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If you are undecided on the type and size of cool box you should buy, don’t rush as you do not want to waste your money. The cheapest cool box in our recommendation is the HI-GEAR 20L Cooler. It is another 12V only system which can cool food and drinks to around the 10°C mark. For the money, it’s excellent value and has a few extra little design touches we like. We love the fact that it comes with an internal basket, a built-in LED light for viewing your grub at night, and an adjustable thermostatically-controlled temperature system. There is a digital display too which we found legible and easy to use. Cooling Ability A removable gridded divider in the middle slides into the grooves on either side. It is solid and will remain in place. However, I often remove it to store more food and keep it cold. If you are camping most of the time without electricity, an electrical cool box is unsuitable. A passive cool box would be more suitable, plus there are no restrictions as you can take the cool box on days out. However, it is important to consider the insulation quality, whether hard or soft shell. Related question What is a hot and cold setting on a cool box? How does it work?
We think 20 – 30 litres is the sweet spot for a camping trip away for one to four people. It can store just enough stuff to keep you all going for a few days, and the fewer of you there are, the longer you can last between reloading! It has a hot, cold, eco and max setting like other cool boxes and LED light so you can see at a glance what setting you are on. However, you would expect to have thermostatic control for the price, which it does not. It is a power-thirsty coolbox, so I would not recommend connecting to a car charger. Only use it when you have a connection to a mains power supply. Outwell is a case in point. They make some of our favourite pieces of outdoor equipment and have a strong pedigree of providing reliable gear and great customer service. The Outwell ECOCool 35L Cool Box is a case in point for a thermoelectric cool box which can operate on both 240V hookup and 12V battery power and provide a substantial amount of cooling power.
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The 45l ECO Deep offers the convenience of using either AC (240V) or DC (12V) power connection. Current draw is low at only 5 amps, even on 12V power which means a typical 100Ah leisure battery will not get drained until after about 20 hours of continuous operation. The advantage of a compressor fridge (i.e. like one you would use at home in your kitchen) is the speed, controllability and power of the cooling on offer. With the Eco Deep Extreme, you can lower the internal temperature from 25°C to 0°C in just 19 minutes which is exceptional. As mentioned previously, you can then disconnect the power so that the insulation is put to work and your food can remains frozen for several hours without using any more juice. One other great feature of the cool box is how it manages to protect the car’s battery from completely running out of juice; it stops drawing current if it senses that your car battery is about to go kaput! Handy when you’re wild camping miles from anywhere.
Deciding whether an electrical or passive cool box is suitable for your holiday is important. Above all considering your budget and capacity. Nobody wants to interrupt their holiday by having to go to the shops daily or throwing food away and wasting money. That’s why we’ve pulled together this list of key factors for Hi-Gear 28-Litre 12V 240V Cooler below, to help you choose if it’s the right product for you and your budget. At Halfords, we’ve got coolboxes and cool bags perfect for outdoor adventures. Our standard coolboxes use freezer boards to keep food and drink fresh. Imagine your own camping fridge, keeping drinks cold on a hot day, or storing your food safely before you cook up a storm. They aren’t the only cool box option though. Electric coolboxesElectric coolboxes use the 12v power from your car to keep things cool. If you’re heading away for a longer journey, perhaps for anything from a few days to a few weeks, then these devices are perfect for you - and larger capacity electric coolboxes are better suited to longer trips. The cold setting will keep food frozen for up to 3 days, but not entirely. However, this depends on how often the lid is left open and the outside temperatures.
Raise a toast to the cool bag. These cool camping accessories keep food and drink ice-cold, whatever the weather. Store your beer, burgers and butter in one of these beauties and you’ll be a happy camper.Compressor fridge – this is like your electric fridge at home which uses circulating refrigerant inside which expands to provide cooling. They are heavier than thermoelectric fridges and also more noisy because the compressor is a mechanical engine in effect. However, they produce exceptional chilling and can have the temperature adjusted accurately using a thermostat. The handle, which can also help keep the lid in position when you need the box open, is super-strong and handy. As for the interior of the Hi-Gear, it isn’t partitioned – however, as a result it can easily be cleaned using water and a small piece of cloth without any fuss. Insulation: From our testing, not all electric cool boxes can reliably keep food and drinks sufficiently chilled if it’s warm outside. This can be due to a puny fan or, more often poor insulation. There is no drainage plug for water collection in the base. It seems to collect more water, but it’s not a major issue.
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