitive version: igloo cooler..... freeze the biggest ice block you can manage . a 4ltr ice cream carton usually does the trick but even bigger if your cooler can take it. put 2 bags of ice cubes in the cooler for two days before you leave.

the day you are leaving put the ice block on top of the ice cubes. ALWAYS leave the cold water in the bottom but you can drain it down to the plug hole if needed but better to leave it.

If taking food , vacuum pack it to protect it from the water. Also freeze the food.

fill cooler and put another 1-2 bags of ice cubes on top.

The cold water in the bottom draws any condensation inside that forms from each opening to the bottom. This also stops the ice block from melting. (think of an iceberg surrounded by freezing cold water)

If you drain the water your ice will quickly melt. took two igloos like this last year and still had half the ice blocks left on the Monday in all that heat,,, and it was the coldest milk I have ever had.

ps: the bigger the ice block the longer you will have to freeze it, I usually have mine in the freezer for at least 5 days

[robith]

To be honest it really is worth spending the extra. £50ish will get you a really good coolbox that will last years.

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&xhr=t&q=coleman+xtreme&cp=11&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=16183684705239123368&sa=X&ei=CEvMTfKqAdKq8APw76ShBA&sqi=2&ved=0CFkQ8wIwAg&biw=1280&bih=636#

[port]

if you have access to a costco, you will get an igloo there for a reasonable price.

[grumpyhack]

This is significantly more expensive but if you use it a lot it's excellent. A three way fridge - that runs on 240 volt, 12 volt or calor. We bought one for our trailer tent and run it on 12 volt in the car (off a cigarette lighter socket) and on calor at Glasto. But if you are anywhere with a 240 volt hook up you've got that option. So I prepare it on 240 volt at home to get it cold before setting off and it then sees us through on calor at festivals.

Lots of places you can buy for about £180. For example

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004M8BRW6/ref=asc_df_B004M8BRW62854340?smid=A1VZOM8D9TF7K0&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22218&creativeASIN=B004M8BRW6

[hashcity]

This year I have splashed out on a Coleman Xtreme 70QT. Because we are travelling a long way to Glastonbury we are planning to fill it with supermarket ice on Tuesday PM. Hopefully it will last us until Sunday!

[JC-Mo'Fucka]

and a full blared from a westons cider box.

[JodiB]

This year I have splashed out on a Coleman Xtreme 70QT. Because we are travelling a long way to Glastonbury we are planning to fill it with supermarket ice on Tuesday PM. Hopefully it will last us until Sunday!

Edited May 13, 2011 by JodiB

[fur_q]

by this you mean you froze it?

I was thinking about doing this for G, how well do they freeze?

Edited May 13, 2011 by fur_q