Reddit mentions: The best camping coolers

I have a WiFi Anova. If I could do it again, I'd buy the BT only version (or a no connectivity option for even less money, if possible). I honestly don't get enough value out of the WiFi to make it worth the extra $50 to me. It's fun and novel the first couple times you use it, but the amount of value I get out of it just doesn't justify the extra expense for me personally. You can kick off a 12 hour cook in the morning, and check it at work to make sure it's still at temp (I'm not sure what else it would do). Whoopee.

The biggest driver for the WiFi integration is the ability to set up your sous vide in an ice bath, then start the cook remotely from somewhere else so it's ready when you get home. Unless you're somebody who's already really big on eating as SOON as you get home (like having a crockpot dinner ready when you walk in the door, for example), then the WiFi doesn't really add much value. I've usually got an hour to spare between when I get home and when I'm ready to eat, and I usually only cook sous vide on the weekends anyway.

I looked at Joule, but it was actually backordered when I was buying, so that narrowed down my choices for me. In hindsight, I'm really happy with the manual controls of the Anova. I stare at my smartphone screen enough. And when I'm cooking my hands are more likely to be wet or covered in meat juice or something.

Regarding the power differences, my Anova has held this cooler (25 qt) at 131F for 72 hours. My hot tap water comes out in the 120's so getting it up to 131 isn't a huge deal. More power is better (of course!), but what I'm driving at is that it wasn't a significant consideration in my buying decision.

If you like connectivity and being able to yell at your appliances across the room and feeling like a techno-wizard, then you might really like the apps and all that stuff. I'm just not into all that - I just want my sous vide to get up to temperature I set and circulate the water with minimal futzing.

Maiden voyage, I always recommend pork tenderloin: 131-136 for 1-2 hours then sear. It's cheap, it's quick, it comes out amazing sous vide, and it's difficult to cook correctly conventionally (for me, at least). If you screw it up, it's not nearly as big of a loss as some nice ribeyes or something.

I’m not a Flight Attendant yet, but research shows ice bags in the crew cooler, because it can be replenished on the plane and in the hotel.

Eat cold food on the plane and hot food at the hotel. I think good cold foods to eat on the plane would be things like: Chicken, tuna or ham salads. Cous cous, toubuli, quinoa salad, egg salad, broccoli slaw, stuffed grape leaves (sorry, I love Mediterranean food!), cottage cheese, hummus and applesauce.

For hot food, I think hearty soups, stews and chili would freeze well (flat in ziplock bags!) and act like ice packs (for the first day, at least).

To warm the food up at the hotel room, there are two items popular with flight attendants. This Mini Crockpot (about $20 at Target) will heat up food in about 45 minutes, but I usually leave it plugged in for a few hours. Not for crispy foods.

The Hot Logic Mini portable oven (usually about $40 but I bought mine for $30 on a lightning deal) warms food slowly, like the mini crockpot, but you put your own containers (or frozen dinners) in it. This means you can heat larger items like fish or chicken. I bought one for my current job and cooked a frozen boneless chicken breast in two hours! The containers you use must have a flat bottom to heat the food, though, and I think glass works best.

Edit: I don’t know why the links are in Spanish and I don’t know how to fix them. I’m sorry!

-Park at the Hollywood and Highland complex. Go to CPK or another restaurant and get validation, you don't need to eat there or anything, they'll just give you validation if you ask. Walk up the hill to the Bowl. Or just take an Uber/Lyft.

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-There's a smoking section near the bathrooms on the left side of the bowl (when facing the stage). You can smoke joints there pretty easily, and cigs too if thats your thing. Be prepared to share, as some people will ask for a puff or two. I always take extra for that reason. Ideally though, take your vape pen. It's much easier, much more discreet and you can use in your seat.

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-You can grab drinks at the liquor store that's on the walk up to the Bowl. Its in the little strip mall where the Subway (sandwich shop) is. Can also grab a couple subs for easy portable eating. Good idea to take a portable soft shell cooler like [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Bag-15x12x9-Insulated-Compartments-Polyester-Insulation/dp/B013QBQ4VS/ref=sr_1_11?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1497477639&sr=1-11&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A2760690011), fill it with a bit of ice, grab some beer or wine and you're good to go.

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-Rent a seat cushion from you and your girl, they rent them out in little stalls as you're walking to your seats. They're like $0.50 each. Definitely worth it because its bench seating with no padding.

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-Generally speaking, the Bowl doesn't fill up during the week, so you'll likely be able to sit much closer than your actual seats. Give it about a half hour after the show starts, you should see large pockets of empty seats. When you see a good pocket thats closer to the stage, head down there and take a seat.

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The Bowl is easily one of my favorite venues, been going for over a decade and have never had anything but great experiences there. Be polite, be respectful and be willing to share and you'll have an amazing time.

Have fun!

I just built one using the 33 QT today. Here is the result;

http://imgur.com/a/JLO9w

With my set up I need to fill it about half way, then with the lid rotated off like in the picture the water level is just at the minimum line on the Anova.

