Advice on keeping food cold in collapsible cooler

[Red Eco]

Hi all,

My wife and I are coming from Australia this year for our first burn. Coming all that way, we are trying to minimise the amount of stuff we need to carry. So we are bringing one (maybe 2) 20L collapsible cooler(s). There is a picture at the bottom of this post (sorry about the size).

We are renting a cargo van and will be putting aluminum foil on the windows. However, we won't really have a shade structure, so will likely need to store our food in the van. Given this, most of the food we will be bringing will be dry foods (cereals, tinned tuna, jerky, granola bars, etc.) or food that is a bit more hardy vis-a-vis heat (i.e. pickles), but there will be a small amount of stuff we want to keep cold - mainly drinks, some fruit and some pre-boiled eggs.

Given this plan, what are people's thoughts regarding what to do with our cooler (and/or our food supply in general)? My suspicion is that it will get too hot if we keep it in the van, but at the same time I don't want to leave it outside all day. I thought perhaps leaving it under the van (behind a wheel) in a bag or something, might work, but not sure.

Any general comments/thoughts on this arrangement would be welcome as well.

Thanks!

Marty

[Savannah]

Yes, it'll get too hot in the van. Shaded under the vehicle works. Folks might recommend keeping the cooler an inch off the ground on top of something; I don't remember why, but apparently it helps keep the chill. So the last few years I have pushed my cooler under my rideshare's trailer, on top of a few pieces of wood.

When I didn't have a friendly vehicle to keep my stuff under, I have put my cooler under a folding table with a tablecloth fastened on with spring clamps.

[BBadger]

Try bringing a large tarp, place it across the top of your van, and then strap it to the ground firmly with stakes. While it won't shade your van, it'll block light from your windows (avoiding the foil), and give you some shaded spaces to the side of your van. I would also get a small tent to fit under there just to keep everything in the same space. You can even sleep under the shade that if you wish, and if you position it right, it might give you some space around the van to shade your chairs or other stuff.

Make sure to stake down stuff very securely, and to light up the stakes so nobody unknowingly impales themselves on your stuff.

[Savannah]

Would a tarp scratch the paint? I've heard people say as such, but don't know first-hand.

If so, I'm wondering if there's a way to avoid that.

[sadie]

You may want to line the collapsable coolers with a thin refletive emergency blanket. That has worked well for me on other camping trips - a little added insulation, and block ice will keep it cooler longer.

[Red Eco]

Thanks all. Specific comments below.

You may want to line the collapsable coolers with a thin refletive emergency blanket. That has worked well for me on other camping trips - a little added insulation, and block ice will keep it cooler longer.

Thanks Sadie. What sort of shops sell these in the United States? All I can find online is ebay or Amazon - would prefer to pick something up in the US, rather than bring it from Australia.

So the last few years I have pushed my cooler under my rideshare's trailer, on top of a few pieces of wood

Thanks Savannah. What kind of wood did you use? How much of it?

Try bringing a large tarp, place it across the top of your van, and then strap it to the ground firmly with stakes

Thanks BBadger, but trying to minimise the amount of stuff we have, especially given we are heading to Kansas City and NYC right after ... less is more I think!

[danibel]

I just went camping in the Sierra's for a weekend and all we could bring was a collapsable cooler. I had some drinks, my coffee creamer, and jelly in there. I bought blocks and one lasted for a whole day - but they were in a bear box (a special locked box at waist height to keep the bears from getting your food). I don't think any extra insulation would have helped, but I could be wrong. You might be better off buying a regular hard sided cooler here in the states and finding a home for it with friends on the playa. If someone offered me a nice coleman cooler at the end of the event, I would take it. Just don't leave it as moop.

Blocks are generally available at grocery stores and at Arctica at the burn. I think they are $3 each (same as the crushed, but they last longer in cooler).

[danibel]

Also - you can buy those here. Traders Joes has a nice blue one for only six or seven american dollars. If you don't need to store anything in it, buy them here.

[Popeye]

The space blanket idea is a good one but will work better if it is on the outside of the cooler with the shiny side out.

[theCryptofishist]

The emergency blankets (also available in poncho form) can be found at any sporting goods store that carries camping equipment and at army surplus stores.

Keeping the cooler off the ground keeps the ground from heating it. At the end of the summer, the ground is pretty warm.

And, just so you know, some of us would have known what you meant if you said "Esky", although seeing front and center on the pic was good.


Oh well, I admit it's a potentially offensive name.

[Ratty]

You can probably scrounge up something to put your ice chest on, AFTER you get there. Personally, we bring so much crap. I wrap my regular ice chest in a blanket by day. You may be able to slam your car doors on a blanket or tarp to make a lean-to on one side of the vehicle.

Danibel, I met some of your campmates in Berkeley today. Nice folks.

