Cool box,bag or plug in?

[Akire]

Are cool bags any good? With changing ice packs everyday? I’ve been using hard plastic style box but it’s not fancy and seems offer no thermal type qualities. Do boxes vary in quality?

I would be up for investing in plug in as have hook up but reviews are not great. Help!

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Off camping this summer and landed here looking for ways to keep your food and drinks chilled for long periods? We’ve rounded up the best cool boxes as recommended by Mumsnet users. We hope you find it useful.
MNHQ

Cool boxes definitely vary in quality, we have got this one www.amazon.co.uk/Igloo-MaxCold-Latitude-Rolling-Cooler/dp/B079W4X5B2/ref=asc_df_B079W4X5B2/?hvlocphy=9046541&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=217951975137&hvpone&hvlocint&hvpos=1o1&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-445052085772&hvrand=9719688318730987309 think it was cheaper in cost co though if you have a membership there. Kept things much cooler than our previous cheap box. We avoided electric because we don’t always go to campsites with hook up

We use Icy Tek coolboxes with bags of ice, draining away the water every couple of days. They're fantastic.

I agree with the Igloo recommendation - we bought this one after a friend recommended it - Igloo Maxcold 40 Roller Jet Carbon / Ice Blue / White Cooler Chiller Cool Box for camping , gigs and events
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001T88F40/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_vfjcDb9E6WQCM?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

It is so well insulated that with icepacks it can keep things cool for up to 5 days. We used it in really hot weather camping and it was great. Means you can have it in the car when travelling and where there is no hook up.

We recently bought and used this one:
Electric DC/AC Hot or Cold Cool... www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003UZ83WE?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

It kept our stuff properly cold even after being unplugged several hours.

Great thanks you knowable lot!

@theducksaysmoo we have a very similar one - keeps things almost as cold as our home fridge, its excellent. The fan seems noisy to DP overnight but DS and I sleep fine :-)

Igloo, Icey Tek or Coleman Xtreme are the really effective cool boxes. They work very well if you pre chill them (by putting in bottles of frozen water, for example) fill with frozen or chilled goods and don’t open / leave the lid open a lot.

Plug in cool boxes only chill to a certain number of degrees below ambient temperature so in the heat that might not be all that comfy.

If you always use EHU you can take a mini fridge that will be the same as any fridge.

There are also 3 way fridges that work off EHU, car battery (when travelling, it will drain it flat otherwise) or gas.

I have an Icey Tek and love it.

The cool box linked says it cools to 15 degrees below ambient temp so may not be great in the S of France, for e.g.

We have an Icey Tek, bought a few years ago and its totally amazing.

We have an igloo Coll box from Costco. It’s fantastic and works really well, even in France in summer time. You just need to remember to change the ice blocks and not to open the lid too much.

In France we kept in outside in the shade and bought the big blocks of ice from supermarkets. It worked much much better than our three way electric coolbox.