Do-it-yourself salt cold accumulator

The cold accumulator is a convenient invention that allows you to transport perishable products even on the hottest day. This device can be made by hand. The process does not require any special knowledge. It is not difficult to create a cold accumulator with your own hands, and it is possible to recreate a purchased device at home with minimal expenditure of money and effort.

Cold storage

Civilization develops best in the cold. It is unknown why, but this is how it happened historically. The southern hemisphere cannot boast of highly developed and technological countries, for the most part.

The northern regions, in this regard, are ahead of their neighbors, because in colder conditions:

It's harder to survive;
It is more difficult to get at least some harvest;
Those who are not ready to work up a sweat cannot hope to succeed;
You have to make plans for the years ahead if you want to live this time successfully.

Some relaxation associated with abundant harvests in the southern regions leads to a slowdown in the process of state building. People simply don’t need to unite into communities; they will survive anyway. But regardless of living conditions, they haven’t come up with anything better than cold to preserve their food:

Low temperatures “preserve” food;
With this storage, food does not lose its taste;
This is a cheap and accessible method today;
Food can be taken out of the refrigerator and cooked immediately, without any additional procedures or manipulations.

Video: cooler bag from aliexpress (thermal bag)

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How does a cold accumulator work?

First, you need to understand what principles underlie the operation of the device and what it is.

In terms of device, everything is not so complicated:

A container that serves as a container for liquid;
The liquid itself, consisting of water and additives
;
Dye.

Let's go from the end. The dye performs a purely aesthetic function

, without it everything will work exactly the same, just look different. Like a vessel with a transparent liquid. Like a water bottle. In this case, it will no longer be possible to sell a cold storage battery at exorbitant prices, because everyone will understand that it can be made at home for mere pennies.

Any plastic container, such as a soda or mineral water bottle, can serve as a container. Two substances are used as filler. The first of these is water, to create volume and as a convenient solvent.

The second component could be:

Carboxymethylcellulose;
Salt;
Glycerol;
Isopropyl alcohol.

The task of this “additive” is always the same - to increase the heat capacity of water

. This means that now the liquid will freeze at temperatures significantly below 0° C, and will take longer to melt, bathing everything around with “frosty freshness.” Exactly what you need to maintain the freshness of your products.

How does an insulated container work?

A thermal box or isothermal container is an analogue of a thermal bag and they work on a similar principle, but its frame is more rigid, since the outer shell is made of plastic. They are good to use when traveling by car. Thermoboxes come in small sizes or are large containers that can hold a lot of food or drinks.

Thermal bags weigh less than thermal boxes, and when folded they take up much less space. An insulated container has a stable shape. Thermal containers hold from 1 to 140 liters. Small ones, 2.5 liters, weigh no more than 360 g, and if the isothermal device is large, then its weight can reach 20 kg.

Thermal containers with a capacity of up to 10 liters are equipped with one handle. And the big ones usually have 2 handles. Some models are equipped with a lock in the handle that prevents spontaneous opening of the thermobox. If the isothermal device is very large, then it is installed on 2-4 supporting rollers and equipped with retractable handles.

DIY cold storage

When considering only cooling options, these devices can be made with your own hands. The simplest homemade product is a plastic bottle - it is filled with clean water and placed in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Such a battery is enough to transport food to the dacha, but the efficiency can be increased by changing the filler (refrigerant).

It is impossible to make a high-quality heat exchanger according to the intended parameters at home, since during manufacturing it is necessary to carry out complex calculations and take into account the physics of transient processes. For household use, simple recipes based on salt and other water thickeners, for example, wallpaper glue, may be sufficient. They will change little the characteristics of the water base, but will increase the shelf life of the products.

Table salt (sodium chloride)

To get the simplest version of the mixture, add 400 g of table salt to 1 liter of water. In order for sodium chloride to dissolve better, the liquid must be heated. The resulting solution is poured into plastic containers - bottles, durable bags, juice packs. Before use, you simply need to freeze the container. This type of cold accumulator will allow you to store food in a thermally insulated box for 12-14 hours at a temperature of about -20˚C.

Defrosting the refrigerator is rightfully considered one of the most troublesome kitchen tasks. Until all the ice melts, it will pass...

Glauber's salt

To ensure a temperature regime of about -10˚C, a composition is prepared based on Glauber’s salt. The solution can be obtained by mixing 200 g of dry component with 1 liter of water. To thicken the mass further, it is possible to supplement the mixture with wallpaper glue, but no more than 10 g of it is needed. Before use, the salt cold accumulator for the thermal bag is frozen for 5-8 hours.

