Do I need ice packs for a cool bag?

[lalala2228]

Probably a stupid question but help!

I'm going away soon and will be in the car for about 5-6 hours (it's a long journey and we'll be breaking for lunch on route).

I've ordered one of those tote cool bags to transport some food, which is arriving soon. My question is - do you need to put ice packs in the bag or do they keep the food cool just through insulation or something?

I'll be taking food from the fridge and freezer that I hope to transfer back to fridge/freezer at the other end.

Sorry, not an AIBU I know but am posting here in the hope of quick advice.

Thanks!

@lalala2228

Ok thanks - so would an insulated cool box with ice packs keep it frozen for 5-6 hours do you think? So I could take it out the freezer at home, put it in the box and then put it back in the freezer at the other end safely?

No!

The only thing that will keep frozen food at a safe temperature to refreeze at the other end is a freezer!

You can freeze Capri sun type pouches as an alternative

Thanks. I was hoping to take a load of frozen meals for my 11 month old, so I wouldn’t have to prepare any food for him whilst on holiday. But it sounds like it’s not going to work!

Could you not just do a batch while you're there for the freezer if you're making home made?

Could you not just do a batch while you're there for the freezer if you're making home made?

Sounds like I’ll have to. I was hoping to avoid cooking whilst on holiday, but no such luck!

You can get camping freezers/chillers that will plug into a car cigarette lighter socket. They might work. Google them?

6hrs really depends what you're taking. If you pack it with ice packs and it's red meat, possibly fine. If you just take a couple of ice packs and want to refreeze poultry or fish, I'd seriously rethink that.

How long are you going away for? Is there any reason the meals you're pre-cooking wouldn't last, say, 4 days in the fridge if transported very cold (so you avoid some cooking) ? There's a website www.stilltasty.com/ which is IME pretty good for helping you judge how long things ought to keep for.

Also there's a huge difference between say, a chiller that'll plug into the car; a proper rigid, insulted cool box and one of those cheap soft bags that you can stuff some ice packs into. I have camped with all three (in Scotland) and with the latter you can barely keep milk fresh.

Could you not prepare the day before, put in cool bag with ice packs and THEN freeze on arrival?

It's refreezing that is the issue here...

Batch cook before you go so its been refrigerated for a few hours before you leave.

Take it in the insulated bag with icepacks, freeze when you get there.

Definitely not in a cool bag, they are OK for short journeys and stuff that doesn't really matter, like drinks.
But I guess it also depends on the time of year you are travelling, if you were travelling during winter or over night it might be OK but not during a warm summers day.

A hard insulated coolbox, watch which one you buy a Coleman xtreme 3 day box or an itcy-tec it would be fine, cool it down with frozen bottles for a day or two first, then fill with frozen stuff and it will be good for a couple of days.

@Hagqueen

Could you not prepare the day before, put in cool bag with ice packs and THEN freeze on arrival?

This could work tbh