At what point do you move from the cooler to a fridge?

[UK4X4]

a coolers fine- a fridge is just better

I load mine the day leaving with everything frozen, usually turn off at night to conserve battery and use a simple 12v outlet that has a battery saver in it just in case.

As the space free's up make ice

Nothing better than an ice cold margarita or cubalibre after a long day on the trail.

Another issue outside the US is ice availability........Venezuela with its passion for ice cold beer was fine....UK you'lonly find it a a supermarket or freezer store- very rarely a gas station.


Africa-1 ice maker per town......enjoy trying to find it !

Mind you I wish my engel had a exit tap like my coolers ! for the odd drink that leaks or explodes !

 

[AndrewP]

Beer, cold vodka, tonic, ribs, steaks, eggs, bacon, crab, pork, more pork, milk for cappuccinos, homemade Beno burrito's...the list goes on and on. But damn it sure tastes great on or at the end (or beginning ;-) of the trail day! :coffeedrink:

All this and more! As spresso alludes to, we do eat very well on our trips. If you are happy with Ramen every night, then less fridge space is needed. Spresso seriously made some of the best crab cakes I have ever had, 10 days into a 2 week trip. Try that with an ice chest!

The last 4-5 years we have tended to take 3-4 trips each year that take us off the beaten path for up to a week at a time. I guess you could drive to a store, but if you are in say South East Utah somewhere, the store can involve a drive out of several hours, and even then, you're just at a gas station/convenience store. You will be surprised how often you will use a larger capacity.

Perhaps the best thing about a fridge, is that sodas and beer don't have to be in it. You can just put in what you need daily and let the fridge cool them down as you travel. This saves valuable space on a longer trip. With ice, that just increases melting and isn't really practical.

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: Thats so true, especially with water, you can carry a couple of 5 gal water containers and just keep a 1qt container in the fridge for a quick "cold" drink

Can't beatem

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO

 

[cruiseroutfit]

All this and more! As spresso alludes to, we do eat very well on our trips...

An understatement by most accounts. I was privy to a couple of meals from the hands of these masters on a recent Swell trip, amazing.

 

[CSG]

I don't eat ramen either. I guess I have different needs than a couple of you do. I've had this conversation before regarding food in the backcountry. I don't travel for the food or making big meals, dealing with dishes, etc. I also travel alone most of the time. If I take my boys, it's in the van which has a bigger fridge than most of the chest fridges (2.7 cu). I still don't take the food some of you seem to.

I don't "wheel", I travel and take the appropriate vehicle for where I'm traveling. I'm more likely to hike than drive once I get to a spot I want to explore and water is far more pleasing to me when I'm tired than beer (although I love beer, don't get me wrong!).

My point of this thread was trying to discover where the cost effectiveness comes in for a fridge vs. a cooler as the only vehicle I'd need this for is the Cruiser and I have no plans to take a 5+ day trip into the wilderness with it. If I use it to tour/camp I won't be so remote for so long that I can't resupply. But this notion that if you don't have a big fridge you can't eat decently is nuts to me. Have none of you done backpacking or camping before these things were commonly available? Have you never fished or shot a rabbit for fresh meat?

I also don't have the budget some of you do (or space because I sleep in the Cruiser). The 23 can size Waeco/Dometic is $310 shipped and would work perfectly (sizewise) for *my* needs because it could sit on the floor up front. I was curious if anyone had any actual experience with that model.

In any event, I'm glad to read all the opinions and feedback because I can at least justify this smaller unit and it can do double duty for day trips when we take my wife's car because it's such a portable size. Maybe, if I ever sell my camping van and am relegated to the Cruiser as my only camping rig I'll get a bigger fridge (and RTT).

