Reddit mentions: The best camping cooler accessories

Evaporative coolers require more maintenance then an A/C unit due to the water involved. Period. But the maintenance is easy. The best design is the MasterCool with the large 8" or 12" cell deck. With proper maintenance the cell decks will last for years if not the entire life if the unit itself. The following is applied to all evap units but mainly non MasterCool brands.

The only difference between a three panel and four panel unit is the discharge location, and one panel obviously. It is mainly for the 'type' of install required and can be sized properly for either configuration. CFM is key! The unit must be able to flush the air in the home at an approximate rate of 30 times per hour. (depending on wet bulb temp, home insulation, etc.) Sounds like a lot and is much more than the A/C unit does, but google it, its true.

Evap cooling is a 'once in-once out' type of cooling. Unlike mechanical cooling that recirculates the air. The home should have a window or two open to release the air from the space. Some homes have 'flopper vents' or relief vents in the ceiling of each room to allow the air to vent to the attic. The attic needs to be vented too. This also keeps attic temps down when its running and is the best way to do it.

For the multi panel units I prefer the 'expanded paper' media over the poly or aspen pads. This link below shows a thin poly pad glued to one side of the paper pad. The poly pad removes more dirt and keeps the inside of the unit and duct work cleaner. I always installed a 1/2" poly pad behind my expanded paper pads before I found these. (Poly pad on the inside!) It also helps keep the skeeters out when its not running! Again, with proper maintenance I got three years on a set of pads. You can buy rolls of the expanded paper at HD & lowes when in season or these precut pads here. https://www.amazon.com/Standard-Plumbing-Supply-7214-Evaporative/dp/B000BOKMKS

If your spider rack or PVC header tubes are plugging up its because you do not have a screen/basket on the pump inlet for debris, or you are not bleeding enough water from the basin to get rid of the calcium. Or the panels are not sealed up and allowing debris to enter around them. You need a small constant bleed when its running or a complete pan rain once a day or two. There are controllers that do this. During the off season wasps like to build nest in them too.

On new installs I would spray or brush "Cooler Coat" (HD/Lowes) in the basin and up the sides a few inches. If not a new install then very thorough cleaning is required before applying the cooler coat. It will peal of if all the calcium and dirt is not removed first. Just like paint. When done properly a quick touch up when needed will allow keep it from rusting out. I had a unit on my first house that ran for 10+ yrs. Draining the unit at the end of the season does more for the life of the unit than anything. Remove the belt from the blower too, to save flat spotting the brass sleeve bearings.

The units with spiders do need some adjusting to maintain proper water flow. This is done by slightly opening or 'partially' blocking the slots in the top of the panels. Usually only needs to be done once at install. but sometimes a little tweak is needed during its life.

If the pads are entirely wet, no dry spots, its doing what its designed to do. Pushing more water does not increase the cooling rate. If its 'evenly' wet down the entire pad, inside and out, that is all that's needed.

There is a myth of adding ice the the basin to help the cooling affect is completely & utterly false. In truth warm water is better because its closer to the evaporation temp of the water on a given day. But its not worth messing with unless you want to play with it. There are DIY kits that put a coil of copper tubing on the top of the unit (paint it black), after the pump, before the spider or header, to heat the water before pouring over the pads.

The best unit, for the longest life, ease of maintenance, and best performance when sized correctly, (relief vents installed) is the MasterCool. Go stainless if the pocketbook will allow and you are going to stay in the home for many, many years.

Source: 25+yrs in HVAC&R. Installed, repaired, maintained and replaced more Evap units than I like to remember.

Go to the grocery store on sunday right when it opens.

Do your shopping fast and don't buy a lot.

Breakfast

12 eggs. 1 package bacon. 1 pack shredded cheddar. Butter (unsalted).

Cook all the bacon in the oven allowing fat to fall below into a dish or tin foil.

Crack the eggs into 5 separate tupperware containers. Scramble all of them, then drop a little butter, salt and pepper into them. Close containers and refigerate.

Take 5 sandwich bags, fill each with a small handful of cheese.

Wrap 5 portions of bacon in paper towel, place inside bag of cheese.

Refigerate.

At work, 30-60 seconds of your eggs in the microwave (don't overcook).

Spread the cheese on the hot eggs, mix together well.

Enjoy.

Lunch

• Those cans of chili and soup that you can microwave right in the can are a lifesaver. They have much less saturated fat than a fast food burger.
  
  
• Chop up all your favorite vegetables (cucumber, broccoli, carrot, bell pepper) throw them into 5 lunch bags. Refrigerate and bring to work. Small container of balsamic vinagrette or italian.
  