My tap water came out at about 130F and it took about 10 minutes to get it to 160F. I then turned it off and left it and it dropped about 6F in an hour. Most of the heat is being lost out of the lid so I am thinking about spraying some foam into the lid or some silicon to get some more insulation. Long story short the Anova is easily going to be able to keep the thing at temperature full.

Easy to do, I followed this guide https://anovaculinary.com/sous-vide-cooler-guide/

Only change I made was I used a 2 1/2" hole saw vs the 2 3/8" they say in the article. That means I have some wiggle room in mine, but it is still smaller then the wide part where the chrome meets the black plastic.

I think this actually works out better because the lid is actually made of two pieces and there is a gap in between. I used some electrical tape to seal this up. There is a lot of moisture in the cooler and I think if you don't seal this well then you will have mold issues.

The other suggestion I have is to run the hole saw in reverse. A carpenter in another thread recommended this. It prevents the saw from catching and tearing. It takes a little longer but gives a nicer hole. Definitely cut in from the under side.

If you watch the 33 QT on Amazon it gets down to $15; https://camelcamelcamel.com/Coleman-Can-Party-Stacker-Cooler/product/B002BMEFHE

The 25 QT doesn't get cheaper (if it is even available); https://camelcamelcamel.com/Coleman-Can-Party-Stacker-Cooler/product/B0030BGA0U

I live in Canada and Amazon.ca doesn't have as nice deals. I picked mine up at Canadian Tire. The 25 QT and 33 QT were the same price so I just went with the larger one.

I came across /u/ShutUpLori 's post about turning a cooler into a pirates chest. I showed my wife, and she had to have one. So, with very little carpentry skill and pictures, I set off.

Step one was finding a cooler that had external hinges. This turned out to be quite difficult, so we found THIS on Amazon. ($24.64)

ShutUpLori used 5/8 in plywood. Lowes didn't have any, so I purchased 23/32. after calculating it out 1 sheet was enough to get all the cuts I needed. After speaking with the lowes guys, they actually cut it all for me! I built it a bit bigger than necessary so I could remove the cooler and re-use it, so I did not put on a spout or anything.

Using cardboard, I build the lid sides, then used that as a stencil for the wood. This was the most difficult for me getting correct angles and it required actual cutting skill. That, and I don't have a table saw, so I used a circular saw using plywood bracketed down as a guide to ensure I cut straight.


I used a finish nailer and gorilla glue to piece everything together. (The first pictures were from this stage.) The Hardest part was cutting 22.5 degree angles to the slanted pieces to fit it all together. I could have avoided some of this if I actually cut the other pieces at angles on each edge, but I had already attached and glued everything. It actually looked terrible until I sanded everything out.

In the lid, I used some 1/2" x 4" that I had laying around & 2x4 to give the lid some support. I'm not sure why I did 3 other than I wanted it to look different in case people called me a cheater.

After that I sanded the hell out of everything to ensure no sharp corners.

I purchased a dark all-in-one stain, a small can was $18.00 + Rollers ($5) to paint it, and, stained everything.

Now came the fun part. Unlike ShutUpLori, I do not have any skill in cutting straight lines, and I do not own a table saw, so after picking up a free pallet and trying it, I gave up. I do have leather working skill and tools, so we decided this would look nice. So, I purchase a 6/7oz cow hide ($120) + the dye ($8.50) from Tandy Leather. And set to doing thicker strips on the outside (2" each) and thinner strips on the inside (1 1/2"). Beveled every edge, left it rough instead of smoothing it, then dyed everything. This, out of everything, took the longest time. ~2 hours not including drying time.

Using more cardboard so I didn't waste leather, I figured out the best way to add leather accents to the sides. This took a bit to figure out, so I hope you appreciate the pictures.

I then set to attaching all the leather. I used gorilla glue along with Furniture Nails purchased from Lowes. I went through 8 boxes ($10.40). Be careful as They had two different colors of brass. I ended up having to do 50 / 50 dark brass and light brass. They also break easily, so buy more than what you're anticipating.

The hinges - $2.78 and front hasp - $2.72 were painted with a dented metal spray paint. ($6.76)

The accents were purchased at Hobby Lobby, totaled $6 with lots and lots of coupons. The lock was purchased at newegg for $14.90 as we couldn't find anything else that style and that price.
The Handles! The handles we found on e-bay. They were $12.00 and absolutely perfect. I wish the rest of the hardware had the same treatment, but oh well.

For the Lid, I drilled 2 holes through the top of the wood, and through the top of the cooler. I put in two bolts and nuts to attach it to the lid of the chest. This also allows me to remove the lid so that I can use the treasure chest for other things as well.

So, list of items and cost:
Plywood: $23.00

Cooler: $24.64

Leather: $120 (only actually needed 1/2) so $60

Leather Dye: $8.50

Furniture Nails: $10.40

Gorilla Glue: $4.99

Hinges x2: $5.56

Hasp: $2.72

Handles: $12

Wood Stain: $18

Rollers: $5

Lock: $14.90

Total Cost: $189.71

Look on my wife's face when it was completed: Priceless

Time: ~20 hours over two weekends
Trips to Lowes: 12 (The guy in hardware knows me by name now. Thank god it's only 2 miles away)

Edit: Forgot a couple items on my cost list

I'm afraid with 3 kegs and ice the handle or wheels will break. I don't think trashcans are designed for that much weight. It may quickly become a stationary party kegerator, but that's OK too.