[theCryptofishist]

You can also read the thread "Realistic Non-Cooler Menu Planning" and need less coolering.

[Red Eco]

Thanks all for those additional comments. Very helpful.

And, just so you know, some of us would have known what you meant if you said "Esky", although seeing front and center on the pic was good.

No wucken furries. I'll keep that in mind for next time

[BBadger]

Would a tarp scratch the paint? I've heard people say as such, but don't know first-hand.

If so, I'm wondering if there's a way to avoid that.

Hmm, that's a good point. Maybe a table cloth (fuzzy side down)or some blankets could help with that.

Thanks BBadger, but trying to minimise the amount of stuff we have, especially given we are heading to Kansas City and NYC right after ... less is more I think!

Well it's more that the tarp and some stakes are easily had at any store, pack away compactly, are cheap, and are easy to set up.

Are you attached to another camp? If you are, maybe they can provide you some area to set your stuff next to for shade.

If you're not attached to a camp, you should also consider that without shade it is going to be absolutely miserable during the day. We went our first year with a van, and had no shade structure except for the back hatch of the van itself. It was miserable during the day, and though were were attached to a camp, the shade and camp communal shade structures didn't keep things very cool because of a lack of air flow.

That was just our bodies. I wouldn't bet on any collapsible cooler would keep things cool for long in those conditions without a constant stream of ice to do the job. Perhaps pack even lighter by selecting nonperishable foods and foods that don't need to be cold. For sleeping, lounging, or doing anything else at camp during the daylight hours: you'll probably not want to be in camp at all.

As for minimizing what you're bringing, you ought to weigh what your goals are here. I realize that you're traveling from Australia and logistics are a pain, but you're also going to be spending quite a bit of time in a very harsh environment where inadequate accommodations can make the trip miserable. Is the convenience of minimal packing worth suffering potential misery while at your vacation spot? Where is the time and experience most valuable? Can you not find other accommodations after that stage of the trip to properly dispose of what you buy and bring? Your call.

[Savannah]

You can also read the thread "Realistic Non-Cooler Menu Planning" and need less coolering.

Great idea. One of my favorite food threads.
viewtopic.php?t=35430

[Popeye]

There are cheap but adequate for one trip coolers available from the big box stores in the $50.00 neighborhood, or you could check baggage size and buy a more expensive cooler in Australia and use it as a suitcase.
FWIW the 48qt. cooler I'm bringing is available in Reno for $25-30.

[Savannah]

You might be better off buying a regular hard sided cooler here in the states and finding a home for it with friends on the playa. If someone offered me a nice coleman cooler at the end of the event, I would take it. Just don't leave it as moop.

I kind of agree. It wouldn't be hard to find a cooler for $25 in Reno, and to find a home for it at the end of the Burn (start checking with neighbors, several days before you leave).

[Red Eco]

Would a tarp scratch the paint? I've heard people say as such, but don't know first-hand.

If so, I'm wondering if there's a way to avoid that.

Hmm, that's a good point. Maybe a table cloth (fuzzy side down)or some blankets could help with that.

Thanks BBadger, but trying to minimise the amount of stuff we have, especially given we are heading to Kansas City and NYC right after ... less is more I think!

Well it's more that the tarp and some stakes are easily had at any store, pack away compactly, are cheap, and are easy to set up.

Are you attached to another camp? If you are, maybe they can provide you some area to set your stuff next to for shade.

If you're not attached to a camp, you should also consider that without shade it is going to be absolutely miserable during the day. We went our first year with a van, and had no shade structure except for the back hatch of the van itself. It was miserable during the day, and though were were attached to a camp, the shade and camp communal shade structures didn't keep things very cool because of a lack of air flow.

That was just our bodies. I wouldn't bet on any collapsible cooler would keep things cool for long in those conditions without a constant stream of ice to do the job. Perhaps pack even lighter by selecting nonperishable foods and foods that don't need to be cold. For sleeping, lounging, or doing anything else at camp during the daylight hours: you'll probably not want to be in camp at all.

As for minimizing what you're bringing, you ought to weigh what your goals are here. I realize that you're traveling from Australia and logistics are a pain, but you're also going to be spending quite a bit of time in a very harsh environment where inadequate accommodations can make the trip miserable. Is the convenience of minimal packing worth suffering potential misery while at your vacation spot? Where is the time and experience most valuable? Can you not find other accommodations after that stage of the trip to properly dispose of what you buy and bring? Your call.

Thanks BBadger. Will give it some thought between now and when we leave.

[pink]

You only need enough scrap wood to fit under the coolers. We use 2x4s in our camp. Putting a blanket under the tarp is a good idea, IMHO.

Home Depot has reflectix bubble wrap that will work even better than foil on the windows of the van. It's inexpensive too. I use blue painters tape to attach it.