Portable ice makers?
- HughMungus
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- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2004 10:17 am
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Portable ice makers?
I was just thinking. If you need ice, why not bring a portable ice maker? The one I'm looking at right now uses 400 watts of power and makes up to 35 pounds of ice per day. Talk about gifting...
Speaking of, how much is the ice that's for sale onsite (per pound, for comparison)?
Speaking of, how much is the ice that's for sale onsite (per pound, for comparison)?
It's what you make it.
- unjonharley
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Maybe I am getting lazy in my old age, but it sure seems to be less trouble just to buy ice on the Playa. I am thinking about the effort to bring the ice maker, a generator that needs to run 24/7 to make it run, water and gas for the genny, haul it up there and haul it back for five bags of ice per day? I think my time would be better spent in line at Artica. I have met some neat people there.
Those who think they can and those who think they can't are both right.
For two bucks, a chunk'll last most of the week. I like my cold cans o'brew, and I made one trip to Arctica on Tuesday that fixed me for the week. You'd EASILY use the five-to-ten bucks worth of juice just running a maker, and have it (and a genny?) to haul back at week's end instead of just a bucket of cool water.
Howdy From Kalamazoo
- unjonharley
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Dustdevil wrote:Maybe I am getting lazy in my old age, but it sure seems to be less trouble just to buy ice on the Playa. I am thinking about the effort to bring the ice maker, a generator that needs to run 24/7 to make it run, water and gas for the genny, haul it up there and haul it back for five bags of ice per day? I think my time would be better spent in line at Artica. I have met some neat people there.
~
Point well taken. Ice maker = yard sale item. I don't even use the A/C at home.
I'm the contraptioneer your mother warned you about.
- HughMungus
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Well, yeah, that's why I was asking. I've never bought ice onsite and didn't know what it cost. But then I just started wondering about them in general (say, if you're running a bar and using a lot of ice and/or if you want to be able to supply ice to a camp and neighbors). Regarding the generator, we're going to have one, anyway.Dustdevil wrote:Maybe I am getting lazy in my old age, but it sure seems to be less trouble just to buy ice on the Playa. I am thinking about the effort to bring the ice maker, a generator that needs to run 24/7 to make it run, water and gas for the genny, haul it up there and haul it back for five bags of ice per day? I think my time would be better spent in line at Artica. I have met some neat people there.
It's what you make it.
Sure- If you're doing a high-volume thing then an icemaker might be great. Especially if it uses a generator that'd be running anyway. Otherwise, CampArctica's prices are the same as a supermarket, and not only have I never waited long in line but I can't remember ever even SEEING that long of a line. Perhaps I'm otherwise engaged during peak traffic hours....
Helpful hint: No matter how hot you are, DO NOT dunk your head in the bucket of drained cooler water (no matter how clean it is).....INSTANT brain freeze headache. Yow!
Helpful hint: No matter how hot you are, DO NOT dunk your head in the bucket of drained cooler water (no matter how clean it is).....INSTANT brain freeze headache. Yow!
Howdy From Kalamazoo
- unjonharley
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robotland wrote: Helpful hint: No matter how hot you are, DO NOT dunk your head in the bucket of drained cooler water (no matter how clean it is).....INSTANT brain freeze headache. Yow!
~
This is from a guy that also tells you not to weld in the buff. Glad I live a long away.
I'm the contraptioneer your mother warned you about.
Don't be afraid- I seem to only be able to hurt MYSELF. You won't have to reread your ticket-back before visiting the Snowman.unjonharley wrote:robotland wrote: Helpful hint: No matter how hot you are, DO NOT dunk your head in the bucket of drained cooler water (no matter how clean it is).....INSTANT brain freeze headache. Yow!
~
This is from a guy that also tells you not to weld in the buff. Glad I live a long away.
Unless you ride the luge.
Howdy From Kalamazoo
- unjonharley
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robotland wrote:Don't be afraid- I seem to only be able to hurt MYSELF. You won't have to reread your ticket-back before visiting the Snowman.unjonharley wrote:robotland wrote: Helpful hint: No matter how hot you are, DO NOT dunk your head in the bucket of drained cooler water (no matter how clean it is).....INSTANT brain freeze headache. Yow!
