topic Portable cold packs? in Kitchen

Portable cold packs?

Mom2Dogs — Thu, 23 May 2019 23:46:32 GMT

You know those things that you can put in your pocket in the winter to keep your hands warm...you 'break' them and they warm your hands? Is there anything like that for keeping food cold? We always have the insulated bags in the car but in the summer I would never trust that the food would not spoil with out an ice pack.

On occasion we forget to pack our freezer cold packs when we go out to eat ....and we are an hour from home...we always have to ask for a cup of ice to keep the uneaten food cold until we get home....I was wondering if there is anything on the market that we could just keep in the car and use as needed?

Re: Portable cold packs?

dex — Thu, 23 May 2019 23:49:37 GMT

@Mom2Dogs I don’t have the answer but I know that storing bags in the vehicle makes the hotter than an oven.I keep mine in the house and try to remember to bring them.I keep bottles of water In the freezer to use in the bags and then I can have a nice cold drink later.

Re: Portable cold packs?

Mom2Dogs — Thu, 23 May 2019 23:52:50 GMT

@dex ...you are right...those bags do get hot. I have a really small insulated bag as well as a larger one, the little one does not get near as hot. I wish my freezer was not so small, I have a spot for the freezer packs but not much room for water bottles, that is a good idea.....maybe I will switch out one of the packs for a couple of bottles. Side by side refrigerators don't have a lot of freezer space.

Re: Portable cold packs?

jlkz — Thu, 23 May 2019 23:56:54 GMT

@Mom2Dogs @dex

Rather than store things you want to keep cool inside the car, keep them in the trunk.

We usually keep a cooler with several ice packs inside on tripS, esp. to grocery store.

Re: Portable cold packs?

x Hedge — Fri, 24 May 2019 00:00:43 GMT

Answer: sort of.

Google Instant Cold Packs

In healthcare these are always in the emergency kits, but I'm thinking they won't be cold enough or last long enough to keep food in a safe temperature range.

Re: Portable cold packs?

Mom2Dogs — Fri, 24 May 2019 00:03:22 GMT

@x Hedge ...I looked it up, you are correct, not cold enough for food. I need to invent something!

Re: Portable cold packs?

fthunt — Fri, 24 May 2019 01:03:09 GMT

Seems like an insulated container (dish for potato salad Q sells) put in an insulated big container surrounded with frozen ice packs should keep anything cold for 8 hours.

When I've ordered food and received those frozen packs - never threw them out - big freezer downstairs has many - - just in case power goes out or freezer quits.

(I do have a whole house generator so have never really needed the frozen packs yet)

Re: Portable cold packs?

Mom2Dogs — Fri, 24 May 2019 01:39:15 GMT

@fthunt ....my issue is that sometimes I forget to get the cold packs out of the freezer before we take off for dinner...usually about an hour away....we generally have left overs and if we want to shop or run errands I don't have any cold packs to keep the food cold in the summer months.

I was hoping there was a product on the market similar to the packs that people use to keep their hands warm....hoping that they could be stored in the car then we could use them when needed.

Re: Portable cold packs?

Toppers3 — Fri, 24 May 2019 01:39:33 GMT

My MIL used to send us gifts of frozen food, and it would come in one of these large styrofoam coolers.

We have kept some of the coolers over the years.

We put them in the trunk of our car when we need one, and we use it all year round.

We use it when going out and when traveling for the day when we want to put our cold drinks and snacks in there to keep them cold and fresh, and we also use it when we go shopping and buy any perishable groceries.

We used to buy the insulated shopping bags too, but then we felt that a cooler was more useful for us, after we tried using one.

Re: Portable cold packs?

Kachina624 — Fri, 24 May 2019 02:26:19 GMT

@Mom2Dogs. If you're riding in an air conditioned car for just one hour, I wouldnt worry about food spoiling. I think you're being overly cautious

Re: Portable cold packs?

butterfly123 — Fri, 24 May 2019 04:50:05 GMT

@Mom2Dogs

Google Industrial cold packs for shipping

Re: Portable cold packs?

ID2 — Fri, 24 May 2019 10:25:30 GMT

I get some of my meds delivered to me that contain a great cooler with ice paks. I have an ample supply of these to use now.

Re: Portable cold packs?

novamc1 — Fri, 24 May 2019 13:55:28 GMT

Look up CryoPac cooler packs.

Also search for Black Ice, supposedly "colder than ice".

I used both a blue cryo-pac plus a Black Ice pack a few days ago in an insulated bag that I took with me for grocery shopping. I needed to make several stops and knew that I needed some way to keep food cold on the way home.

Re: Portable cold packs?

Mom2Dogs — Fri, 24 May 2019 14:10:35 GMT

@Kachina624 ....after we eat, we sometimes run errands, the food would be in the car with nothing to keep things cold....summer is the problem.

This happens only if we FORGET to bring the cold packs from home...I was asking if there was something on the market that we could make active (cold)..but keep it stored in the car.

Similar to those packages that you can carry to keep your hands warm in the winter...you just open the package when needed for warmth.

Re: Portable cold packs?

novamc1 — Fri, 24 May 2019 18:55:39 GMT

You probably are referring to the type of cold packs that quickly get applied to athletes who have just suffered a sprain or other type of injury. These probably won't do well for food for very long, but you could try them on a short-term basis in the car.

They're easy to find on the internet using the same search keywords that I used to reference the cold packs above. Various styles are available---such as those that will keep your neck cool for a while, and bigger ones for other uses.

Try search keywords such as cold-packs, or first-aid cold packs.

Re: Portable cold packs?

SilleeMee — Fri, 24 May 2019 20:54:00 GMT

If you're looking for a really good cooler then check out the YETI brand. They are superior and made to last forever. They make all sizes to fit your needs. Made in the USA. I have a medium size Tundra. Holds 20 cans + ice. It will keep ice for days. Also, the YETIs are so resistant to cold that they are compatible with dry ice.

Re: Portable cold packs?

Marp — Fri, 24 May 2019 21:45:35 GMT

@Mom2Dogs, have you considered a portable 12v refrigerator that you can keep in the car and plug into the lighter outlet when needed?

Search on the term car refrigerator on Amazon. Various sizes and prices but possibly the perfect answer. Some are just for cold but some are hot or cold.