Find Cold Comfort at the Campsite With an Electric Cooler
Summary
Both designs share the same off-grid problem: the coolant, whether ice or electricity, will run out at some point, ideally not before you’ve consumed all the food and drink or before the trip ends. My family and I recently tested a few ice coolers alongside some electric fridge/freezer units, using them on a number of road trips and car-camping journeys. After squeezing the four of us, plus luggage and gear, into our family’s midsize SUV, I am ready to ditch the space-hogging large ice cooler. It fits perfectly along the side of the cargo space in our vehicle and has proven to be rugged enough to tolerate the haul to and from the campgrounds as well as the lid-slamming abuse of our 4-year-old. (For those nit-picking, it does make the alternator work a touch harder, which subtracts the tiniest fraction from your gas mileage.)