With a plethora of Ice boxes and eskies on the market, it’s hard to know which one is for you.

Luckily we’ve put together some tips and tricks for deciding on an icebox and getting your ice to last longer.

With the choices available everywhere it’s easy to get caught paying way too much for an icebox that resembles something your dad had when you were growing up because it is familiar. But much has changed since the good old tin sided esky lined with thin sheets of poly foam.

A modern icebox like the type found in the Adventure Kings Icebox range has much higher quality molded polyurethane CFC free insulation and is made from rustproof and durable polyurethane plastic, that is designed to make your ice last longer, keep your beers colder and serve you well into your old age (better than your dad’s old one did)!

A few features to look out for when looking for an icebox are:

– Thick insulated walls – The thicker the walls of your new icebox are, the more insulation they provide, and the colder your ice will stay

-A firm waterproof EVA seal with strong latches – Unlike old-fashioned models, a modern Icebox has strong latches and heavy-duty hinges that seal in the cold and prevent any unwanted warm air from spoiling your refreshments!

-Integrated drain plugs – seems like an obvious one, but definitely beats tipping your icebox on its edge and hoping all the ice stays put.

With these pointers, we’re sure you’ll end up with a top-shelf Icebox that is capable of carrying ice for a few days… but wait… it’s not that simple.

Choosing to go for an ice box over the more versatile Fridge/Freezer designs on the market is definitely a cost-based decision and ensuring you get the best performance out of your Ice Box isn’t just as simple as chucking a bag of ice in it every few days.

The following are our time-tested trail tips for getting the most out of your ice, without carting around a box full of sloshing water, on the tracks!

Preparation

As with anything in life, performance is often based on how much preparation is performed.

The best way to get more from your ice box is to pre-freeze any of your long-term food like your meat and water bottles in your freezer at home.

Homemade ice bricks made with water in soft drink bottles or other plastic containers provide a long-term solution to buying ice and given enough preparation you can make enough ice easily for a long weekend away.

Broken ice like the stuff in the bags you buy at the servo can chill your Icebox quickly but will also melt faster than big bricks and end up sloshing around in your car!
Shade

Just like a more expensive portable car fridge, if you can keep your Icebox out of the sun, it wont heat up as much. This one is easier said than done, but if you have an Awning or a Gazebo that you can hide your cold drinks underneath you will be certain that they will last much longer!

A silver windscreen reflector can add a bit of sun protection if you have your ice box in the car.

Always remember that on a 30 degree day your car can reach temperatures in excess of 70 degrees. This is an ice killer and will result in warm beers!

Keep it closed!

Just like when you were young, and your parents yelled at you for taking too long to look in the fridge, a standard ice box’s insulation is next to useless if it is kept open for too long. Your ice will melt quickly a and will take longer to cool back down if you keep opening it to grab beers.

PRO TIP: If you are getting up to get a beer, offer to get one for everyone else. It’s free and it’ll save your ice the stress of being exposed to warm air as often!

Keep it filled

As mentioned above, the efficiency of an icebox is only reliable if it stays shut.Another way to keep your ice working efficiently inside your icebox is to keep the icebox full. This reduces the volume of air that needs to be chilled and increases the thermal conductivity of the cold stuff. Basically, keeping more stuff colder for longer!

With these awesome tips, you are sure to get more than a couple of days out of your ice and will be able to stay longer with more beers at your favourite campsites, thanks to your Adventure Kings Portable Ice Box!