I like to keep some instant cold packs in my car for first aid. However, they do not seem to store for long. Summer is a killer. Note: My analysis indicates the liquid packets dry out during the hot summer days.

Anyone have any ideas on ways to lengthen storage or a better product perhaps?

Hmmm...I keep some in my working EMT kit which is normally stored in my car and they've held up just fine. Some of them will seem to harden but if you just break them up and release the liquid portion, they still get nice and cold.

I buy mine at the, don't tell anyone, 99 cent store and thru McMaster-Carr, depending on how low my stock is and how fast I need them.

John E

When I was an EMT, my issue kit was a soft bag. Biggest problem I had was the cold packs getting smashed and activated, then when I wanted one, it was all used up. I worked in a really hot climate, dark blue bag in the back seat of a B&W Mustang or Camero, or the black painted trunk of a Crown Vic, and I never noted a problem other than the inadvertant smashing...

The liquid in the cold packs you squish and shake to make work is just water. Some types can be disassembled to take out the water. The ones I worked on had the solid materials in a pouch. The water was also in a separate pouch. I took the water filled pouch out and inserted the solid material pouch into a zip-lock.

I had previously weighed the cold pack and noted the weight in grams. The weight of the cold packs outer bag and water pouch was pretty insignificant so I calculated the amount of water needed as one gram per ml. This I noted on the baggie with a marker.

With the solid components of the ice pack in the baggie I just add the appropriate amount of water from a canteen, it needn't be dead-on accurate, and shake. It works.

There is no real requirement to keep the water in the cold pack during storage other than to keep the unit convenient to use. If your desperate for water, like if you have to keep intestines or burned flesh wet, the water from a cold pack can be extracted and use.

Also, after you use a cold pack, you can safely slit the bag and save yourself the weight packing it out as trash. The chemical involved is ammonium nitrate, fertilizer. Don't dump this solution near a stream or body of water because it can trigger a fish kill. But, within reason, it can be dispersed onto live soil and cause little, if any, damage.

I can never have enough of those. I use them for first-aid (sprains and misc aches, too cool down an overheating person). I've never had a problem with them drying out when stored in my jump bag.

You can NEVER have enough of those. They aren't cheap but they're very useful.

I've been a medic down here (FL) for 11 years now....never had a cold pack 'dry out'.....you may want to check and see if somehow the bag sprung a leak. It may have slowly leaked out.....That may be the culprit. As was previously said...usually the problem is they will accidentally activate leaving you with nothing useful.

I have had similar problems. Best luck I have had is to put them in a zip lock baggie. If the cold packs break, one more barrier to go through.

Take a look at these cold packs. Best ones I have used so far. No smacking or popping of inner bag to activate. All you have to do is pull on the ends and the plastic clip in the middle pulls away and allows to the 2 chemicals to mix.

http://online.boundtree.com/store/product_index.asp?Cat=&SubCat=&Prod=952000