  
• Buy a good lunch bag. This will make you WANT to pack it with food and bring it to work. Your cold food will stay cold until lunch and you will have enough room to toss a drink in there. Trust me, it's a good investment. Here's mine (14 bucks, good size, insulated): http://amzn.com/B006HFC3K2
  
  
• People crave carbs during lunch. Buy some good quality french or italian bread and give yourself a portion size to bring to work.
  
  
• Water. Seriously. For fucks sakes. Bring a big bottle of water to work. Throw some ice in it and drink throughout the day. You won't feel lethargic and it will wake you up, I promise.
  
  3 years ago here was my daily work routine: Skip breakfast, work ass off all morning, Huge lunch full of saturated fat, loads of salt, and a huge soda or energy drink. Tired as fuck by 3pm. Go out and buy another red bull. Get home tired as shit. Can't figure out why. Order pizza, go to sleep, repeat 5 days a week.
  
  I work 12 hours a day. If you allow it, it will destroy you.
  
  I let it rule me for 3 years, but I couldn't handle my own diet ignorance anymore. Now I actually USE food to help me be productive at work.
  
  Eating an orange to wake me up.
  
  Blueberries & sliced mango to kick my craving for candy.
  
  
  Dinner
  
  Google: 5 ingredient dinners.
  
  Your life will never be the same.
  
  
  Good luck man!
  
  
  Edit: Good luck MISS!
  
  
  
  

I used a somewhat insulated lunchbox but it’s a cheap one, they definitely make better ones. I’ve had meals in mine for 5+ hours and it was still cold. You need to get ice packs to put in the lunchbox with your meals so it stays cold longer. Something similar to the below should work fine. The more ice packs you use the longer it’ll stay cold

https://www.amazon.com/Stay-Cool-Reusable-Pack-Lunch/dp/B076495TFF

https://www.amazon.com/Leakproof-Reusable-Insulated-Cooler-Lunch/dp/B07QBNX6Z7

Regarding number 2, I don't have an immersion chiller and have been doing the ice bath thing, but I've been getting 1L bottles of water, delabeling them, freezing them, and sanitizing them to stir the wort once the temp drops below 100.

Ice packs are also pretty good for chilling purposes.

Here ya go: https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-3000001316-Can-Cooler-Gray/dp/B006HFC3K2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1537599018&sr=8-3&keywords=coleman+9+can+soft+cooler

I’ve had every lunchbox, but this thing is the best. I’ve had it for a few years now, and it’s held up to daily lunches. It has a hard removable (washable) shell inside so it holds its shape. It stays cold. It also fits a ton of food, including a bento if you’re into those. I also have a Bento, but it doesn’t fit enough food for someone who is gone all day, and there’s no way to keep the food cold. Sometimes I will pack the bento with some snacks though and throw it into my larger lunchbox with other food and an ice pack.

Congrats!! I like this one because you don't have to make any permanent mods

This is going to be pretty variable based how insulating the cover is, how hot it is outside, etc.

If you don't mind the expense, do a few practice steaks at home and test and see how long they stay cold. Leave them in the sleeve, in your pack, outside, to simulate the conditions you'll be putting it under.

As far as ways to keep it cold longer (that are also lightweight), you could get some lightweight ice packs (reviews on these report 10 hours of cooling in a lunchbox), wrapping the sleeve in a highly insulating material like Reflectix or layers of foil, or trying to insulate your bag as well as the sleeve.

All together, I bet it's possible, but the only way to know it's safe is to try it before you need it :\

Edit: Removed note about the thickness of the steak - that's not really a variable here, as you should be concerned as soon as even the exterior starts hitting 40°F

Hey u/ryanahamilton since this post I actually got myself a Tundra Haul too and have also been looking for good dry basket options.

So far I can tell you what does not work:

The Igloo basket I mentioned in my original comment does not fit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U5WMZ74/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Also, this nICE basket looked to be pretty close, but also did not fit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZJW4E4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Going to keep looking!

Looks like Amazon has something like that.

I got one of these. Throw in an ice pack and I'm good for hours. In Arizona, if you're not giving cold water, you're probably better off not giving out water at all.

I have this one You'll need an ice pack, but it's seriously the best lunch box I've used. The best part about it is that it has an interior hard plastic piece that contains spills and can be removed and cleaned. I've used it daily for a year and my only complaint is that the carrying strap is too short to carry it across the chest. For $11 it's a steal.

Just added these little ice packs because my kid threw away like, 6 last school year.

