Portable freezer recommendations

[Abey]

Looking for some recs for a portable freezer to take on camping trip, need something that “locks “ so that I can check it on flight and then something with built in battery or can connect to car/ battery pack to keep meats and food frozen for a 5 day trip out west. Any recommendations?
Not looking to spend on the insanely kitted out ones but will spend a little for something more decent

[Realshlomo]

Might not be what you're looking for but I've used a cooler picked up from Walmart with ice. Kept everything frozen solid.

[Abey]

Might not be what you're looking for but I've used a cooler picked up from Walmart with ice. Kept everything frozen solid.

wont last 5 days and transferring  meat and hoping the hotel has a freezer is not my first choice

[Realshlomo]

wont last 5 days and transferring  meat and hoping the hotel has a freezer is not my first choice

Will last as long you can put in fresh ice.

Successfully did this for longer than 5 days.

[aygart]

Will last as long you can put in fresh ice.

Successfully did this for longer than 5 days.

This should be easy. Most hotels have an ice machine and even if they don't it is easy to find at gas stations.

[Abey]

This should be easy. Most hotels have an ice machine and even if they don't it is easy to find at gas stations.

Its def workable but messy and not ideal, looking for someone with a recommendation for an electric freezer…

[SSLPhD]

Its def workable but messy and not ideal, looking for someone with a recommendation for an electric freezer…

I've looked into this, but I decided against it.  I'm curious what you're trying to keep frozen. Pom meals that are best not defrosted for days, or meat that might be fine in fridge temps.  If OK to defrost, consider an electric cooler, which can be plugged in at your destination and won't require messy ice.  If you really want it all frozen, first, check with the hotel if your room will have one, and if not ask if they have room in their own freezer. If not, another idea would be freezing it all solid before you leave and ordering a regular mini freezer to be picked up at a nearby Walmart.

[yitzgar]

This should be easy. Most hotels have an ice machine and even if they don't it is easy to find at gas stations.

Hotel ice machine ice isn't as cold as bags from a store/gas station.
That being said, if the meat is deep frozen it should be fine for 5 days as long as it is kept cold

[Abey]

Might not be what you're looking for but I've used a cooler picked up from Walmart with ice. Kept everything frozen solid.

with all the ice and meat was still under 50 pounds ? What size

[Something Fishy]

@Abey it's hard to give you recommendations as your needs aren't clear.

You mention camping, a car battery, and a hotel. These have very different challenges and solutions. You're not saying what exactly you need to keep cold, and I'm not clear if you specifically need frozen or not.

Please clarify these points and I'm sure we can figure it out. I've kept food for 20 people ice cold for 10 days in 90-degree Africa with only a few day's access to a small freezer and a little bit of ingenuity. Everything is doable if you know exactly what it is you're trying to do.

[Abey]

@Abey it's hard to give you recommendations as your needs aren't clear.

You mention camping, a car battery, and a hotel. These have very different challenges and solutions. You're not saying what exactly you need to keep cold, and I'm not clear if you specifically need frozen or not.

Please clarify these points and I'm sure we can figure it out. I've kept food for 20 people ice cold for 10 days in 90-degree Africa with only a few day's access to a small freezer and a little bit of ingenuity. Everything is doable if you know exactly what it is you're trying to do.

Thanks for trying to help. Planning a YNP and GTNP trip.I will be taking raw frozen meat, and some dairy. I will have access to hotel ice but since we will be moving from hotel to hotel (no camping) I like the portable freezer option where I can just plug and go wherever we spend the night.
A standard cooler should work but the dripping water doesn’t excite me…

If I do go cooler what size do you recommend for a couple on a 1 week trip ? Obviously trying to keep it below 50 pounds for check in luggage.

Thanks again!

[Something Fishy]

Sounds to me like a standard Polar Bear 48 cooler would do the job perfectly. Freeze the meat for at least a week and it'll stay frozen for days. If you're worried about opening the cooler too often, fill it up with ice when you begin taking food out - even if it thaws it'll stay plenty cold.

Dripping water is not an issue with a PB, anything wet stays inside. Once a day open the zipper an inch or two and tip it so that any meltwater runs out.

[Something Fishy]

Also I've never been able to get a PB to weigh more than 38 pounds, no matter how hard I try.

[Abey]

Sounds to me like a standard Polar Bear 48 cooler would do the job perfectly. Freeze the meat for at least a week and it'll stay frozen for days. If you're worried about opening the cooler too often, fill it up with ice when you begin taking food out - even if it thaws it'll stay plenty cold.

Dripping water is not an issue with a PB, anything wet stays inside. Once a day open the zipper an inch or two and tip it so that any meltwater runs out.

are these as cold as the roller coolers  ? It will stay in a car with temps possibly in the high 90,s

[Something Fishy]

I don't use roller coolers but PBs will keep your stuff cold in 90 degrees no problem.

[tzifanya54]

Thanks for trying to help. Planning a YNP and GTNP trip.I will be taking raw frozen meat, and some dairy. I will have access to hotel ice but since we will be moving from hotel to hotel (no camping) I like the portable freezer option where I can just plug and go wherever we spend the night.
A standard cooler should work but the dripping water doesn’t excite me…

If I do go cooler what size do you recommend for a couple on a 1 week trip ? Obviously trying to keep it below 50 pounds for check in luggage.

Thanks again!

Done this exact trip with a roller cooler. Here is what I did. I froze every single dairy and meat item that I took for a few days. I also froze several water bottles as well. Loaded everything put in a few water bottles until it got close to 50 lbs. I then used two luggage straps to secure the lid stays perfectly closed in the plane. It worked like a charm. Zero liquid even after a day or 2. The water bottles contain the melted water. After day 2 loaded up on ice once or twice. Used the bottom drain in hotel bath tub. Basically completely mess free.

[E R K]

My friend has something like this
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Coleman-40-Qt-Thermoelectric-Cooler-with-120-Volt-Adapter-3000004321/206851528

It keeps the food cold. However they don’t recommend checking it in as luggage cuz it would get smashed up. But maybe if you keep it in the box with all the padding it would be ok to check in.

[Dan]

Sounds to me like a standard Polar Bear 48 cooler would do the job perfectly. Freeze the meat for at least a week and it'll stay frozen for days. If you're worried about opening the cooler too often, fill it up with ice when you begin taking food out - even if it thaws it'll stay plenty cold.

Dripping water is not an issue with a PB, anything wet stays inside. Once a day open the zipper an inch or two and tip it so that any meltwater runs out.

+1, not a big deal.

[Dan]

Also I've never been able to get a PB to weigh more than 38 pounds, no matter how hard I try.

Fill it with hot water in a tub to expand it. Got to 50 pounds on POM meals and deli no problem.

[Moshe Green]

Looking for some recs for a portable freezer to take on camping trip, need something that “locks “ so that I can check it on flight and then something with built in battery or can connect to car/ battery pack to keep meats and food frozen for a 5 day trip out west. Any recommendations?
Not looking to spend on the insanely kitted out ones but will spend a little for something more decent

not answering your question but there is beef jerky and other such products that can last out of a fridge. check your local supermarket/specialty butcher store for more options. Might not be as tasty as freshly grilled steaks but may make things easier towards the 4-5 day.