I use the basic Igloo Ice cube cooler it fits 2 kegs JUST barely, and i just put an emergency blanket (looks like aluminum foil) over it and always have cold beer.

For 1 keg in my cooler (or even your trash can) one amazingly clever insulating trick I picked up was this. Grease your kegs and the trash can, put the kegs in and fill the trash can with water like half way. Then get a couple of cans of Great Stuff, fill that bitch up about 4 inches with great stuff right on top of the water, then let it dry for 2-3 days. Use a knife to make the top flat, and Voila you have a removal insulating mold formed precisely to your specs.

The CO2 bottle is nice, I just use the tiny CO2 cartridges in a little contraption, I don't think they are very efficient though.

A Coleman 48 qt cooler is a great gift for someone looking to move into All Grain brewing!

A little food safe silicone, some beverage tubing, a rubber mini keg bung, and a Bazooka screen (alternatively, a braided plumbing connection), and couple of hose clamps will transform it into an inexpensive and low maintenance mash tun.

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-3000000-48-Quart-Performance-Cooler/dp/B002V9XV9K

EDIT: It sounds like you have the money to buy him much more sophisticated equipment. That Mash & Boil looks AWESOME.

/u/zeropin answered your question pretty well, but if you're trying to get super fancy with this:

1. full size 6" memory foam mattress
   
   
2. 13 inch cooler
   
   I work from the road sometimes and use this setup. I've cut the mattress to fit the back bed and it's ALMOST like sleeping at home as long as I find a flat piece of ground to park on. Currently driving from NC to Colorado 8 hours at a time while working from coffee shops.
   
   
   The cooler fits nicely in the space between the folded down seats (with headrests removed) and obviously can keep your drinks cold with a 10lb bag of ice. Also, if I've got a guest, this setup will fairly comfortably sleep 2. If you need pics or further explanation please let me know.

i figured since i did some research on this a while back that maybe this could help with your food issues.
if you get a cooler like this one

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Can-Party-Stacker-Cooler/dp/B0030BGA0U/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538939638&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Coleman+25-Quart+Cooler

or any smaller cooler that can typically hold 20-30 quarts of liquid and pack it with ice you can keep things that normally would be refrigerated for anywhere from 3-5 days as long as you top up the ice 1-2x a week.

if you consider the added benefit of food choices and costs a $20 upfront cost and $1-2 a week afterwards a week isnt so bad and could save you money in the long run.

2nd thing to tackle food wise is what to do with dishware and cleaning it.
having access to metal glass or hard plastic plates will help cut down immensely in costs as in order to clean them you simply need a little bit of water from a water bottle and a dishtowel wiping the plates down before applying any soap or water can reduce the total amount of time and supplies needed to clean them as well
any goodwill you can find yourself several varieties of plates and bowls for dirt cheap if you are needing them

if you can afford it you can also use papertowels over the plates for non liquid foods to help reduce cleanup as well.

next lack of a way to heat your food. if all you are doing is simply heating up precooked food you can easily use the heat of the car and or your engine with some alluminum foil to keep things hot that has been opened. think having lunch and dinner same meal could mean opening in the morning leaving in the car wrapped in alluminium it'll be hot by lunch and put 2nd half back in to keep warm for dinner.

alternatively you could possibly find a convenience store that might let you use their microwave a few times a week or more

thats all i can think of for now other than keep dirty laundry in the trunk so it doesnt stink up the car?

also unless its a significant drive to find one i would suggest cutting starbucks out and looking for a bookstore/library/any other air conditioned place you can sit down and it doesnt cost you anything to be out of the heat for a few hours

Hey!

I've decided I'll go with this tiny cooler box - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000IBWI42/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE
To keep my film cool while on the road. I'm now wondering about moisture... How do I counteract it? I've heard whispers of silica gel being my best bet. Has anyone done something like this before?

Also, I've decided I'd need to up my budget for a tripod to £75-£100. I'm looking for something lightweight, very compact, adjectable to eye level. Something that I can easily fit in my bag. If I could get something similar to them requirements without being that much, please suggest it haha!

Thank you very much <3

The Aerocoast cooler/combo kit isn't big enough for my liking. It has the cooler space but lacking flight bag space. I use this bag from Amazon from a recommendation on our pilot facebook page

I use the top flap for flight bag stuff. It fits checklists on the bottom, I keep flashlight, battery pack, sunglasses and Bose A20's (not in the case) in the top section. Cooler section is good to bring at least a few meals with you depending on the size of containers you bring. I haven't had any real issue with it. The cooler liner can zip out so you can clean it easier, and even comes with a 2nd one as a replacement.

Front pocket I keep my Miscellaneous stuff: Pens, charging cords, sticky notes, mini germX bottle, Emergen-C packets, etc.

