Evakool and Dry Ice

Jack, forget it! I've tried the dry ice routine and at around minus 150F it is simply much too cold (and expensive) and it will freeze the beer. Even wrapping it in paper so that direct contact is eliminated will result in similar results to your fridge.
The best drinking temperature for beer is achieved when it has been packed in the esky first, and then a liberal amount of party ice has been spread over it, then another layer of cans and ice etc - then left a few hours to pull down. Unlike block ice (which lasts longer) party ice or crushed ice will fill all the gaps between the bottles or cans and more efficient cooling is assured.
Obviously on long trips then this is out of the question - unless you have access to purchasing more party ice.
Not sure what type of fridge you have, but with our Evakool ED70 - cold drinks are never a problem. Most drinks are carried hot and only added to the fridge to replace a cold one that has been removed.
Bit like a water donkey in reverse - where cold water must be added in order to get hot out the other side.
Tuco

Its all about money. Going back a few years if you cannot afford to go the route of 12v fridges then this is the only solution from my experience to cold beer for a stay of a few days in 40 degree weather.

Step one - cool evakool walls with ice or ice bricks night before, next day dicsard ice etc and put in block of dry ice.

Step two. - break down bags of ice into smaller bags and pack up evakool.

Three - when needed, transfer bags of ice from evakool (if you can get the lid open - note evakool with dry ice on very hot day has an efficiency measureable by the vacuum created inside this wonderful esky, that is, very hard to open it) to beer esky.

main problem - hot beer to ice means ice to water means rapid use of lots of ice.

Nonetheless, it works to a fair extent for a few days.

So my suggestion is for the price of an 80L evakool you can probably by a 30L CCF waeco that will make your beers very cold in a few hours, and because it does not need ice you can fit just as much beer in as a 50L esky with ice. If can't afford dual battery systems and generators etc just run your vehicle for a couple hours a few times a day and drink the beer from the bottom near the cooling plates. Not efficient but it works. Course you don't want to run your fridge at night but if you are not keeping milk and meat etc then it don't matter.

Jack,
I agree with Tuco in part. In my experience I have had dry ice last over 10 days in an Evercool. What I do is use the dry ice to make "water" ice. You start your trip with the dry ice in the Evercool and put pre-frozen food and and pre-frozen drink bottles or wine bladders full of water (now ice) in with the dry ice. In your drinks esky (yes, you need a second esky) you start off with pre-chilled drinks with block and party ice. As this ice melts you take a bottle or bladder from the Evercool and throw it in with the drinks and remaining ice. as the bottled or bladdered ice melts you recycle it back to the Evercool. The water that you drain from your drinks esky you pour into a bucket with the next lot of drinks in it to pre-cool them before they go into the drinks esky. It sounds complicated but you can train kids to do it if they like cold drinks. And I hate cold beer. If the boss behaves she can even put the milk in with the beer. Hope this helps. Mal T.

I reckon block ice is the go Jack - make my own in the freezer at home for fishing trips etc.
Party ice is fast but useless for multi day trips - really big blocks last really well in a good cooler and while the drinks won't be super chilly, the ones next to the ice are always cold enough.
The problems come up when you can't buy new blocks. If you can find the actual ice works in a town as you drift through, they usually have blocks......dp

Most ice works will also provide a mixture of water and dry ice and this seems to work well.

Best tip for making it last though is to make sure that you insulate the bottom of the esky by keeping it on something. I have used a piece of plywood (doubled as a work top or if required as a jacking plate) and this worked well for me.

I have not bothered with this since I bought a fridge though, and the advice you received about getting the CCF35 Waeco seems to be good.

Much obliged folks .. many thanks. Thought I was onto something here, but your advice is good and I shall rethink the "cold beer" dilemma. Yes, the Waeco" option does look to be the best. Cheers.
Jack

I got an evakool and don't bother with ice, as it had a Danfoss compressor built in. Makes sense - get the best esky and add a proven compressor. My battery tends to outlast those who have the brands with the thin walls.

And after all that, if keeping a battery charged is a problem - go gas - about 4 days cooling per kg of gas has to be good value ( a kg of gas costs about $2) and it's easy to carry a 3kg bottle which will last 12 days!! And for those who doubt the efficiency of gas I have just been through a spell of several days of between 35 and 42 and had cold beer the whole time from my old Finch (which incidentally cost $100 from a mate 10 years ago - it's now 25 years old - how's that for longevity?)

Hi Jack , Have a 85 ltr evakool and have used it on many trips in NW QLD where temps can be quite high , and have had five days easy with party ice , even adding hot drinks , just prep party ice by putting in deep freeze for a few days before trip .$450 and no worries about extra batteries seems like a good plan to me .