Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Topic Options
#297141 - 09/29/20 07:08 AM An example of failed prep
Bingley Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 1576
I use a food subscription service, and I collected enough of their ice packs to fill a large cooler. I was planning to use them to help keep the refrigerator cooler longer during blackouts and emergencies. When Hurricane Sally approached, I proudly opened the cooler to put the ice packs in the freezer.

I was greeted with a cooler of gooey gel spilling out from the ice packs. Six months in storage and the pressure from being stacked on top of one another broke most of the ice packs. The plastic is just not strong enough. The only usable ice pack was the one I left out because the cooler ran out of space. I definitely felt like a dummy!

So now I'm thinking of either finding robust commercial ice packs or putting the food subscription ice packs in airtight bags. You'd think it wouldn't be hard finding such bags, but the ones I could find seem to be too small. The ice packs are around 12" x 9" x 3".

Can you point to airtight bags that can be used to contain the ice packs? Or is there another way to seal the ice packs? Or, even better, do you have a different solution to the refrigeration problem (other than installing a big generator)?

Top
#297143 - 09/29/20 12:59 PM Re: An example of failed prep [Re: Bingley]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
I fill Gatorade and energy drink bottles with water and freeze them, If thee poweer goes out, they will keep things cooler, along with not accessing the freezer contents needlessly. In addition, I eventually will have water to drink
_________________________
Geezer in Chief

Top
#297144 - 09/29/20 01:00 PM Re: An example of failed prep [Re: Bingley]
LesSnyder Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 1680
Loc: New Port Richey, Fla
I use gallon jugs that previously held tea (not milk) and freeze them solid (provide air space so the water can expand without damaging the plastic)... they sit side by side well, and when melted you have water to drink...

for the 2004 hurricane season, I used 4 frozen jugs in a 5 day cooler (I should have pre chilled the cooler but didn't, but do now)... I did not open the cooler as I worked out of an older one, at 7 days I had access to ice at school... I checked on the cooler and the jugs still had some frozen ice... approximately 1/2 cubic foot of meat, originally frozen had thawed but was still usable, so it did add to the original thermal mass...

Top
#297146 - 09/29/20 03:14 PM Re: An example of failed prep [Re: Bingley]
CJK Offline
Addict

Registered: 08/14/05
Posts: 601
Loc: FL, USA
I have frozen the gel in blocks (make a form or use smaller bread pans) and then when frozen, sealed in food saver bags. I double bagged them for puncture resistance.

Top
#297147 - 09/29/20 04:19 PM Re: An example of failed prep [Re: Bingley]
roberttheiii Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 02/13/09
Posts: 393
Loc: Connecticut, USA
I think keeping them frozen prior to the pending emergency is the key. They won't break under the own weight frozen, plus is an emergency happens unexpectedly (as has been known to happen from time to time...) they're ready to roll. You might keep one of each shelf of your freezer, freeze it very flat, then stack normal contents on top of it. You might also stockpile some in a chest freezer.

Top
#297148 - 09/29/20 05:56 PM Re: An example of failed prep [Re: Bingley]
Jeanette_Isabelle Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/13/06
Posts: 2946
Loc: Nacogdoches, Texas
Years ago, our refrigerator had quit. Before we got the new unit, I successfully kept our food chilled by putting dry ice in the old fridge.

Jeanette Isabelle
_________________________
I'm not sure whose twisted idea it was to put hundreds of adolescents in underfunded schools run by people whose dreams were crushed years ago, but I admire the sadism. -- Wednesday Adams, Wednesday

Top
#297149 - 09/30/20 01:04 PM Re: An example of failed prep [Re: Bingley]
nursemike Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 870
Loc: wellington, fl
I have a chest freezer: I put a layer of 1/2 liter water bottles horizontally on the floor of the freezer. Negligible loss of storage space, no interference with the rotational arrangement of stored items, and easily dispensed.
_________________________
Dance like you have never been hurt, work like no one is watching,love like you don't need the money.

Top
#297213 - 10/07/20 09:56 PM Re: An example of failed prep [Re: Bingley]
LCranston Offline
2
Enthusiast

Registered: 08/31/09
Posts: 201
Loc: Nebraska
Bingley, HATE fridge/freezer issues...sigh.

We have lost 2 freezers full of food in the last 12 years at this house.

1) 8 years ago. 7 year old went out to get a popsicle, did not close the ### door.

2) last year, wnt out to find the powert off- turned out the outlet we had it plugged in to was a GFCI, and there were 4 outlets on that run-- one of the OTHER outlets was tripped, and it killed the power.
-- we learned from the first, and had 5 2 liter bottles full of ice-- so we were able to salvage some of the meat.

The NEXT freezer will be a chest style- they loose less heat, and are harder to leave open by accident.....

Top
#297214 - 10/07/20 11:34 PM Re: An example of failed prep [Re: Bingley]
Eugene Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2995
We've lost food due to the door either coming open or being left open. I put a lock on it and hang the key above the freezer so we unlock and lock it each time.

Top
#297219 - 10/08/20 12:43 PM Re: An example of failed prep [Re: Bingley]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
Our year-old fridge starts to make a noise when the door is left open too long. With kids in the house, this seems like an excellent feature.

Top



Moderator:  MartinFocazio, Tyber 
March
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online
1 registered (M_a_x), 181 Guests and 10 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
GallenR, Jeebo, NicholasMarshall, Yadav, BenFoakes
5367 Registered Users
Newest Posts
Question about a "Backyard Mutitool"
by Ren
03/17/24 01:00 AM
Problem in my WhatsApp configuration
by Chisel
03/09/24 01:55 PM
What did you do today to prepare?
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/06/24 06:18 PM
New Madrid Seismic Zone
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/04/24 02:44 PM
EDC Reduction
by EchoingLaugh
03/02/24 04:12 PM
Using a Compass Without a Map
by KenK
02/28/24 12:22 AM
China and Taiwan
by brandtb
02/19/24 02:18 PM
No More Ritter Knives?
by KenK
02/19/24 01:33 AM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.