The back of the bag can slip over your suitcases handles so it rests on top of the suitcase which is how I carry it. Unfortunately its not really compatible with a "J-hook" from what I can tell. I dont like using my J-hook anyway which is why I really like this bag.

So I was looking through your wishlist and I see a lot of things you really don't need. I took it upon myself to prune your list and save you some money.

$200 for a mattress? Get this highly attractive and equally awesome queen size pull out sofa for just $60.

A tie rack? Real men make their own.

Mini fridge. Bam, $12.

Odor Eliminator Gel? Use vinegar.

Cleaner/Degreaser? Vinegar.

Make your own laundry detergent.

Cloth wipes will save you so much money, and they feel soo nice on the butt. Just ask my son!

Reed Diffusers? Pffft, just pick up some cedar shavings and shove them into corners. You'll be smelling like a real man in no time.

I guess your friends need somewhere to sit. Carry on. But you can make your own bean bag by sewing up a sheet and collecting all the packing materials you get from RAoA boxes.

It seems like what this woman is trying to do is noble, but many of us have been achieving the same thing for years with one of these. It's a fraction of the price, is durable, has a convenient carrying handle, and is easy to clean.

I love making red beans and rice or chicken and rice when out backpacking and camping this way. Boil some water at breakfast. Pour it into the vessel with rice, meat, and seasonings. At lunch you will have quite the meal, with very little fuss.

I will keep noting temps for several days in several different scenarios and eventually make a post about it, but the first day's results prove everything you preach about thermodynamics. 2 different thickness and volume empty coolers did an amazing job of equalizing to the hot interior ambient of the vehicle and an equally amazing job of retaining heat when the ambient dropped.

Today's coolers were 2 Colemans, a cheap Walmart $25 28qt bail handle cooler and an apparently discontinued $80 (70qt) Coleman Xtreme with 2" insulation [like this one](https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-70-Quart-Xtreme-Cooler/dp/B000G64I1A/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=coleman+6270&qid=1569544809&sr=8-39/26/19 -)

• 7am ext ambient 68F , interior amb 71F including inside both empty Coleman coolers
  
  
• 4:10pm ext amb 91F, int amb 98F, Coleman Xtreme 95F, medium Coleman 94F ???
  
  
• 10 min drive to next parking spot with A/C on max bringing cab temp to 83F
  
  
• 6:30p - ext amb 84F, cab amb 86F, Xtreme Coleman 94F, med Coleman 94F
  
  
• 30 min drive with A/C on max to overnight parking space
  
  
• 7pm - ext amb 82, cab amb chilly 72F, Xtreme Coleman 93F, med Coleman 89F
  
  
• 8:30p - ext amb 76F, cab amb 83F, Xtreme Coleman 89F, med Coleman 83F
  
  Stay tuned for monitoring internal temps of a large Yeti cooler subjected to both freezing, chilly and hot exterior temps as well as more fun and games, possibly to even include humidity data for some select applications.

https://www.amazon.com/Polar-Bear-Coolers-Nylon-Cooler/dp/B001PCKAC0/?tag=gearsearcher-20

This is the cooler I have, been using it for the last 3 months. I like it. Super durable, nylon and good zippers. You can put in two good sized gel freezer packs on the bottom and keeps everything cold for 30+ hours. Perfectly sized for the Pyrex containers I take food in. So far it hasn’t leaked and it doesn’t “sweat”. A couple of pockets to store utensils and condiment packets. Decently sized but I could see some people wanting more room (dimensions are 18” long, 10” wide, 9” deep). Easy to get on and off steps with and has a decent shoulder strap. It’s $89 on Amazon currently, but I know they occasionally have sales on it.

I’d give it a 9/10 overall, wish it had a few more pockets.

• A thermos of hot chocolate/soup is magnificent.
  
  
• Bring a Snickers bar for after the dive too. The sugar and protein can get your blood/metabolism pumping and it's a good snack to hold you over until you get to your next hot meal
  
  
• Fill a ≈gallon sized, insulated jug with hot water and do your best to keep it warm (wrapping it in a towel or some neoprene material from a fabric store works great). Dunk your hands in there if they're too cold to move around (it's hard to warm up your hands and fingers). Otherwise, don't forget chemical hand warmers packs (but they stop working once they get wet)
  
  
• An extra towel and a complete extra change of clothes are a good backup
  
  
• Have a setup plan and stick to it to change in and out of gear. Minimize any time where you aren't wearing a hat/gloves/jacket/etc. Body heat is quickly lost and it takes forever to return when you're wet and your body temp is down
  
  
• Ditch your gear, and immediately get out of your wet scuba gear. Break down your scuba rig well after you're dry, warm, and stabilized

Those work fine for small items but for larger items (think multiple racks of baby backs or standing roasts or turkeys or...) there is a better way that works for large loads and also works for smaller loads. It changes the dynamic for large family/group meals: pre-cook as much as you can and then use the Frankencooler to reheat everything the day of for a no-fuss mob meal.

A Frankencooler has much greater capacity with far better insulation for much less money than the Cambro pans. A Frankencooler is also big enough to store the cooker and related toys in when not in use.

