Please can you talk to me about icey teks etc?

[millypip]

We're heading off to Brittany in a week's time, for 10 days. Originally we were going to hire a fridge (£50 for a week) but a plans had to change and I don't think the new campsite does this. It's got me thinking...

We have a small 12v coolbox but it doesn't hold much and isn't very efficient. I was browsing the camping pages here and keep seeing people mention icey teks. Are they really really fab? They look a bit expensive. Size is a big factor for us as we are running out of packing room in the car. I do think though that instead of hiring a fridge it may be worth putting the £50 towards a decent coolbox.

I would really appreciate your thoughts and recommendations, thankyou!

[SlubberOnlyInATentCapacity]

You need to decide if you want to go down the whole EHU route first. France, I am led to believe is very well set up for camping with electricity (ie most pitches have hook up access) so if you fancy getting the long orange snaky lead then buying a good electric fridge this will mean you will have reliable refrigeration during your trip.

If you don't want EHU then you can get a coolbox that runs off gas, or a passive cool box.

I can highly recommend the icey tek as a passive cool box. I love mine. A lot. It is a bit of a beast (45l) but that holds LOADS of food and because it keeps everything so well chilled I don't need to worry about eating things up quickly before they go off.

Yes they cost a lot, but they are well made and look dead snazzy.

If you think you will be camping lots without EHU then I would say they are worth the cost.

[notwavingjustironing]

you should change your name to SlubberOnlyInAnIcyTekCapacity

[SlubberStrokingAnIceyTek]

Or this?

[notwavingjustironing]

Loving your work.

[MisSalLaneous]

Slubber, that makes it sound as if you're cheating with a hypothermic IT guy...

After my last boast of how easily we fit everything in the car+roofbox, we struggled packing last weekend. However, our current cool box is useless - would probably be just as effective taking a foil bag - so am considering one of these. The smallest one would do as we're short term campers, but still worrying about space.

[Slubberdegullion]

Sal if you took out your fire hazard stove you would have plenty of room for an I-Tek

[MisSalLaneous]

That is possibly true, but I-Tek won't be much good for my fire-obsession now, would it? However, you have now given me an idea - if I buy a big enough one, I could fit the stove inside a Icey Tek...

Note to dh should you ever read this. I am not joking, obviously.

[Slubberdegullion]

hahaha

Sal mate you may have slightly missed the point that food is meant to go in the I-tek, it's not an insulated storage vessel.

You are SO going to need a trailer....

[MisSalLaneous]

Hahahahaha. Oh dear. Whoops.

[MisSalLaneous]

I refuse to get a trailer. Dh said the same thing when we argued-about were packing. I need physical constraints to keep me, well, constrained.

[Slubberdegullion]

Maybe Pedlars make a trailer? It would be in muted union flag tones and have an ironic herb trough at the back. And cost £14,000.

Are you not at the one in one out stage with your packing yet? We have sacrificed shoes for the epic trip in order to allow the espresso maker access.

[MisSalLaneous]

Well, until recently it seemed to magically fit, and we've got certain things for overnighters and others for longer, so was ok. I suspect stove pushed us over the edge. I have a solution though: Need to buy proper (and wide) sleeping bags instead of taking the world's biggest and fluffiest duvet. Am also in two minds about ds's camping cot. He doesn't need it anymore (sleeps on beds in hotels, so change of scenery not an issue), but he does sleep well in it. If we throw that out though, we've got loads of space. Might be able to keep my shoes after all! Ha about your espresso maker. I horrify all my friends by admitting I take powdered coffee.

Mind you, should the space saved not be as much as I thought, a Pedlars trailer might be ok, especially with the "Not A Trailer" slogan at the back...

[Slubberdegullion]

I knew that stove would tip you over the edge. I KNEW it. Chimney that folds up into itself my arse.

yy if you get rid of silly duvet and unsilly cot then you will have room for the Tekster (thinking up snazzy names for it)

[MisSalLaneous]

Love Tekster, has a certain ring to it.

Yep, cot'll def have to go, it takes up half the boot. Ds can always sleep in the kitchen tent if too wriggly...

[Slubberdegullion]

The 80l tek would fit a child in....

[MisSalLaneous]

haha. could possibly fit our car in too...

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Is there something similar but slightly less pricey? We've always managed with one of those floppy cooler bags which are ok sort of but not great.

[Slubberdegullion]

Coleman extreme and igloo maxi cool are both meant to be very good an a bit cheaper. I have read several times now that the maxi cools are often on sale in Costco at reduced prices if you are a member.

tbh kitten we have managed for several years now with just a bog standard blue cool box and swapping ice blocks everyday and a layer of bubble wrap over the food.

We got the icey tek as for the first time ever (with dc) we are camping on the continent where apparently it gets hot. Proper hot. And I like cold wine and cheese.

[doozle]

Hel Sal, do you vacuum-pack the duvet? Works a treat for us, can't live without me duvet when camping.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

our solution in the south of france is to live on red wine, vast quantities of cheese (bought daily) and baguette I think your solution will probably be a rather better one for a bit more of a varied diet. Worth knowing that you can buy single blocks of ice in big french supermarkets for about a euro.

I'll have a look at the other boxes - thanks :) we don't need one but I do get sick of shopping so much when we are camping.

[MisSalLaneous]

Hey Doozle. No, have to admit we haven't. We're going away again next weekend, and if we don't have new sleeping bags by then, I'll give it a try.

Planning a Decathlon trip later this morning for the bags. There's one 15 mins from us, which is bad good.

[doozle]

Lethal!

[MisSalLaneous]

Ooh, I know! You know what's really bad? Every time we go there, I want a canoe, desperately. The fact that we don't live, camp or holiday near water has been enough of a deterrant so far... Totally weird.

[Slubberdegullion]

Kitten, that is good to know about the ice. Hoping they do the same in Germany/Switzerland/Austria.

As we are doing the Rhine (and camping on the Moselle also) it's gonna be white wine all the way. Warm white wine is a travesty.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

awwww that sounds like an amazing holiday. Too right about the wine you can't possibly have anything other than the local chilled stuff.