Handy tip for coolers

[bluebadgerblue]

For those of us rubber-tramping and keeping food in coolers I just wanted to pass on a trick I've been using for a while to deal with the issue of soggy food and water spoilage with coolers.
These are Opsaks from Loksak: basically huge heavy-duty Ziplocs but better. They're big enough to hold an entire 10 lb bag of ice and I've never had one leak as long as I make sure to seal the top completely.
I just arrange my food in the cooler, break up the ice and put it in the Opsak, and lay the Opsak on top of everything. Works so well to keep things cold without everything being drowned. Also makes your ice last longer by keeping the thermal mass together. And when the ice does finally melt, the water is still clean enough to drink or wash with so you really get the most out of all of your ice!
Opsaks come in a few different sizes and are available from REI and Amazon, usually around $12 per pack of 2. (Probably available elsewhere, too but that's where I've seen them.)

 

[todd]

nice. I have that problem a lot.

 

[DrewSTNY]

I wonder if you can do the same with a dry bag? Walmart here I come...

 

[freegander]

I wonder if you can do the same with a dry bag? Walmart here I come...

let us know if it works!

 

[DrewSTNY]

You bet. I'll be traveling all next week with a bunch of kids who like to leave the lid open.

 

[DrewSTNY]

So, here's the experiment-

4 dry bags filled with ice - a 20l, 10l, 4l, and 1l. All from Walmart's camping section. The cooler is one of those 5 day white coolers that had cheap plastic hinges, latches, and handles that break easy.

The 20l is definitely very good if you have the space. It's quite heavy duty and as far as I can tell, has not leaked at all. The other three are the ultimate dry bag essentials (or something like that) and they are not quite as good. The smallest bag leaked pretty badly, but it still had most of the ice in it and a lot of water. It ended up getting turned upside down and just couldn't seal. The other bags seem to be doing really well. I filled all the bags up last night and they sat in the cooler with my food last night and today. I have my doubts about the three pack bags holding up, but if they do, they would be great for smaller coolers. The 20l is large, but you could fill it part way for smaller coolers.

Links-

Three bag set ($9)
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Outdoor-Recreation-Group-Set-of-3-Ultimate-Dry-Sacks/10928125


20L dry bag ($6)
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Outdoor-Products-Valuables-Dry-Bag-20L/17017909

Cooler - no link. It's a Coleman 5 day in white. I think it's 85 qt. We bought it the years ago when we were traveling out west and one handle and one latch broke within three weeks of use. It starts cold for a long time, but the hardware kind of sucks.

Hopefully, this isn't too much of a hijacking from Badger's original post. If you want me to move it into its own thread, please let me know.

 

[DrewSTNY]

So the results are mixed. The three pack of dry bags leaked quite bad, but I was able to keep up with it. The 20L did really well and would probably work.

Overall, I'd say I want to try the Loksack. Same price the dry sacks, just not as available.

So, if you can't get to an REI or wait for the mail, Walmart is an option.

 

[Matt Derrick]

i read an article about these bags in regards to doing laundry on the road, it's pretty decent:

https://expertvagabond.com/clean-laundry-and-travel/

 

[bluebadgerblue]

So the results are mixed. The three pack of dry bags leaked quite bad, but I was able to keep up with it. The 20L did really well and would probably work.

Overall, I'd say I want to try the Loksack. Same price the dry sacks, just not as available.

So, if you can't get to an REI or wait for the mail, Walmart is an option.

Super cool you took the time and initiative to do this experiment! Thank you for additional information.

 

[youngbuckwithapickuptruck]

ive been looking for a big free jar with a wide open lid to put my ice in.
i have a cooler bag as opposed to a rigid cooler box becuase its way more flexible and can be crammed into spaces.

also i wrap blankets around my cooler bag as more insulation and avoid keeping it near body and/or engine heat