Here's one that holds 28 quarts that comes with a sturdy handle. Anova says you can even go a bit larger if you want and still maintain a reliable temperature. The Frankencooler does require a little work to adapt but Anova has provided step by step instructions with photos to guide your way.

I am guessing/hoping that Vegas will have plenty of packaging deals that include Raiders tickets.

Until then you can still get somewhat affordable tickets by buying way early and sitting in a not so great seat. I would drive to the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART station and take BART to the Coliseum Station. Bring your rolling cooler and enjoy some tailgating. I usually bring a good amount of snacks and water inside the stadium and I've never been hassled about it. (The cooler may not make it inside but you could also have a backpack. It's also fairly easy to find an RV group that will let you stash your cooler until after the game.)

Good luck try to catch them in Oakland so you can just say you did.

wow, make sure you give yourself lots of time ..

make sure you keep all you're filter media, gravel, and decor completely covered with tank water in order to keep the beneficial bacteria alive during the move ..

get some insulated coolers to transport the fish in. they should hold the water at a constant temperature longer than a regular old plastic tote ..

enlist a few friends for the move ..

goodluck.

FWIW, [this cooler[(http://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-FG2C0902MODBL-Extreme-Wheeled-75-Quart/dp/B0052EBRC4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1464706284&sr=8-3&keywords=cooler) does actually work in extremely hot temperatures--probably not to the extent of a hot car around 120 degrees of more, but it's pretty effective. Should keep anything good for a day though

Get him this cooler as a cooking vessel. He can cut a hole in the corner of the lid and it will hold heat better, and won't lose water over long cooks. FYI the anova precision cooker works like a charm with this cooler.

Edit: the red one is 22 bucks and fast shipping.

Edit 2: I ought to answer your question: no, there's no real need for a vacuum sealer, although I would like to own one. I'm saving for a Vacamaster chamber sealer. I currently use freezer ziplock bags and they work just fine. The cooler is far more important, imo, because you can fit quite a bit more in it than you can with most containers. Also, yes it is an it larger than the anova's capacity, but because it's a cooler, it will work just fine.

There's also a wire rack that will keep things separated for better circulation between multiple items.

Are you going to be without ice access for the entire week?

This one was $40 for a long time. Looks like it's low on stock right now. I'd keep and eye out and see if new stock comes in and drops back to $40. I have it and it works just fine, but I usually can drain and add a couple new scoops of ice each day.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0052EBRC4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1464874262&sr=1-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=rubbermaid+cooler&dpPl=1&dpID=41dkwdQhIKL&ref=plSrch

Like others have said don't take a premium cooler to a music festival unless you are 100% sure it can't be stolen. I'd take a bike lock if you camp overnight or lock it up in a car at night. Even a cheap one.

For almost the same price as that lid, you can get a Coleman Party Stacker that Anova recommends for container modification in this guide that they published a while back. I made one, and it's awesome, albeit more water than your current setup. I use it any time I'm cooking longer than a quick half-hour dip for shrimp. If that seems like more effort than it's worth, the setup you have now with an added dish towel and/or saran wrap would likely work nearly as well.

>I’m looking for ideas for meals so he can take some prepped meals with him out of town each week, not worry about keeping the food cold, and can enjoy a yummy meal.

Two questions:

1. Is $25 available in the budget for a new lunchbox cooler?
   
2. Does he have access to ice daily?
   
   My buddy carries around one of these:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Igloo-Playmate-Industrial-Diamond-Exterior/dp/B003LZKRVI/
   
   It's a hard lunchbox cooler & keeps food cold via ice. The ice does need to be refilled daily. Most gas stations & convenience marts has ice, as does many fast-food places like McDonalds & Burger King (they are starting to sell it by the bag!). It's basically portable refrigeration - one option if he wants fresher stuff on the road. One approach is to keep it stocked with a variety of meats & cheeses & condiments, and then buy a 6-pack of grinder rolls to use for sandwiches throughout the week. Would that be an option that he could fit into his workflow during the week?
   
   Next question: how many meals & snacks does he need prepped? Breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Morning snack & afternoon snack? Dessert?

I store my veggies in the fridge, in this small cooler which keeps them very fresh and dry for a long time! It's the perfect size and holds a good amount of veggies. Highly recommend!

Make him more sandwiches, more peanut butter on them. More bananas, more apples, more peanuts. Oatmeal cream pies if he's got a sweet tooth. Cheap calories are what he needs. Buy a bigger cooler for his lunch, fill it up with cheap wholesome food. Talk him into not buying snacks at stores. Feed him cheap easy side dishes with dinner to fill him up: bread and butter, microwave potatoes and butter, rice. He's burning off calories running around all day, not everything needs to be delicious and full of vitamins. He just needs to get more fuel. Ive been there, i know what im talking about and this is how i managed.

EDIT: This sized cooler, fill it up. http://www.amazon.com/Igloo-Playmate-Industrial-Diamond-Exterior/dp/B003LZKRVI/ref=sr_1_13?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1410308901&sr=1-13

Find out what he buys at the convenience store, buy something like it at the grocery store cheaper.

