Whats the longest your ice has lasted???

Submitted: Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 08:44

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troy35

I went away for four days camping with family and friends and was very impressed with how long my ice lasted. Keep in mind we are in the Kimberley and the temps were aboput 40C (38C in the shade) during the day and dropping to only 23C at night.)
What I did was fill my evakool esky with about an inch and a half of water and then stored it in a freezer at our local cold stores (The manager is a mate of mine) for a few days.
I loaded the esky with my beer and drinks and then poured crushed ice over the top until eerything was completly covered. The crushed ice had slightly melted but ended up freezing again. I had to actually hack at it to get the first days drinks out.
When we arrived at our destination Friday lunchtime I covered this esky and another plastic one I had done the same too for the kids drinks with a furniture blanket to keep them insulated and keep the arvo sun off them. On Monday morning the ice in the kids esky had melted but when we got home Monday evening I was able to pull out a slab of ice from the fibreglass esky. Thats 4 and a bit days in extreme temps of 38C in the shade, where the eskys were, which I thought was fantastic.
I am guessing I would have got almost a week or more down south or even up here in the dry season. My alternator s%^t itself and I had to shut down my fridge on the way home so just transferred all the remaining food to the esky and it was fine.

Anyone else have some long lasting ice storys, or tips to make your ice last longer?

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Reply By: flappan - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 09:07

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 09:07

I have had ice last for a week easily in Summer on the North Coast of NSW in my Waeco Icebox.

We used self made block ice. Seems to last a lot better then party ice. We also use frozen Milk or Cordial bottles

I have heard of a number of people who mix up their own ice mixture that lowers the freezing point of water , and thus , allowing it to stay frozen longer. Good in theory.

I prefer to be able to use the water from the bottle to drink.

AnswerID: 79340

Follow Up By: troy35 - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 09:35

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 09:35

Flappan,
Good point, I freeze our milk and water bottles too which helps a lot. Also good point about making your own ice. The block ice you buy these days is often just compressed crushed ice so is like a sponge instead of a solid block. Even the crushed ice is usually just small round cylinders that are hollow in the middle. Your better off making your own ice and then putting blocks into a couple of shopping bags, tie them up and drop them on the concrete a few times to make your crushed ice.

FollowupID: 338761

Follow Up By: cj - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 10:18

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 10:18

I freeze water in the square REV milk bottles and lay them in the bottom of my icebox, a great fit, very little dead space and any water that collects doesn't effect the food sitting on top plus it gives extra water if needed. Lasts for 4-5 days fine and if I chill all the food and drink before putting it in it will go a little longer. If you want to get the most out of it I think a ratio of 1/3 ice to 2/3 food and drink is pretty good plus if you put ice in there a day before you go away and then replace it when you leave it will chill the icebox down and maximise time the fresh ice will last. I think that the custom ice mixtures have a lower freezing point also have a lower melting point (just something I recall, not 100% sure) therefore it will be a little colder to start with but I don't know if it lasts much longer as I haven't tried it. I like the idea of being able to use the water if necessary.

FollowupID: 338768

Follow Up By: flappan - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 10:38

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 10:38

I dont recall all the details on the Mixtures , because I don't use them.

I do recall that they do indeed work , but , by how much is the point (depending on the mixture).

As I said though , with a family of 6 , we normally need as much water as possible , so I don't like wasting 3 or 4 litres of the stuff.

I think the other point is though , is to keep the Esky/Fridge as full as possible. More efficient.

There is also argument over whether to drain the ice or not.

Cold water displaces the cool air , so in theory , keeping the water "should" allow the ice to last longer. I generally don't though. I dont like a lot of water in the esky. I tend to drain it.

FollowupID: 338775

Follow Up By: troy35 - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 12:14

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 12:14

Flappan,

How do you go travelling with a family of 6? I have 4 children ages 8, 6, 4 and 2 plus the wife. I have a GQ Patrol and had to take out my storage boxes and put the rear seat in when number 4 csme along. Makes things a bit hard especially as I cannot fit in the fridge with the seat in. Last time we went away I just took out the rear seat and two of the kids shared the middle seat. I know not really legal but I figured there is less traffic up this way and my 3.0 litre towing a trailer only does 90-100 kmph top speed anyway. Once they are older it will be a problem though.
Anyway I am curious to know how you get around fitting everybody in?
e-mail me at troy35@gmail.com if you like.

FollowupID: 338790

Follow Up By: flappan - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 12:38

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 12:38

Troy . . . feel for you.

My Kids are 16, 14, 12. and 10. I had (still have it) and NG V6 Pajero. We used to travel 2/3/1 , so we could put one of the rear seats up (two fold up seats) , and put bags in there. On longer trips we used a roofrack. Obviously the kids got bigger , we we went to 2/2/2 , which meant no room in the vehicle for bags , all on the roof. When we went camping , we took the trailer.

