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Author	Message Text
papszoo	02/19/2013 10:17AM   So I like the idea of fresh food and I also like the idea of a rodent proof scent diminishing container and I never hang my food pack. I have a 60 L barrel and I attempted to insulate it. I put a 10 inch diameter cardboard form in the barrel, and I put that recycled blue denim insulation (R-19) around the cardboard inside the barrel and I had a styrofoam top and bottom. I put 2 gallon jugs of ice in the bottom, loading them outside (we live in the UP-outside temp 5) then I put some towels in there to fill in the dead space. I then put the barrel in the basement-68 degrees, in the dark. I was very surprised but the ice only lasted 48 hours! I have seen other ways to insulate these barrels but none that approached the R value I thought I achieved. I probably had 3-4 inches of insulation material around the cardboard. I guess my question is whether it is possible to insulate a barrel to the extent that ice will last more than a couple of days. I know the insulated pack offered by kondos or the BWJ in conjunction w the insulated poly pack will keep ice 5-7 days under actual canoe country conditions but I worry that system is more at risk from critters. What do people think? Is my quest hopeless?
Drab	02/20/2013 06:28PM   quote schweady: "Drab, it took me a while to figure out what you were asking... ... " Maybe I should have included one of these. :)
papszoo	02/20/2013 10:55AM   I like the idea of the barrel coolers. How well do they work? Do u think u could get 7 days of effective cooling with them?
yellowcanoe	02/20/2013 11:05AM   Wrap your food in wet towels and place in cooler. WM gets two weeks of rock hard margarine and solid cold cheese. Probably would get more but he flies out the unused cheese and margarine after two weeks and gets a resupply.
thlipsis29	02/20/2013 11:24AM   A few years ago I used the schematics provided mc2mens to insulate a 30 liter barrel with 1/2" closed cell foam. It was very easy and has worked well. What I do with frozen stuff, however, is I wrap it in several layers of newspaper, soak it in water then freeze it in a ziplock bag. Most everything stayed frozen or chilled for at least four days in the insulated barrel and that was with 70-80 degree weather last May. I think it was kanoes who once pointed out they used to keep ice insulated in sawdust and since newspaper is a wood pulp product, it's amazing how well it works as an insulator.
IBFLY	02/19/2013 10:15PM   I have a 60L blue barrel that I use on certain group trips. I have placed 2" of rigid insulation at the bottom of the barrel and then wound three layers of reflectix around the interior of the barrel. I also have 1" of rigid insulation at the top. It's very similar to what is in mc2men's post. Of course, the insulation is only effective if your eejit of a tripping partner doesn't open up the barrel and then not replace the lid during an August afternoon. Pick your tripping partners based on common sense.
wabakimimaps	02/19/2013 04:58PM   quote papszoo: "So I like the idea of fresh food and I also like the idea of a rodent proof scent diminishing container and I never hang my food pack. What do people think? Is my quest hopeless?" Weigh the cost of an insulated Ostrom Barrel Pack to the trouble you've taken. Three of these packs fit neatly in a 60-litre barrel. Tops are stiffened with a piece of aluminum flat bar to avoid crushing contents. The Wabakimi Project uses this product to separate 'pantry' items, breakfast meals and even to protect an expensive stainless steel cook kit. Perishables (i.e., cheese, luncheon meats, chocolate, etc.) survive a full week--even in hot weather--in a zippered soft-shell, plastic lunch bag with margarine wrapped in a wet towel and packed in the bottom of an Ostrom Wabakimi Canoe/Portage Pack
mjmkjun	02/20/2013 12:45PM   quote Grandma L: "When it is really hot and I want to have fresh food for a base camp trip, I use a cooler. Igloo Max, 5 gallon. It fits nicely in a pack and I have some room to put an extra sleeping pad (closed foam) around it if need be - to pad the pack and provide a little extra insulation. Igloo Max cooler-5 gallon I also have soft sided coolers that fit nicely inside a 30L barrel. It fills a little over half of the barrel and leaves room for dry food. Frost-Pak (soft side) 12 Qt. Cooler by Seatle Sports={keyword} " How long will your soft side cooler keep frozen foodstuff at a cold point?
schweady	02/20/2013 01:38PM   quote mjmkjun: "How long will your soft side cooler keep frozen foodstuff at a cold point?" Our no-name insulated bag is similar to that Campmor one, I would suppose. We like the 2 zippered compartments. It begins the trip packed with a number of frozen items: ribeye steaks, bacon, chicken breasts, breakfast sausage, bags of vegetables. (On our family trip -- for my wife's peace of mind -- it also holds two 1/2 gallon plastic bottles of ice.) Keeping it closed up and in the shade, we will often find that the chicken breasts (second night's main dish) still have ice on them, even in the hottest August weather.
Drab	02/20/2013 03:09PM   Your canoe has a shade?
schweady	02/20/2013 04:00PM   Drab, it took me a while to figure out what you were asking... I was coming from a base camping viewpoint, but -- yes -- even while paddling it is rather protected from the sun as it is small enough to fit nicely behind and slightly underneath my stern seat.
mjmkjun	02/20/2013 04:23PM   quote schweady: "quote mjmkjun: "How long will your soft side cooler keep frozen foodstuff at a cold point?" ... Keeping it closed up and in the shade, we will often find that the chicken breasts (second night's main dish) still have ice on them, even in the hottest August weather. " That's pretty good 'keeping'. Fresh food added to my packing list.
mc2mens	02/20/2013 12:11PM   the internet is a wonderful thing!
yellowcanoe	02/19/2013 10:40AM   Try keeping the barrel wrapped in a wet beach towel. You already have a heavy load. It works wonders when I am car camping with a cooler. We could go three days this summer in 70-100 degree heat without buying more ice if we laid a wet beach towel on top of the cooler. Only one if someone forgot the towel. Evaporative cooling won't work inside the barrel as there is no way moisture can escape if it's s sealed.
Grandma L	02/19/2013 10:55AM   When it is really hot and I want to have fresh food for a base camp trip, I use a cooler. Igloo Max, 5 gallon. It fits nicely in a pack and I have some room to put an extra sleeping pad (closed foam) around it if need be - to pad the pack and provide a little extra insulation. Igloo Max cooler-5 gallon I also have soft sided coolers that fit nicely inside a 30L barrel. It fills a little over half of the barrel and leaves room for dry food. Frost-Pak (soft side) 12 Qt. Cooler by Seatle Sports={keyword}
timatkn	02/19/2013 08:09PM   Years ago I saw where someone used the reflective type insulation you get at Home Depot for Pipes, made a bottom and then a styrofoam cap. Top it off with the lid. You lose some volume but looked slick. Never tried it. I'll try to find a link. T
timatkn	02/19/2013 08:19PM   Blue barrel insulation Look for Mc2Mens post. T
schweady	02/21/2013 01:06PM   Some scale to accompany the photo of our meat pack: 17" H x 14" W x 10" D (11" if you count the outside pocket which we don't use for food items)