I recently bought a new Waeco lunch box
Just wondering what you type of ice bricks you use and recommend
Just wondering what you type of ice bricks you use and recommend
Ice bricks/gel packs
- Thread starter Sandta
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Couple of .5 litre plastic bottles 3/4 full of water. Freeze, put in cooler box, keeps things cold and gives you a drink when it's melted 
and it's like me, cheap
and it's like me, cheap 
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I bought about 9 of the 9x6x1/2" so I could lay 2 on the floor and add one vertical at each end that way I have some in the freezer to use the next day so I can cycle them, I also have about 9, 6x3x1/2" versions to fit my lunch cooler, Also if the weather gets over 32*c I can add a couple to my 12v cooler, It works @ 25-30* below the ambient but when I add the Ice bricks it will drop a couple of degrees below freezing and it rarely cycles on and off, I tried it a month or so back at 35*c and the cooler stayed between -0.7*c and 1.4*c over a 24hr period, and it used 8.9watts per hour over a period of 32 hours,
Those blocks are Great if you only have a freezer and you want to use a 12v cooler as a fridge as long as you cycle the blocks every 24 or so hours.
hope that helps.
Those blocks are Great if you only have a freezer and you want to use a 12v cooler as a fridge as long as you cycle the blocks every 24 or so hours.
hope that helps.
silver said:Frozen ones..... yes yes the frozen ones work best.
Good onya :Y:
Cunny f....
I made these to go in my bait esky, 40mm PVC pipe and end caps
Glue on 1 end, let's set for 24hrs, 3/4 fill with water and carefully glue on other cap keeping tube upright, leave for 24hrs.
Keep in freezer, use over and over and if ever you are desperate for water cut a hole and drink.
Make them to whatever size esky you have. Easy to wipe down and keep clean.
Glue on 1 end, let's set for 24hrs, 3/4 fill with water and carefully glue on other cap keeping tube upright, leave for 24hrs.
Keep in freezer, use over and over and if ever you are desperate for water cut a hole and drink.
Make them to whatever size esky you have. Easy to wipe down and keep clean.
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Try this mob the flexible/segmented gel pack's work well you can roll up or fold to refreeze :Y:.
http://www.thermoshieldproducts.com.au/
http://www.thermoshieldproducts.com.au/
Great idea, Manpa!
Whether you use bottles (l use two liter milk bottles) or those PVC tubes, fill them up with brine. You can't drink them, but the salt makes the ice freeze at a lower temperature.
A 23% solution of brine by weight freezes at -21.1 C.
Since most domestic freezers don't get below 18C, I'd aim at about a 20% solution of salt by weight, which works out at about 200g per liter of water, or 400g of salt in two litres of water.
That solution should freeze at -16.7C, much colder than plain water at 0C.
Note that you should make the brine in a pot on the stove (to facilitate dissolution) and then top up your container, as putting the salt into the plastic container will result in a stronger solution, as the salt will displace some of the volume of water.
It's a good idea to top up your containers to about 80% to allow for expansion on freezing.
Bigger containers are better than small ones, as they have a greater thermal density and will thaw slower. You need to find a balance, though, to make sure you have enough room for your stuff.
Whether you use bottles (l use two liter milk bottles) or those PVC tubes, fill them up with brine. You can't drink them, but the salt makes the ice freeze at a lower temperature.
A 23% solution of brine by weight freezes at -21.1 C.
Since most domestic freezers don't get below 18C, I'd aim at about a 20% solution of salt by weight, which works out at about 200g per liter of water, or 400g of salt in two litres of water.
That solution should freeze at -16.7C, much colder than plain water at 0C.
Note that you should make the brine in a pot on the stove (to facilitate dissolution) and then top up your container, as putting the salt into the plastic container will result in a stronger solution, as the salt will displace some of the volume of water.
It's a good idea to top up your containers to about 80% to allow for expansion on freezing.
Bigger containers are better than small ones, as they have a greater thermal density and will thaw slower. You need to find a balance, though, to make sure you have enough room for your stuff.
A great idea DrD, will do that with the next ones. :Y:
Cheers
Cheers
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We use the 2lt milk containers washed out and just frozen with water and have gone out for four days and they kept the food cold the whole time with no issues. We put 4 to cover the bottom of the esky and if they do melt you will have cold drinking water Got sick of paying for ice and having water all through the esky
Got sick of paying for ice and having water all through the eskyI get 750ml and 1000ml Chinese Takeaway food containers (new obviously, not from left overs) and freeze a solid block of filtered tap water over night.
Then I pop the frozen blocks out and cryovac/Vac seal the blocks into bags of about 20cm - 30cm square. once sealed I let them completely defrost, then re freeze them flat in the freezer. These perfect for day or overnight trips. The make sensational eskie block and cost bugger all Providing you own a machine to start with!. I have also used them for extra drinking water. and realistically you can make blocks to the shape or measurements of the bottom of your eskie for a snug fit.
For longer trips I use the ol' milk bottle blocks. Or take the car fridge.
Cheers
Then I pop the frozen blocks out and cryovac/Vac seal the blocks into bags of about 20cm - 30cm square. once sealed I let them completely defrost, then re freeze them flat in the freezer. These perfect for day or overnight trips. The make sensational eskie block and cost bugger all Providing you own a machine to start with!. I have also used them for extra drinking water. and realistically you can make blocks to the shape or measurements of the bottom of your eskie for a snug fit.
For longer trips I use the ol' milk bottle blocks. Or take the car fridge.
Cheers
A mate of mine always had two or three 2 litre ice cream containers with lids in his fish esky and worked a treat. At the end of the day he just put them back in the freezer for another day.
Mackka
Mackka
