The cooler is a portable box with insulation for cooling food and beverages. Most often, ice cubes are placed in refrigerated bags to help keep the contents cool for longer. Occasionally, bags of melt water ice or those with a special gel sealed inside are added, which cools for a longer time than regular ice (the gel absorbs heat, changing its shape). The modern name for these bags is "refrigerated cooler bag".
Cooling bags are most commonly used during vacations, camping, fishing, the beach, picnicking. They protect the food from spoilage and keep the drinks cold. In addition to being useful camping equipment, they can also do a good job on a hot summer day - when one has to store products that are important to keep in the cold to prevent spoilage or thawing, such as ice cream. In such cases, a refrigerated bag in the car is a lifeline for the products, especially if the journey is a long one.
The portable cooler was invented by Richard K. Laramie of Joliet, Illinois, who applied for his patent in 1951. The patent was granted December 22, 1953. A year later, the Coleman Company promoted the product and offered an initial offer - a refrigerated bag with galvanized coating. In 1957, Coleman developed a method to improve refrigeration bags by adding a reinforced bottom to them.
Types of refrigerating bags
Small (personal) refrigerated bags and large (family) refrigerated bags
Large refrigerated bags are suitable for people who regularly go camping, picnic, fishing or just love to have a picnic with their family frequently. They are suitable for regular use, practical and convenient, allowing to store both drinks and food. For each type of family refrigerated bag, there is information about its capacity, i.e. how many bottles it collects, indicating whether large bottles or cans are meant. The manner in which these bottles can be stored upright or lying down is also indicated. This type of refrigerated bags are suitable for people traveling by car to their desired camping or picnic destination, as they are heavy and take up more space.
For mountaineers, small personal cooler bags are more convenient as they are much lighter. There is no difference in quality between personal and family refrigerated bags or cases. Compact refrigeration box can be purchased from our site category hobbies and hobbies.
Hard refrigerated bags and soft refrigerated bags
Soft cooling bags are best for hikers and generally for hiking, as they are much lighter than hard bags. However, they are most commonly used to store drinks and a small amount of food during the beach on a hot summer day.
The exterior of the soft cooler bags is made of polyester fabric and the inside is most often coated with PEVA lining (reflective vinyl acetate) or reflective aluminum foil to enhance insulation. The models are all different, offering all sizes, shapes, colours and extras. The better models have at least two compartments for the products, comfortable handles, extra shoulder straps and external pockets for storing other types of luggage. The disadvantage of soft refrigerated bags is that they have a shorter cooling time - so it is recommended that they be fitted with cooling packages for refrigerated bags, which are sold separately. The advantage of soft refrigeration bags is that when the products are used and the refrigeration bag is no longer needed, it can be folded down, making the luggage significantly lighter and smaller in size. A soft refrigerator bag suitable for beach and picnic can be found in the camping and hobby category on our site.
Rigid refrigerated bags have an inner and outer polyethylene case. Their insulation is usually expanded polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam, and the material used to make the outer box is PVC or plastic. A PVC refrigerating bag is a cheaper option, but a plastic refrigeration bag will surely guarantee a better and lasting product cooling, especially if cooling packages are added. In higher quality models, the outer case has an additional UV protection layer and antibacterial coating. A big advantage of hard refrigerated bags over soft ones is the ability to keep the products cold for up to 5-6 days, and the only downside is their greater weight and size, even when already empty. Some types of rigid refrigerated bags are specially adapted for fishing - they are made of watertight materials with additional antibacterial coating and, of course, UV protection, and are fitted with a fish measuring line. You can find this type of fishing bag in the camping and hobby category.
Electric Cooling Bags and Traditional Cooling Bags
Electric refrigeration bags are different from the traditional ones in that they can not only cool but also warm the products. They are designed to be plugged into the car's cigarette lighter or through an adapter-transformer (power is 12-220 volts) and can be charged from home at 220 volts. An electric refrigeration bag (box) with these characteristics can be purchased from our site category refrigeration bags.
How Do Electric Cooling Bags Work? When making them, instead of using a compressor and a cooling agent, the Peltier effect (thermoelectric effect) is applied, ie. a temperature difference is created by electrical voltage and the heat itself is diverted by an external fan. This occurs when current passes through two different metals or semiconductors. The flow of heat is transferred from one metal or conductor to the other. In this way, one cools and the other heats up. A thermoelectric refrigeration bag is a practical choice for people who enjoy picnicking, fishing or camping in the summer, and for those who love camping in extreme conditions, where food may be at risk of being too frosty and need warming up before consuming.
For the most avid campers willing to invest more in a cooling bag, a more special type of electric refrigeration bag - a gas refrigeration bag - is appropriate. It has a combined supply of 12 volts, 220 volts or a gas cylinder.
Disposable and reusable refrigerated bags
Disposable refrigerated bags are made of polystyrene foam (the material from which disposable coffee cups are made). They are about 2 cm thick. Their design is quite simple, unlike the traditional (reusable), one disposable refrigerated bag has neither handles nor shoulder strap.
Accessories for refrigeration bags
Cooling bags (ice packs) are an extremely important accessory for any refrigeration bag, especially if it requires longer cooling of the products it needs to keep cool and fresh. Most models contain water, a blue colorant, and a non-toxic coolant. There are also those that contain non-toxic cooling gel instead of water. They come in a variety of shapes, some soft to accommodate around the products and others to hard plastic materials. They can be placed either on the bottom of the refrigerator bag or on the walls or around the products inside. They are easy to clean and can be reused. Place them in a freezer or refrigerator between 4 and 10 hours (depending on the type of cooling package) before use. It is advisable to clean them well after use - the same applies to the refrigeration bag itself. Cooling bag for refrigerated bag you can buy camping and hobby category from our site.
Some types of coolers can be used to cool or warm products or, more specifically, to keep them warm. In the first case, place them in the freezer of the refrigerator until the water is frozen. And for the warm-up function, they are simply placed in a microwave, before being wrapped in a cloth.
Thermoses and Bottles - This camping accessory will be necessary and useful if you are going on a picnic or hiking in the mountains. Drinking liquids is paramount for every tourist, and in the warmer months drinking cold water while on a hike is a real pleasure. For this purpose, various types of liquid bottles are available on the market - plastic bottles or ones made from alternatives to plastic (ex. triton copolyester), also aluminum liquid bottles that are extremely light and comfortable, stainless steel cups and thermos. Some types of refrigerated bags or boxes have specially fitted cup or thermos holders on their lid - the perfect place to place drinks during camping, picnicking or the beach.
An adapter transformer is also never redundant when undertaking a camping trip, especially if it is longer. This is a useful addition to any thermoelectric refrigeration bag that allows it to be charged at 220 volts from home. The adapter can be used not only for the refrigeration bag but also whenever it is necessary to transform the voltage from 220-230 to 12 volts.
How to arrange the products in a refrigerated bag
To make the most of your refrigerated bag and to ensure that the most important products are protected, you must follow certain rules when arranging them. Remember that the bottom of the refrigeration bag keeps the temperature at its lowest, so it is best to start arranging the meat at the bottom, then eggs, butter, cheese and other dairy products that will break down faster. The bottles are stacked at both ends of the refrigerator bag. Half-finished meals and products can be put in the middle, or if there is something cooked in the box. They are followed by fruits and vegetables and finally chocolate or other sweet items.