OICEPACK Ice Pack for Lunch Box, Reusable Freezer Ice Packs for Coolers, Slim Long-Lasting Cool Pack for Lunch Bags and Cooler Bags, Set of 10, Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKZ6D5W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_tyJlDb4DTPXRZ

I thought this too, but you could probably work in some space for something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Pack-600g-Packs-20-2/dp/B00EVQ7T8U/ref=pd_sim_196_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00EVQ7T8U&pd_rd_r=VHD3KT8KNMM3C9VMMFK8&pd_rd_w=GY74X&pd_rd_wg=WMLmp&psc=1&refRID=VHD3KT8KNMM3C9VMMFK8

That sounded like a good lead but didn't lead anywhere until I had the light bulb idea just to search for cooler drain plug and found this so problem solved!

the Coleman drain assembly is ridiculously cheap like $7
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-R5214D607G-Drain-Assembly/dp/B000E35Y1S

THAT's one of the better parts of the better brands, all the parts are interchangable. I once picked up a 54 qrt brand new on a curb with broken plastic hinges..it cost me $8 to replace them.

I don't want to have to deal with buying the ice every time we go on a trip. It's one of the reasons I'd like to try something reusable. According to Amazon's page, Techni Ice has a very similar cold retention to dry ice.

Oh I'm dumb.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078FR9CND/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_eEYMDb10X2SET

Those are the ones I've bought last and are the best I've had personally. I've seen them freeze things that weren't frozen.

Get a couple of these bad boys and keep one in the freezer while one is around the vessel. They stay cold or even semi frozen all dang day if you wrap them up in something to insulate against outside temps. Like a blanket or towels? You will thank me later. I started using them for my back wrapped in a towel and even against my body they were still slightly frozen in the morning (not recommended to fall asleep on an ice pack). I bet if you put these in a box with a carboy it would stay around 50 deg in a 70 deg room. May have to experiment with them but they will work.

Do any of the Yeti or RTIC wire baskets work? Just a quick search on Amazon pulls up something labeled as an Igloo basket. Not sure if it fits yours... Igloo basket on Amazon

thise one?
https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Quart-Xtreme-Wheeled-Cooler/dp/B000G64FJK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1498549949&sr=8-4&keywords=coleman+xtreme+cooler

never knew the Xtreme are made in the USA. you can buy the metal hinges off ebay, since the plastic hinges are the one that will break over time.

here are the metal hinges:

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Stainless-Steel-Cooler-Hinges/dp/B01C4WIV6G/ref=pd_sim_468_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01C4WIV6G&pd_rd_r=PGPQAPD94M4TMKBJG4HV&pd_rd_w=TkIEE&pd_rd_wg=UojcA&psc=1&refRID=PGPQAPD94M4TMKBJG4HV

cheaper metal hinges on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6155-5741-Stainless-Steel-Coleman-Cooler-Hinges-1-2-3-SS-Metal-Hinge-w-Screws-/291506727361?var=590575992644&hash=item43df27a9c1:g:KJcAAOSwMmBVlpg0

In that case you can get some ice packs : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076495TFF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_w7wxDbMWZZNDJ

Beat me to it. I got this one with the metal hinges.

Have you checked this :

https://www.amazon.com/Igloo-20070-Cooler-Basket-Black/dp/B00U5WMZ74

i bought 2 of these and wrap 1 around my plastic fermenting bucket and then wrap an old coat around it. When one thaws i switch to the other one and put the thawed one in the freezer
https://www.amazon.com/Thermafreeze-Reusable-Blanket-Cutable-Sheet/dp/B00DUIB9O0/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1492367532&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=large+Flexible+Ice+Blanket

This is about the closest thing I can find to it.

This one? https://www.amazon.com/ORION-Black-Ice-Frostbite-Arctic/dp/B07F96YXP8

You need to a basic scan of your lower back to determine the exact extent of the problem.

You won't be able to do 40 hour weeks standing forever. You should avoid long standing periods, avoid twisting, and avoid lifting over 35lbs. There's no risk in being cautious and following bending and lifting practices for people with injury until you can see your doctor.

For now, take a single aleve at night with some food 20 minutes before bed as needed for 2-3 nights, then make it no more than twice a week as needed. This is not a cure. Get an ice pack , and when you lie down, place it under the lower back.

I would advise you call your doctor and ask for him to authorize a prescription for a lower lumbar scan.
A doctor who is concerned for your health will not charge you to pick up this prescription. You can shop around for a cash price for a scan, it should be $150, don't be afraid to haggle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIdXN_VER5g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMkxrs8irU8

You need to be proactive, not reactive to a condition like this, and realize this is a lifelong condition.
I would advise you to get disability insurance as well, for peace of mind, in case you are in an auto
accident which can exacerbate an injury like this to a disability.

If you do have an RSI workplace related injury as I suspect, you should file a worker's compensation case,
as you will probably need some kind of surgical procedure to solve this problem.