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frio/holiday

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Peapod87

Peapod87

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hey everyone,
I'm prob being really stupid but I'm going away weds and dont really get this Frio pounch I brought. Is it to put spares in and keep them cool so when I get home I can still use them? I know they only last 45hours or something so guess I reactivate them a few times while out there.

Sorry to ramble just confused
 
you're not being stupid, if you have never used something before it is logical you'd need to find out.

As far as I am aware Frio Pouches are activated with cold water, so you'd need to reactivate them from time to time. I don't use a Frio pouch so someone who does use them will be better placed to answer you.
 
It's to keep the insulin at a safe temperature whilst you are travelling and in case you don't have access to a fridge at your destination. It won't keep it fridge cold, just around room temperature, but at least it won't get too hot and go off!
Soak the bag in cold water for max 12 minutes, it will go all puffy. Put your insulin pens/cartridges/vials inside (not in their boxes obviously). It works by evaporation so you have to allow a certain amount of air to get to it in your bag, don't carry it sealed up in a plastic bag, just in the top of a backpack with a gap in the backpack fastening usually works ok. It should last 3 days, after which time just resoak it for a couple of minutes and it will be good to go again (don't need the full 12 minutes after the first one, they take ages to dry out again completely!)

Oh and NEVER soak it for longer than 12 minutes, it will swell up so much that you won't be able to fit anything inside :D
 
Didn't the Frio pouch come with some instructions? I believe they need to be activiated by soaking in cool water, then allowed to evapourate, so you have to carry a damp object, not sealed in a plastic bag. I've heard that if Frio pouches are soaked for too long, they swell so much that it's difficult to nsert insulin cartridges or pens - another reason why cartridges in reusable pens are more convenient as wel las being more environmentally sound.

I've been using a 0.5litre stainless steel vaccuum flask for travelling - had it before I was diagnosed over 20 years ago, and it still works fine!
 
Thanks so much everyone it prob did come with instructions but u guys are so much better! xx
 
They are activated by soaking the inside bit in cold water for (cant remember exactly but when it is all fluffed up). In fact I have actually used one during the hot spell we recently had here and it keeps them cool. If you see it needs topping up just soak it in cold water again. If it is still partly done you wont have to soak it for so long. I have a couple of different sizes. I keep the spares in the larger one and the smaller one I carry in my handbag if I am in a hot country just with the pen I need for that day. I have also put a tube of medical cream in there, which said not to be in temperatures above 30C. You can even put things in there that are not waterproof but putting it in a protective thing that frio also sell, or just wrap in a small plastic bag. You can use them over and over again.
 
I used these for the first time couple weeks ago to keep my insulin cool, was expecting it to keep cooler than did, but kept it cool enough to keep it from going off, do a useful thing to have, been diabetic since 1994 and never heard of such things until recently lol
 
They're designed to keep your insulin from overheating on a temporary basis. I use them to transport unused supplies while travelling, which I'll then put in a fridge if possible when I arrive.

If there's no fridge, I'll keep the spares in there the whole time, and then if I'm going to an environment where my 'in-use' insulin needs to be accessible but is at risk of high temperatures (such as on the beach), I'll put my in-use stuff in it too.

Worth remembering the following:
  • Insulin can easily last at least 28 days at around 20C so it isn't essential to keep it cool constantly if you expect to use it in this time.
  • Frio packs don't keep your insulin as cool as a fridge - they are designed to keep it cooler than you'd usually expect in a hot environment, so insulin stored in a Frio will NOT last as insulin stored in a fridge, but it will still last well in excess of 28 days.
  • Frio packs are ideal for situations such as at the beach, where you need your insulin but there's a serious risk of it being exposed to high temperatures. However, for this to work, the Frio bag should be placed in shade and somewhere where air can circulate - I usually put mine in an open backpack under my sun lounger.
  • NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER use ice-packs to keep insulin cool, no matter how much it seems like a sensible idea. Ice packs are too cold for insulin and the moment you get an ice crystal in your cartridge, that's it, it's useless.
 
Just to add, the 12 minutes is for a particular size of Frio, so check the instructions for the time for the one you've got, @Peapod87 . The bigger ones can soak for longer, the smaller ones for less long, before they swell up too much. I have the biggest size, I think, and it takes about 20 minutes before the crystals turn from crunchy to jelly - maybe even longer if it's completely dried out, less long if it's already partly done and I'm just renewing it.

I keep mine in a mesh outer compartment of bag when in use so that air can get to it (one of those ones intended for drinks bottles).

The max. temperature at which you can keep your insulin varies depending on the insulin. I have Novorapid, which says it's OK up to 30 degrees, and Lantus, which says it's OK up to 25. Frio will keep it a lot cooler than that, but, as others have said, not as cool as a fridge, so it's primarily for your in-use insulin when the weather's really hot. It works better than a coolbag for transporting spares from place to place though.
 
They do last, too. I'm still using a Frio I bought in 1998!
 
Have a lovely holiday, Peapod!🙂
 
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