Organizing the Food/Beer in Your Fridge

[tdesanto]

So, after several months with my new ARB fridge, I still haven't found the perfect way to organize my food. For a multi-day journey, I typically have the thing filled all the way to the top or close to it. When it's this full, I like the fact that the beer bottles and other items don't bang against each other and I don't have to worry about broken beer bottles.

However, the downside is that it's also difficult to get to those items on the bottom, such as steaks, lunch meat, etc.

Finally, as I start using some of the food and the fridge has less stuff in it, then the beer bottles and such start banging against each other.

So, I'm looking for some suggestions on the following:

1. How to organize the food in such a way that it's easier to get to when I want that specific item on the bottom or packed in the middle, and

2. How to prevent beer bottles from clanking, etc. when there's not as much food in the fridge.

Many thanks for your suggestions.

Regards,

TD

:chef:

 

[pwc]

We found these nesting bins, about half the width of a 45 fridge. They have flip out sides so that they will stack, instead of nest. This gives us half the fridge for those (small things fit in them perfectly) and then half for milk/drinks. On top of the drinks you get some stuf, but not a lot. I'll see if I can find pictures of the flip out things, they are quite handy

 

[Ursidae69]

Cans are more forgiving, so I try to use them when I can. I need to get better with packing my fridge too.

 

[stevenmd]

This has got to be the best thread EVER. Yes, how do you keep those beer bottles from clanking around and breaking? My palate does not like the nectar of the god's in an aluminum holding case - no offense to my aluminum beer holding drinking brethren.:sombrero:

Perhaps wrapping a small towel around then as you pull food out????

 

[teotwaki]

As I pull out other stuff I stick in extra plastic water bottles or soda cans to cool them down. It also should help the fridge to run less as it is not trying to chill the empty space filled with air. Air won't stay chilled as long as a container filled with a liquid. Another time I took a clean towel and set it in there to minimize containers hopping on bumpy high-speed roads.

Love my fridge!!

 

[toyrunner95]

try getting some of those freezer ice pakcs that have jelly inside, put them in at room temp so they are plyable, then they will gel up as they get colder, which will hold the bottles in place, AND keep the fridge cooler so it wont have to run so much.

 

[tdesanto]

Maximize space too

I realize that I didn't mention this as a requirement, but I'm also not looking to take up too much of the precious space in there with anything I'm not going to eat, so I'm not sure about the ice blocks. I'd also considered buying those neoprene 6-pack holders, but I also figured they would keep warm beer warm longer when placing warm beers in the fridge to be cooled down.

Currently for the beer bottles, I'm simply using the cardboard dividers that come in the case boxes when I buy beer by the case. I've cut some of the divider pieces off so that it will hold between 12-16 beers. This actually works pretty well for my 2nd requirement, but doesn't necessarily do anything for my 1st requirement. Plus, after about the 2nd or 3rd trip, the cardboard starts falling apart.

Does anyone know where I could get sheets of thin, pliable plastic? I could use that to make the same or similar divider system for the bottles. Then all I’d have to do is figure out what to do to organize the rest of the food so that it’s easier to get to the coldies at the bottom of the fridge after a hot day on the trails.

We found these nesting bins, about half the width of a 45 fridge. They have flip out sides so that they will stack, instead of nest. This gives us half the fridge for those (small things fit in them perfectly) and then half for milk/drinks. On top of the drinks you get some stuf, but not a lot. I'll see if I can find pictures of the flip out things, they are quite handy

PWC, let me know if you find any pictures or URL’s where I could find these? I’m interested if they don’t introduce a lot of dead/wasted space.

Cans are more forgiving, so I try to use them when I can. I need to get better with packing my fridge too.

I’d gladly use cans (but pour it into another container to prevent the aluminum taste) if my favorite beers came in cans.

Many thanks for all the suggestions; I'm convinced that if we put our heads together we can get there in style.

 

[adventureduo]

I bring canned beer. Not only for this reason but also for trash packing. I hate hauling bottles out.. regardless if it's a few or a 12 pack.

Have you thought about some socks? I mean clean ones, not the socks you've been wearing all day at work. You could just slip them over the bottoms of the bottle.. maybe like a sport low cut womens sock? Just an idea.

 

[articulate]

This has got to be the best thread EVER. Yes, how do you keep those beer bottles from clanking around and breaking?
Perhaps wrapping a small towel around then as you pull food out????

Ah ha!
Here is where an ol' skewl ice chest full of that pesky ice wins in the fridge vs. cooler debate.

Continue on boys, continue on.

 

[spressomon]

For less than full loads in my fridge-freeze when I don't want to have/hear the bottles clanking around I just picked up a small nylon stuff bag (at your favorite backpack store) and filled it with poly pillow stuffing from the fabric store. I think I spent less than $10 for both...works great.

 

[adventureduo]

Ah ha!
Here is where an ol' skewl ice chest full of that pesky ice wins in the fridge vs. cooler debate.

Continue on boys, continue on.

LMFAO!!

 

[Robthebrit]

You guys need louder trucks if you can hear bottles rattling in the fridge!

I usually leave them in the 6 pack cardboard box that they come in, this stops them from rattling but doesn't stop them from hitting hard enough to break. I have had more problems with the beer being shaken by driving on rough ground and popping the top off, or at least leaking enough to make a mess in the fridge. Maybe cans are the best way to go but you can't get good beer in a can.

Somebody needs to make a 12v kegorator, I'd buy one.

Rob

 

[loeky]

i didn't realize things rattle around in the cooler - between road noise from the MTRs and general loudness from the FJ60 body type, i never noticed.

that said, i just sound deadened 75% of the truck and might start hearing some things i didn't use to...

in any case, i've thrown a couple camp towels in there for use on trips, as well as those gel filled cooler things. this was two fold for use as extra cooling as well as keeping some wine bottles from breaking. never really even thought about beer bottles breaking and the fridge has ended up on it's side a couple times - doh!

ie:
http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-OF-24-REUSE...019QQihZ017QQcategoryZ310QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[tdesanto]

not worried about noise

I'm just worried about bottles breaking and also about figuring out a better way to get to the stuff I want quickly without having to remove 1/2 the contents before I can find it.

The only methods that seem practical at this point are either the small containers that were mentioned or a divider system. Cardboard 6 packs, socks, towels, etc. only solve 1 issue, mainly breaking bottles. Even then, these methods don't seem 100% reliable.

 

[spressomon]

I'm just worried about bottles breaking and also about figuring out a better way to get to the stuff I want quickly without having to remove 1/2 the contents before I can find it.

The only methods that seem practical at this point are either the small containers that were mentioned or a divider system. Cardboard 6 packs, socks, towels, etc. only solve 1 issue, mainly breaking bottles. Even then, these methods don't seem 100% reliable.

FWIW I have never had a bottle of beer, vodka, whatever break in my Waeco fridge/freezer. Sometimes it's full and often times it is not...but never a broken glass container.