Car cigarette lighter power

[northmetking]

Hi,
I've been considering getting a decent cool box this year for our camping, and was in Halfords the other day and noticed you can get electric ones that run off the cigarette lighter in your car. Any idea how this works in practice? How long can you run these from the lighter?
I'm thinking you can't leave it running long-term because it'll be draining the car battery?
Anyone got any experience with these?
Thanks.

Have you seen those Solar Panel accessories which you can plug into your Car lighter which put power back into your battery?

Yes. I suppose you are right that the Cooler would drain the battery if left running when the engine was not running.

had one for years never had a problem with draining the battery until last year on holiday forgot to unplug it overnight and it drained the battery had to call the RAC out

Borderslass, how long would you leave the coolbox plugged in during the day to keep it running? Maybe it's just me but I can't get my head around the practical logistics of how it would work - whether it needs to be plugged in all the time, or if a certain period of charge then keeps it going for another day or two, or whatever.

Lucinda, I've not heard of those - do you mean to charge the car battery?

It depends how warm it is, IMO/E - As long as the car is running it is no issue at all but it will run the battery down if left all day/ all night. The ideal scenario if camping is to use the power to top-up the coolness supplied by ice packs - I don't think without that you could use it as a replacement for a gas-powered fridge.

I have got one in front of me now. The Solar powered battery charger, I mean. It is called a Solar powered battery trickle charger. www.icpglobal.com

northmetking i've only left it for a few hours at a time normally, just had a senior moment and forgot all about it last year we use it for picnics and keep it in the awning when not being used [we have a caravan]