 

[spressomon]

CSG: Its all about your needs. I still backpack, I still hike, I still hunt and fish. And I can survive on DH/FD backpack foods; but only if forced to and/or I'm carrying it all on my back . As I've gotten older I've distanced myself from the "needs" only category into a more comfortable (some might call this spoiled :wings "wants" based strategy. To each their own...this is America afterall ;-)

If your needs are as modest as you state you should be fine with the 18L Waeco. The advantage a true compressor driven fridge/freeze has over a "cooler" is the ability to keep a spread of 40F degrees (or more) spread between ambient and internal temps.

As the saying goes...'One man's ceiling is another man's floor'!

FWIW: I, along with all the others on our excursions, have 40-50L fridge/freezers in the back AND sleep in the rig without removing the fridge.

 

[Fish]

I'm trying to convince my wife that we need a freezer/fridge to safely transport wine home. Note that I still don't have a fridge. I'm also looking at the "transport frozen food home from Costco" angle, but also to no avail. It'll happen eventually.

 

[CSG]

espressomon, just curious, how tall are you? At 6' I have to sleep a bit sideways as it is if I keep the tailgate closed. When I looked at the footprint of a larger unit and climbed in it seemed like it could be pretty crowded between the fridge other gear and me!

 

[spressomon]

espressomon, just curious, how tall are you? At 6' I have to sleep a bit sideways as it is if I keep the tailgate closed. When I looked at the footprint of a larger unit and climbed in it seemed like it could be pretty crowded between the fridge other gear and me!

5'10 with size 11's and about 2 bills . I sleep on the DS side as my fridge is mounted on the PS side of my AO drawer unit. I move the DS seat forward about 3/4 of the way and have plenty of length regardless how I sleep (back, side, stretched, etc.) with the tailgate closed (I'd, during warmer temps, like to sleep with the TG open but haven't taken the time to figure out how to turn the dash/door lights off ;-)

Dan

 

[AndrewP]

With the fridge in place, the sleeping room is wide enough for 1. It's about the exact width as a normal Therma-rest pad. I have a sleeping platform that is 70 inches long with the tailgate closed, but it has a 4 inch extension that flips up when you push the front seat forward. I am 6'1" There is just enough room for me, but it's perfectly aqequate, and dry, and off the ground, and warm, and I don't have to set up a tent and.....

Mine is in an 80 series, but they are so similar inside it almost isn't worth talking about.

 

[CSG]

Thanks for the further details. I think that I'll get the one I referred to a few posts back and, if it's too small it will still find use for day trips, etc. I still think it would be more than big enough for my solo needs.

 

[spressomon]

Thanks for the further details. I think that I'll get the one I referred to a few posts back and, if it's too small it will still find use for day trips, etc. I still think it would be more than big enough for my solo needs.

In some ways, if you end up needing more conditioned volume later, two smaller units is preferable to one medium unit...all things being equal of course ;-). The main advantage, of course, with two smaller units is the flexibility to have fridge/freeze independence.

 

[CSG]

Except for the doubled amp draw, good point.

 

[Casper]

I haven't read the whole thread, so I may be late with this.

Question: "At what point do you move from the cooler to a fridge? "

Answer: When, after 5 very hot days on the trail, you reach into your "cooler" for a not so cold adult beverage, and before you open it your buddy hands you one from his fridge that is chilled to just above freezing. :coffeedrink:

You wil not look back. I have two, one in the trailer one in the trcuk. I even use them for when I go shopping in Reno, and won't be home right away.

Cheers,
Josh
&
Porthos
:smiley_drive:

 

[BigJim]

I have seen Alvaro AND his wife

Sleep in the back of his 80, and he must be six five and well lets just say kindly he is in the very, very big man club.

This thread has me at about 80% ready to pull the switch on an ARB.

With the fridge in place, the sleeping room is wide enough for 1. It's about the exact width as a normal Therma-rest pad. I have a sleeping platform that is 70 inches long with the tailgate closed, but it has a 4 inch extension that flips up when you push the front seat forward. I am 6'1" There is just enough room for me, but it's perfectly aqequate, and dry, and off the ground, and warm, and I don't have to set up a tent and.....

Mine is in an 80 series, but they are so similar inside it almost isn't worth talking about.