Is it only to keep things cool, and only while driving? Have you considered a thermo electric cooler like this? You can plug it into the car 12V outlet and it keeps things cool. You can usually get a house adapter so you can cool it over night before your trip for even better performance

So, after hours spent on internet I decided to get myself a 28 quart insulated cooler for my new Anova. I didn't expect it to have "can space" on top but it's a perfect fit. Right now I have 12 New York strip cooking in there for 2.5h.

links

cooler : https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000MQ63C6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
cooker : https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00UKPBXM4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

note : prices are CDN $

Picked up this cooler (52 quart Coleman Xreme) off Amazon for a great price when posted here and plan on using it to mash. I'll likely be doing a mash in a bag with this for convenience.

I went with Bargain Fittings for my kettles ball valve and was pleased with the product/service/pricing. Which bulkhead/valve should I be using to convert this cooler? Anyone know? Being that I'll be using a bag, I assume I won't need a false bottom or bazooka screen.

How big?


I ask because this one is pretty damn good. It's pretty big so it's good for a party.

It's rated for 15-19 quarts, but you can stretch it a bit by using a better container. I think your 40 quart is probably a bit too big, especially since it's cheap and won't have super good thermal insulation.

I'm not sure how well your brick idea will work. I think you'd probably have to deal with huge preheating times as the anova slowly brings the bricks up to temp. You should probably be fine once it's up to temp though.

Coleman makes a 25 quart "party stacker" cooler that lots of people tend to like. The lid is fully removable so you can make the same modifications as you had planned with your big cooler.

There's also some smaller rubbermaid plastic tubs that people like to use. You can cover it with plastic wrap to stop evaporation if you want.

An Igloo Playmate cooler is my go-to sous vide vessel. Cheap, plenty of capacity and in theory it should help retain heat. Also great for brining stuff like turkeys in.

Bring the refrigerator/microwave with you! A small cooler with an ice pack will last until lunch and keep things cold.
I don't remember where but recently there was a thread that featured this amazing product which will keep warm things warm/heat up your lunch. All you need is a plug in.

Edit: If no plug in, get a Thermos with a wide mouth for soups/stews/yummy warm winter treats. If you prime it with hot water your lunch will stay hot.

when I went to burning man this was my setup:

• I bought an igloo cooler on wheels with a handle, they're on sale right now too.
  
• I placed 2-3 bricks of dry ice wrapped in newspaper on the bottom (purchased from a nearby grocery store the day I left for the trip)
  
• placed 3 already frozen 2-liter bottles of soda that I had used and filled with water on top (put the caps on after you freeze them, and leave some air in the top for the water to expand as it freezes).
  
  The dry ice keeps the soda bottles frozen for days, and keeps all the food you place on top nice and cold. Things you want to stay frozen you place lower towards the ice bottles, things you just want cold go on the top. At burning man with 90+ degree temps it lasted 5 days.

Yo whatchu mean dawg? dis a cooler lol

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-3000000-48-Quart-Cooler-Blue/dp/B002V9XV9K XD

I ferment 2.5 gallon batches in this, which is great because I can close the lid even. Has been good for keeping temps ~10 degrees below ambient.

At the advice of many here, this is the cooler I chose:

Link

I could not be happier about it. It was less than $50, gives me the capacity to easily brew 10 gallon batches if I choose, and holds its temperature miraculously.

Good luck out there!

Haven't used that one, but I use a coleman xtreme 52 qt cooler. The xtreme models are advertised to hold temp and do very well in my experience.

Mischief Managed

1. Because Star Wars.
   
   
2. The swimming version!
   
   
3. When you don't wear the thing, but still want to keep the sun out of your eyes.
   
   
4. Literally.
   
   
5. IT STILL STORES STUFF, OKAY?
   
   Bonus: Even Boba Fett needed one.

Here's the thing about a cooler / Ice chest: They are just an insulated box. It's really easy to make a decent cooler and also really easy to make one that is junk. We got the Coleman Steel Belted Cooler as a wedding gift and we're very happy with it. We had a BBQ at the end of summer and it was filled with ice and soda. We left it on our sun porch until the soda was gone about a week later. It was like having a second fridge that thing stayed so cold and this was on my sunporch!

My father was in the concession business back in the 80s and he still has his old Igloo (I think) cooler. The hinges are broken but he never replaced them; he just put some duct tape on the sides to keep the lid from flying off. It still keeps food cold.

I can't imagine having no storage. It's not that much larger than a 6-pack with just enough room to put in ice. I could probably store several of them in a closet around the things already in there with no issues. I wasn't trying to talk you out of the circulator, just giving a more cost effective solution.

8.27 x 7.09 x 10.63 inches

eBags Crew Cooler II and some ice packs is the best solution I've found. I fill it with water, iced tea, celery sticks, walnuts, almonds, etc to get me through the day.

I have this one: Coleman 24-Can Party Stacker. Fits in the Model 3 frunk well and under $20.

Edit: Found the youtube video that convinced me to buy it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IBWI42 this is the exact one I use (5 quart coleman). Not very big. The thick sides help to make sure it freezes from top down though so not sure I'd use tupperware.

