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Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,317
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

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?

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,917
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@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.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,317
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@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.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,865
Registered: ‎12-02-2013

@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.

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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,788
Registered: ‎08-18-2016

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.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,317
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

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

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,809
Registered: ‎12-24-2010

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)

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,317
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@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.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,665
Registered: ‎10-25-2016

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. Smiley Happy

Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,397
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

@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

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