The PJ was just to small for the growing kids.

So we upgraded. Originally looked at a Mitsubishi Delica (4wd van) , for a couple of reason , including an intended trip to the Cape , we looked elsewhere and bought a GU Patrol. Problem was, we need decent seats for teenage kids , and rear Air con , cause that was one the biggest arguments in the PJ , very hot in the very rear.

There really isn't a heap of leg room in the very back of the Patrols, due to the non flat floor area , and of course , only dual air con in the Ti.

Would have prefered a Diesel , but the Dual Air con prevailed.

We ended up with a 4.5 Petrol Ti Patrol. Tows our new CT effortlessly. Heaps of room for the kids (middle seats slide back and forwards individually) , rear air con for the back.

Other then fuel use , and cost , extremely happy with it.

FollowupID: 338793

Follow Up By: troy35 - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 15:39

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 15:39

Flappan,

Okay so in other words enjoy it now while I can because when they get older its going to be worse.
My GQ aircon does work well so thats not a problem.
I dont mind having to put the clothes bags and swags on the roof rack and the food boxes etc on the trailer but I just dont like the idea of putting the fridge in a trailer as well.
Im wondering if there is a way that I can fit in a single seat from the GU into the GQ. Then I might be able to get the fridge beside the seat.
Upgrading as much as I would like to is certainly not an option at this stage.

Troy.

FollowupID: 338805

Follow Up By: flappan - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 16:01

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 16:01

"Okay so in other words enjoy it now while I can because when they get older its going to be worse. " Um m m m . . . Yep.

My Fridge travels in my Campertrailer. No major issues , now , wiring has been upgraded.

As for the Single GU Seat . . . its possible I guess . . . I suspect an engineering Cert maybe required though.

FollowupID: 338806

Reply By: Member - Jack - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 11:51

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 11:51

I had 3 home made blocks last 7 days on Fraser Island last year (september). At the end of the trip there were still a few "chunks" floating around the the water was icy cold.

I had a couple of those long plastic ice cream containers that they have in shops as my ice maker.

Block ice seems to last longer than crushed stuff, but is hard to buy on the raod unless you strike a place that has its own ice works. Some servos hae it, mainly for the truckies I think.

You can add salt to lower the freezing point of the ice, but it also melts at a lower temperature, so the benefits are minimal in my view. Plus you have salty water sloshing around which, in an emergency, you could not drink.

Jack

The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get. (Lewis Carroll-Alice In Wonderland)

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AnswerID: 79359

Reply By: Member - Brian (WA) - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 19:30

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 19:30

troy
Great esky I have a 40lt evacool, dont use it much now have the engel. the best i did
was 5 days useing 4 frozen 4lt ice cream containers for a trip to peak hill.
the blocks had melted about 2/3thirds when we got back home.
brian

AnswerID: 79401

Follow Up By: Member - Brian (WA) - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 19:33

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 19:33

I think that should have been 4x2lt ice cream containers

FollowupID: 338823

Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 22:05

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 22:05

I used to deliver Dry Ice in 1 ton pallecons.. excellent
also tryed Tecni ice or TechIce .. it wasbleep.. stayed cold for about 3 hours.

AnswerID: 79421

Reply By: rolande- Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 22:23

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 22:23

Troy35,
I researched this when I bought my Waeco ice box - couldn't afford a fridge so was looking at all the options.
You can lower the freezing point of water by adding extras. (salt), but at the end of the day the cold water will be more use to you if you can drink it than "eutectic" ice. The ice needs to melt to create heat transfer and keep things cool. Block ice is the best for this and most use plastic milk cartons to freeze water before they leave. Having liquid at, say, -10C is not much better than at +1C as the heat transfer rate is the same regardless of temp. So +1C water mixed with cordial for a cold drink, etc has more value than -10C water that you cannot drink.
Remember that if only away for a couple of days to use narrower containers which will melt quicker and keep things cool for a couple of days, and for longer trips use square containers which have less surface area and so will take longer to melt completely.
Ideally there will be no ice left when you get home, just cold water. This is the most efficient cooling use for ice and needs to be balanced. For the record, I had a 100litre esky with several frozen milk cartons of water last March, around 25C. Box still at 10C when I got home after 4 days away, including ice-cream which was very soft but not liquid.
Rolande

AnswerID: 79429

Reply By: Magnus - Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 23:07

Friday, Oct 08, 2004 at 23:07

Troy35

10 days with home made ice down at Yuraygir National Park just 4 weeks ago in a fibreglass esky (Evacool style) kept in shade all the time but with no other covers.

Magnus

AnswerID: 79437