Water level should be 2-2.5 times as high as you want the cubes. so 5inch water ~2.5inch cubes.

Dang. Just bought this cooler for $23 but the price went up to $34. I'm kinda liking it kinda not. I wish it were slightly fatter so I could put the cedar trays I got inside it sideways instead of lengthwise so I could fit more but oh well.

Hi! Welcome to RAoA! :D

• cheapest item: Geocaching logs
  
  
• Something else that I want: a cooler for camping this summer
  
  Thanks for the contest!

I've had success with small water jugs. Keeps the temp just fine and then I finish it off on a cast iron pan.

Or think about not starting small and just buy a cooler and a bunch of Boveda's.

I'm sure a bunch of guys will tell you they bought a tupperdor, then another, then another. Just start from the beginning and save more money for cigars.

I have the basic Coleman 12 gallon and the conversion was a breeze. It's easy to remove the plastic valve that's already in there.

The Xtreme models are a little pricier but also get quite a bit larger, if you want to future proof your setup. They're also much better insulated, but the standard one holds temp well. I might lose a degree or two over an hour mash.

I LOVE MY COLEMAN Seriously. It looks retro and keeps ICE for me for at least 3 days.

Looks like a Coleman Party Stacker.

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Can-Party-Stacker-Cooler/dp/B0030BGA0U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484588750&sr=8-1&keywords=Coleman+Party+Stacker

This is what I'm wondering. The thin metal lunchboxes won't keep your food cold for long, even with an icepack in there. I use this one and it works great.

Thanks a lot. Sadly I just cant but one of those CW chillers. I just found this on amazon.

Igloo Iceless Thermoelectric Cooler (Silver/White, 26-Quart) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007ZYIFQ0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_-1OyDb1GJ2Z3C

Whould this do any good?

We bought a 12qt Polycarbonate food service container.

I then made a "Insulator" out of the Reflectix Bubble Wrap insulation that wraps around the vessle. Don't forget a lid either (and cut a hole for the circulator to slip through.

Alternately, a cheap cooler makes a good alternative.

This one is popular on another forum:
https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Can-Party-Stacker-Cooler/dp/B002BMCLMU/

I believe I'm using this one, though I don't have a spigot on mine. It's like 22 x 12.5 x 12 on the inside.

I tried shoving a 6.5G carboy in. No go. A 60 quart cooler might fit it. You'd have to be careful, a lot of them aren't flat on their sides, and you'd have to watch that it didn't leak as your ice melted.

Cooler with telescoping handle and solid wheels 40 bucks

Rechargable hand blender - 100 bucks

I believe I've also seen cigarette lighter powered coolers that use the thermoelectric effect (or something) to cool, so you don't need to keep buying ice.

Edit: something like this

Not much cheaper, but this one is bigger and I really like it.

https://www.amazon.ca/Coleman-Can-Party-Stacker-Cooler/dp/B002BMCLMU

First, get a cooler you can toss in the back of your truck. You didnt say a budget, so...

Expensive: Pelican coolers can keep ice for up to 10 days, effectively making it a mobile fridge.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06X9SW99T/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523229781&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=pelican+cooler&dpPl=1&dpID=41xqyWuuwQL&ref=pplSrch

Cheap: Coleman chest, it will keep it cold for a few hours. Toss an ice pack in with your food.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000MQ63C6/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1523229994&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=cooler+chest&dpPl=1&dpID=51YdkfYHHCL&ref=plSrch

I have a 6.5 Gallon glass carboy and the 70qt MaxCold version fits perfectly because the lid is domed. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F6UJ5K/

Edit: you still need to cut the hole for the air lock.

I actually kind of combined the two methods you mentioned. I just happened to have a tall cooler like this one that I wasn't using for anything. I took the lid off of it and put some cold water in the bottom, put my fermentation bucket in the water, and then dipped a t-shirt in the water and pulled it over the bucket. It had started out at around 76 degrees and after a few hours it got down to 68 and has stayed that way for about 3 days without having to change the water.

The cooler is not cheap, but I'm sure something similar would work.

Coleman 52 Quart Xtreme

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000G33YWM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_O2oxzbSNWK7W2

Amazon had this massive cooler on sale a few months ago for $22.94. Then I got a bulkhead and ball valve from Bargain Fittings for $25.

Looks like an old style of COLEMAN coolers - here it is on amazon

Cheap and insulated.

Just make sure to rinse out whatever container you use, and don't use detergent or soap on it.

Well with both of them you are still going to have to buy stuff. Truthfully you need items from both. The first one you still need a way to boil your wort. And the second you need fermentation vessels. That being said the 2nd ad is all quality stuff at a decent price.

What is your price range? What are you looking to do for brewing. Im confident you could build a mashtun, buy a burner, and a pot for $200. You might be able to get some icing buckets from a local bakery to ferment in.

EDIT: Check out this stock pot this cooler and this burner. Build yourself a valve/bazooka screen for the cooler and find something to ferment in, an auto siphon with bottling wand, capper and caps, and you are good to go. Scale it down if you want but being in the gulf I'm sure you could use all of it for crawfish boils if you find you don't like to brew.