~
This is from a guy that also tells you not to weld in the buff. Glad I live a long away.
Unless you ride the luge.
~
That's all well and good. But I can't stand a screamer.
I'm the contraptioneer your mother warned you about.
- diane o'thirst
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Alsto's catalog has a plug-in one for the patio but it's something like $450 and only produces a gallon's worth an hour. I didn't think it worth the expense.
Consider also the logistics: you're going to need to bring extra water to make that ice with and gennie/fuel for the ice maker. Water in a bottle = 10# per gallon, and you can't collapse it down. If you have a big camp with access to a stickbed truck or a big box van, it could be worth the extra expense and logistical hassle, though. Otherwise, forget it, just get a Bob trailer and a Roughtote and pay Camp Arctica a visit every other day.
Consider also the logistics: you're going to need to bring extra water to make that ice with and gennie/fuel for the ice maker. Water in a bottle = 10# per gallon, and you can't collapse it down. If you have a big camp with access to a stickbed truck or a big box van, it could be worth the extra expense and logistical hassle, though. Otherwise, forget it, just get a Bob trailer and a Roughtote and pay Camp Arctica a visit every other day.
[url=http://tinyurl.com/245sagf][img]http://tinyurl.com/2bbr28j/.gif[/img][/url][url=http://tinyurl.com/23753ws][img]http://tinyurl.com/2auqebj/.gif[/img][/url][url=http://tinyurl.com/m4y82q][img]http://tinyurl.com/l56rdn/.gif[/img][/url]
- theCryptofishist
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Apologies to all buckets on this board.Carl Finch of Brave Combo wrote:Ice Machine In The Desert
Some people in Africa have never seen ice
How could they?
How could they?
Cause it's hot there, most of the time, and when it's not
It's warm
The Sahara Desert is very big
Yet in that void I see
An Ice Machine on nothing
There's no electricity
An Ice Machine over-flowing with cubes
A frozen oasis of steel
Hummin' and providin' relief -
For the way people feel
(Chorus:)
Don't forget your bucket, Don't forget your bucket
Don't forget your bucket, bucket. Don't forget your bucket
You know, Gila monsters cross the road from here to El Paso
Every poisonous snake in the land can be found here too, ya know
And scorpions aren't afraid -- they give you very little space
They make you line up in single file so try not to lose your place
Repeat Chorus
(Spoken: C'mon Jeffrey!)
How can I make you see, the things you can't believe?
Your fear is illogical you seem very wise but that doesn't matter to me
For I was back in the sandbox playin' with toys when I spilled my Coke
And like a fur-covered spoon it made me think, isn't life a funny joke
It's like an Ice Machine over-flowing with cubes
A frozen oasis of steel
Hummin' and providin' relief -
For the way people feel
Repeat Chorus
Don't forget your bucket, bucket
Don't forget you bucket
Don't forget you bucket, bucket, bucket
Don't forget your bucket, bucket, bucket
Don't forget your bucket, HEY!
Don't forget your bucket
The Lady with a Lamprey
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
Re: Portable ice makers?
I've brought an ice maker the last two years. It's great!
This year I put it in the shade and it did a lot better.
The thing runs well on solar. The battery gets charged in the morning before the day gets hot. Then I can make use of the excess solar power during the hottest part of the day by serving up a steady stream of icy drinks all afternoon. I turn the ice off when the heat settles down in the evening.
Using the hot sun to silently make cold drinks is so luxurious it almost feels like cheating, almost.
This year I put it in the shade and it did a lot better.
The thing runs well on solar. The battery gets charged in the morning before the day gets hot. Then I can make use of the excess solar power during the hottest part of the day by serving up a steady stream of icy drinks all afternoon. I turn the ice off when the heat settles down in the evening.
Using the hot sun to silently make cold drinks is so luxurious it almost feels like cheating, almost.