Fridge transit covers and summer heat

Hi Murray,
I have a tropical esky but it is about 80 ltrs, I make up 4 blocks of ice and they are large blocks, and they keep for up to about ten days depending if the grand kids are in and out of the esky all day chasing drinks lol, when we are camped up for three or four days I use a couple of wet hessian bags over the top and keep them damp and in the shade, I do the same with the Weaco, even though it has a insulated cover over the top of it.. I hope this is of some assistance to you.

The wet towel needs to be kept wet to cool anything. Just like the evaporative coolers at home. An insulaing cover will help but a wet towel may do a better job. The downside is that you have to keep the towel wet. On very hot days a few lifetimes back Mum used to lay a wet rag on our chest to cool us down. Same thing.

We have a small second fridge. We can run both fridges for nearly a full three days without recharging the accessory batteries. Only paid $250 for a used 21 litre Engell on ebay. But you will need an extra battery to last more than a couple of days camped without charging.

Phil

Do you need ice?

Hi Murray

Yep that will help on your esky , it works better than on your fridge because you can cover the whole Esky whereas fridge ones have cut out for evaporator etc , and assuming common sense (like things aren't left in sun or back of a closed wagon) then your biggest heat loss is from air movement.

The towel idea doesn't do much directly but indirectly it does help because people then pay more attention to there fridge.

Something that works better in you esky is to put more ice in it.

E.G. If your esky could hold 50 cans total people often reccomend that you put 1/3rd ice in it (16 cans worth of ice) and hence carry 34 actual cans.

However if you carry 34 cans equivalent ice and 16 actual cans - then put your other 16 cans in warm when there is space, then your ice will last longer.

The above works even if you pre-cool the 34 actual cans used in the first case.