EDIT2: I didn't see the first guy included a pot. That would be the cheapest way to break into the hobby. Im kinda gear crazy right now so don't let me freak you out with expensive shit.

If you go with the Coleman XTreme line of coolers for your mash tun, this is unneccessary -- I did a 90m mash last weekend and didn't lose a single degree in 50F weather. May be helpful if you're brewing outside in a cold winter climate, but those XTreme coolers are no joke.

Seriously, though, $450?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016H9TC6/

https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Personal-Blender-51103/dp/B002V8ZEXW/

https://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-SoundWorks-OontZ-Angle-Generation/dp/B010OYASRG/

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-RAVPower-20100mAh-Universal-Smartphones/dp/B01LYONAT8/

https://www.amazon.com/Waiters-Corkscrew-HiCoup-All-one/dp/B00MSXW15E/

https://www.amazon.com/BoatMates-2150-Drink-Holder-White/dp/B001447V58/

I'm at $220, mostly for my nice portable battery, and I don't have to take the cooler everywhere.

You can use a small cooler as well; I've been using a Coleman for a couple of years now for this sort of thing.

It is the King Kooker dual burner for $159, along with an 8 gallon kettle with temp gauge and spigot that I found on amazon for $84.99 -http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00420Z50Y/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We also did a mash tun conversion with a 10 gallon cooler-
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016H9TC6/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use a party stacker cooler:

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Can-Party-Stacker-Cooler/dp/B002BMCLMU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491263015&sr=8-1&keywords=party%2Bstacker&th=1

Hole cut out to fit the anova and cut it up the middle so you can open the lid without moving the cooker.

Bought a small blue cooler: https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-FlipLid-Personal-Cooler-Quarts/dp/B00363X3F2

Filled it with Brita-filtered Chicago tap water and let it freeze about 3/4 way down. Popped the top off and used hot running water to get the ice to slide right out. Finally I used a hammer that had daisies on it and an ice pick to break it into rocks-sized ice "cubes". Put it in a glass and poured four roses single barrel over it.

Blue Coleman is the standard for Seattle Cascades.https://smile.amazon.com/Coleman-3000000739-Beverage-Cooler/dp/B00363V3LI/


Also, I agree with the advice about an air mattress - get a cheap one with a battery operated pump and maybe a cheap patch kit to hold you over if it blows between Walmart stops. Replace it when it won't hold air, ditch it at the end of tour.

This should be fine: https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-FlipLid-Personal-Cooler-Blue/dp/B000IBWI42/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467824032&sr=8-1&keywords=small+cooler

If you really want to keep stuff cold for extended periods you gotta go with a real cooler. There's a reason every construction worker ever carries one of these.

As /u/dcdood said, freeze a water bottle or two and throw it in the igloo and your stuff will be cold all day.

I think what you want to look for is an electric cooler. I think there should be one the right size.
https://www.amazon.com/Igloo-40369-Iceless-Thermoelectric-28-Quart/dp/B007ZYIFQ0/

Don't use a pot; get a Cambro
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/cambro-8sfscw135-8-qt-clear-square-polycarbonate-food-storage-container-with-winter-rose-gradations/2148SFSCW.html

Or a mini-cooler
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-FlipLid-Personal-Cooler-Blue/dp/B000IBWI42/

this

I most often use a small Coleman Cooler, which is handy as a cooler too.

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-3000000-48-Quart-Cooler-Blue/dp/B002V9XV9K

Here you go, only $12 https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-FlipLid-Cooler-Quart-Blue/dp/B000IBWI42/ref=sr_1_39?keywords=cooler&qid=1558714649&s=gateway&sr=8-39

Igloo Iceless Thermoelectric Cooler

Now you don't need Ice.

I love my gigantic igloo cooler. The price fluctuates quite a lot, but the current price is near the low end of what I've seen advertised. http://www.amazon.com/Igloo-Cube-Maxcold-Roller-70-Quart/dp/B000F6UJ5K/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1407215105&sr=1-2

I use the Coleman 70 Quart Xtreme, it is $44 bucks shipped to your door. The extra space won't hurt a 5 gal batch, and you will be ready for 10 gal batches if you ever decide to do them.

EDIT: It kicks ass.

Here's a hard case lunch box that has an added benefit of no one wanting to steal it.

Here's one that people will definitely steal. But it supposedly holds ice 3 days. Yes it's soft but not flimsy.

Here's the one I'd recommend. It's $12 incl prime shipping. If you lose it, or it gets run over.... or shit, if it gets moldy and you don't want to clean it, just get another one.

This is somewhat of a misconception. Freezing temperature depression is dependent on the salt concentration (each mole of NaCl/liter of water is about 3.4°C). For a fairly small sized cooler, like this one, you would need about 240-250 grams of salt (NaCl) to lower the freezing point by 1° C. That's about half a lb. For reference, the standard container of salt that you get from the supermarket is about 1 lb. In order to significantly lower the freezing temperature of that much water, you need a ridiculously large amount of salt.

The salt is totally superfluous. The ice water bath is simply there for surface area contact and for a homogenization of the cold reservoir around the bottle/can.