I've had this ice chest for over 30 years! The egg carton is to show scale as I don't recall how many quarts it is.
I've car-camped for years and much of my camping equipment is...old, mostly because it still works and it fits into my 25-year old Jeep just right. I did have to buy a new camp stove last year as my 40-year old Coleman finally gave up the ghost. I tried to get new parts, but it was obsolete, and I couldn't find parts for it.
I like this type of camp stove - a simple burner that screws onto a propane cylinder. It takes up minimal room in the Jeep.
When car camping, adding just one more thing, and not keeping things in their designated place, results in a chaotic jumble very quickly. Presently, I don't use a rooftop cargo carrier. Everything must fit inside the Jeep. So, on the scale of ice chests, mine is, of necessity, small.
I've looked at new ice chests and the really good ones are really expensive, but keep ice only a day or two longer than less expensive models. My old ice chest fits perfectly into the niche I have for it in my Jeep. Admittedly, my Playmate ice chest is meant for day trips and picnics where long term ice-retention wouldn't be an issue. Still, it's what I have and it seems to hold ice as long as other types.
I prefer block ice, but it's become hard to find, likely because ice chest users don't have to replace it as often as cube ice which just doesn't last long.
It seems the type of ice available for sale is determined by profit and not convenience. Additionally, block ice doesn't leave me much room in my ice chest for food! So, I've come up with a solution that works well for me!
Because I don't want my food floating in a sea of melted ice, I've made a compromise that works well for me. I simply freeze three plastic bottles of water to keep food cold in my ice chest. The frozen water bottles last longer than cubes, so essentially I have three bottle-shaped ice blocks encased in plastic that fit in the Playmate!
Frozen water bottles are especially useful when desert camping. Although I always tote along several gallon jugs of water, if extra is needed I can thaw and drink the bottled water in the ice chest. I don't use those frozen gel packs that some folks like. You cannot drink them if need arises, plus the gel is toxic and I don't want it near my food should one leak.
I freeze bottled water to keep perishables cold for several days. Three 20-ounce bottles fit the bottom of the chest perfectly.
I simply save and refill the same bottles which means I can have a cold ice chest without spending any money for cube ice or making my own in my fridge's ice maker. I refill the washed empties with tap water and freeze them ahead of a trip - two days in my freezer is sufficient for a good, solid freeze.
Three 20-ounce size bottles fit perfectly side-by-side on the bottom of my ice chest leaving plenty of room for food. Of course, this only works for short trips of two to four days before my frozen water has melted. By then my fresh food has been eaten and I rely on canned, dehydrated, and other eatables that don't need to be chilled.
I don't use those cheap, flimsy water bottles that snap and creak as one changes elevations. I buy and reuse sturdy water bottles that don't flex much, and they're less likely to be punctured and flood my ice chest.
If you're refilling water bottles, leave room for expansion as the ice forms. If using new bottles, drink some of the water, before freezing them.
I usually fill the bottles to the shoulders. Then put them into my kitchen freezer for a couple days ahead of my trip to be sure the water is frozen SOLID. Partially frozen water won't last as long.
A couple of days among the frozen fruit and veggies and I've got a tidy source of ice that stays frozen longer than cube ice and doesn't wet the contents of my ice chest when it melts.
If your ice chest is bigger than mine, you'll be able to freeze larger water bottles, which will give you ice for a much longer time. You'll have to freeze those bigger bottles for as much as a week!
Due to the tent-shaped top of my ice chest I can pack food into it above the level of the sides.
One disadvantage of mine, and other ice chests, is that while the sides and bottom are insulated, the tops are not. That seems to be the main difference between the really expensive ice chests and the cheaper models.
As a temporary (it's been in use for three years now) form of insulation for my ice chest lid, I'm using a sheet of bubble wrap that I've taped to fit over the top, and extends down the sides to make it less likely to blow off.
Eventually, I plan to cut some Reflectix - left over from making window covers for the Jeep - and glue it onto the lid of my ice chest for a tidier, fitted solution. A blanket can also be used to add insulation to the top of an ice chest, as well.
If I'm planning a long Jeep trip (and I'm planning several), I sometimes leave the ice chest at home and simply take foods that need no refrigeration, such as onions, potatoes, citrus, bananas, apples, canned goods, pasta, rice, and dehydrated fruits, veggies, and mixes.
I home-dehydrate foods (cheaper than buying them) and create my own mixes so I've amassed an entire small bin-pantry of dehydrated ingredients and mixes that sit on the front passenger floor of the Jeep. I can stack other items on top of the bin while traveling.
In an upcoming post I'll share how I roll and cook on those longer trips, with no ice chest along, relying instead on a few canned items, but mostly using my home-dehydrated ingredients for meal prep!
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