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Travel Fridges

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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Xertes

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Type 1
Hi there - can someone help me here. I have been googling trying to find a small battery operated fridge for insulin storage in an emergency (power failure/ fridge breakdown) or for traveling. Ideally fridge to have capacity of at least 5000 cm3 (or roughly 18 cm x 18 cm x 18cm). It's needs to be powered by batteries which can be bought beforehand and stocked up for this use (a mini fridge that depends on the grid is no use) many thanks Xertes
 
Just had a quick google and found one camping mini fridge that draws 3.5 amps at 12 volts when operating. That puts you in the territory of car batteries rather than dry cells. Making things hotter or colder takes more power than you might expect and my basic knowledge in the area suggests that running a fridge is beyond the ability of the sort of batteries you buy in packs in the supermarket.
 
I have been using a mini travel fridge I bought on eBay for about 60 pounds for travling in the summer holidays it has worked very well over the years it will take 3 pens or 4 vials of insulin and it has a rechargable battery also you can plugin a external battery as backup .
 
What kind of emergency are you thinking about......?.....

Insulin is good out of the fridge for a month...
 
If you get a travel fridge then make sure you put a thermometer in it. The frio pouches may do what you need though.
 
trophywench said:
…… and the make of fridge is ???
Click to expand...

Hallo again trophywench I got it on eBay it's make is joyikey but there are more now since I got mine if the ambient temp is above 25c keep it in the shade also check the inside depth as a vial of insulin is 23mm diameter happy shopping .
 
Come back to the point I made above. The fridge suggested by matchless looks fine if you are away from power for less than a day so that it can be plugged in and the battery recharged. A bit more than that if you have the spare battery and that is also charged. I got the sense from the original post that Xertes was looking for something that would be usable for prolonged periods away from a mains supply. This device would not be suitable for that duty and as I suggested, I doubt you will find a device that will.
 
Thank you all for your comments. To be honest, don't be too harsh on me, I am a worrier and was just thinking of the worst possible scenario re Coronavirus outbreak i.e. mutated virus/ high rate of infection/ higher death rate, power outages/ cuts or suspension of power over long periods - I think I could eke out my stores of insulin for 12 months - maybe enough time for some kind of restoration of normal life - the limiting factor is keeping the insulin fresh without an electricity supply.
 
How about sealing them in a jar or bottle and weighting it down it in a water butt located in permanent shade to keep it cool..... if things get that desperate and you don't have any other refrigeration means..... just an idea to have in the back of your mind if the worst comes to the worst.
I believe you can buy ones that plug into the car if you have fuel and don't mind polluting the environment to keep it working.
Gotta love a prepper!
 
Docb said:
Come back to the point I made above. The fridge suggested by matchless looks fine if you are away from power for less than a day so that it can be plugged in and the battery recharged. A bit more than that if you have the spare battery and that is also charged. I got the sense from the original post that Xertes was looking for something that would be usable for prolonged periods away from a mains supply. This device would not be suitable for that duty and as I suggested, I doubt you will find a device that will.
Click to expand...

How long away from a electrical socket when you are away from home do you have in mind do you not have a mobile phone that needs a recharge occasionally .
rebrascora said:
How about sealing them in a jar or bottle and weighting it down it in a water butt located in permanent shade to keep it cool..... if things get that desperate and you don't have any other refrigeration means..... just an idea to have in the back of your mind if the worst comes to the worst.
I believe you can buy ones that plug into the car if you have fuel and don't mind polluting the environment to keep it working.
Gotta love a prepper!
Click to expand...
OH wow I don't no what to say.
 
Matchless said:
How long away from a electrical socket when you are away from home do you have in mind do you not have a mobile phone that needs a recharge occasionally .

OH wow I don't no what to say.
Click to expand...
I was just responding to the OP's concern about things getting out of control in worst case Covid 19 situation and there being power outages etc. I am not saying that it is going to come to that but some people like to prepare for the very worst and doing so gives them some comfort.

I hope I didn't say anything out of turn..... just trying to give OP practical solutions.
 
rebrascora said:
How about sealing them in a jar or bottle and weighting it down it in a water butt located in permanent shade to keep it cool..... if things get that desperate and you don't have any other refrigeration means..... just an idea to have in the back of your mind if the worst comes to the worst.
I believe you can buy ones that plug into the car if you have fuel and don't mind polluting the environment to keep it working.
Gotta love a prepper!
Click to expand...
Thanks - it probably won't come to that !! I hadn't thought of your solution - might help it last a little longer. I don't have a car, so I can't use that as a means of recharging the fridge. You know I am astonished that no one has come up with a standalone (i.e. not dependent on the mains) way of recharging what would be quite a small fridge. I worked out that even a year's supply of insulin would fit into a cube less than 20 cm X 20 cm X 20 cm. That's quite a small box in comparison to even the smallest camping fridges. I thought batteries were forever getting smaller and more powerful. Surely there must be a way even if you have to connect up several of the batteries at once.
 
Actually Xertes, batteries are not getting smaller and more powerful. What is happening is that they the things they are powering are getting more efficient and more frugal in terms of the power they require and that is entirely due to advances in electronics, not battery technology. When it comes to doing work with the output of a battery, you are stuffed by thermodynamics and the net result is that your fridge would require a battery which would not only cost a lot more than the fridge, it would be bigger and heavier than the fridge. I suppose you could recharge it with a portable aerogenerator or a photovoltaic assembly but they would add to the burden of carting it all around.

As somebody who spent a lot of time developing fuel cells, I am not at all surprised that battery-operated fridges are not commonplace. Thermodynamics is a first-class roadblock when it comes to thwarting the ambitions of the entrepreneur.
 
Thanks Docb - yes you know I was starting to see this with my research. The power units were looking like they were going to be bigger than the fridge and I was suspecting that the power needs of refrigeration were actually quite high. A solar panel with a back up gas or petrol powered electricity generator for cloudy days in some sort of array might be the way forward - though this is all too complicated for me and probably too expensive, so while I was seeking to give myself the option of being able to keep my insulin cold even if the electricity supply went, well I'll just have to take my chances and hope for the best Thanks for your thoughts Xertes
 
It takes a little bit more manual upkeep but the frio pouches just need soaking every 3 days or so to recharge. It’s not the same as just changing a battery once a month but is a relatively low tech and affordable way to maybe meet you needs and give you some peace of mind. In these sorts of situations the anxiety around not having a solution can be greater than than the actual need for a solution so your brain may be happy to just have bought something that may work and then reassess if it seems more intervention is necessary. It also means you could just keep your insulin in your usual fridge and know that you have the frio in the cupboard for if they become necessary. If power is intermittent then the insulin in a closed fridge will still be cold enough for a day or two anyway. Sometimes we overengineer solutions through fear.
 
I agree with @Thebearcametoo, a Frio pouch would be sufficient to keep insulin cold, either for short periods in the case of an emergency, or even if it was longer term as you could refresh the pouch simply by wetting it 🙂 I've know people go on 6-month backpacking holidays with very infrequent access to refrigeration (and obviously 6-months supply of insulin! 🙂 ). I've got one and they are very useful for days out in hot weather 🙂

I remember reading once that, in India where some of the villages might not have access to a reliable power supply, they bury the insulin in the ground to keep it cool 🙂

I very much doubt that we would lose essential services for any great length of time, if at all. I believe there is also a scheme whereby you can register as a priority case for medical reasons in the event of a power cut (details anyone? @Gwen Diabetes UK or @Josh DUK - are you aware of this and can you give details?) 🙂
 
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