Wallpaper glue

In addition to salt options, you can use a solution based on wallpaper glue. To prepare, dilute 40 g of dry glue in 1 liter of water. The mixture should have a gel-like structure. To use, it is poured into plastic containers and frozen. The characteristics of this homemade product bring the temperature in a thermally insulated container closer to that of a household refrigerator - it stays at 0˚C for 12-13 hours.

The adhesive solution in batteries can be replaced with paste or starch solution - the differences in performance will be insignificant.

How to choose a cooler bag

Before you go shopping, you should decide on the purpose of the mobile refrigerator.

For traveling by train

The insulated bag must meet the following criteria:

the dimensions of the product correspond to the amount of food being transported (for food on the road, a box of dimensions 15x15x15 cm is sufficient, for bulky luggage - 55x50x65 cm);
the weight of the empty container should not exceed 400-600 g;
the presence of additional compartments in the outer case;
practical material for the outer layer, foil heat insulator for the inner layer;
high-quality tailoring, tight fit of layers, zipper on the lid.

Cold storage batteries are included or sold separately. When choosing them, you need to focus on the charging time of the devices and the duration of the cooling effect. A medium sized bag requires 4-5 ice packs.

Types of batteries for refrigerator bag
Name	a brief description of
Gel	Keeps cold for up to 5-6 days. Requires charging in the freezer for 8 hours.
Salt	Temperature range – from -19° to +7°. The cold retention time is up to a day.
Silicone	Able to maintain temperature from ° to +2 ° for 6-7 days.

Competent sales consultants will tell you how to choose a cooler bag for traveling on the train. By using their help, you can avoid many disappointments in the process of using a grocery carrier.

For auto

The cooler bag has become a common accessory for motorists. It is chosen taking into account the duration of the trip and the amount of food. Regular bags are made from polyester or nylon.

Models with a forced cooling system most often have a plastic base with a thermal insulating layer inside. The dimensions of such boxes are presented in an assortment (from 40 liters and above).

To determine the size, you need to find out where you plan to install the food storage. Usually the place is in the trunk. To recharge the batteries, the product is carried into the cabin and connected to the cigarette lighter.

When choosing a model for a car, the following factors are taken into account:

size;
battery type;
quantity of the minimum set of products;
duration of the trip.

For other trips

If a bag is selected for different trips, the specific situation is taken into account. Models with a volume of 9-1 liters are suitable for daily use. When planning picnics, it is worth considering options with a capacity of 20 liters. A two or three day holiday requires the transportation of more food, so the parameters of a mobile refrigerator should be from 25 liters.

An important point is also the material from which the outer cover is sewn. It must be a water-repellent fabric made of durable synthetic fiber.

The battery type is selected taking into account the duration of travel. For day trips, basically any cooler is suitable. In other cases, it is better to give preference to gel or silicone fillers.

New food storage technologies

Why not come up with something revolutionary that can store food much longer and take up less space in the kitchen?

There are several problems here:

Today, the refrigerator is already an accessible, convenient and cheap option;
Developing something new will result in a sum with many zeros;
There is simply no demand for new technology, as long as everyone is satisfied with the existing one;
Freezing using cold has shown its effectiveness and safety for many centuries; people will treat anything new with distrust.

We, by and large, do not value what we have:

Cold has virtually no effect on taste;
The original structure of food is not destroyed;
There is no additional stress on the body due to this method of storing food;
It is safe.

Just imagine if you had to treat food with some kind of chemical solutions every time so that it would not spoil longer. And then, each time, wash it all off and hope that nothing remains on the surface or seeps inside.

Selection and examples of models

Today you can buy a variety of cold storage batteries in online stores. The main parameters to consider when choosing are listed below.

design;
filler composition;
volume.

Almost all cold storage battery fillers are blue in color. But this does not matter and the color does not carry any functional load. It depends on the dye added. Therefore, if you find cold storage batteries with red or other colored filler on sale, you can buy them without any problems. The volume of most models offered on the market today ranges from 250 to 800 milliliters.

Almost all industrial-made cold storage batteries have an unlimited shelf life. Of course, subject to the rules for storing them when not in use. Many manufacturers of such models guarantee the safety of the materials from which they are made, as well as environmental friendliness.

What can it be made from?

To sew the product, a strong synthetic fabric with water-repellent and sun-protective properties is selected. To a greater extent, these qualities are present in nylon, polyvinyl chloride, and polyester. Fabrics based on them are easy to clean from various types of dirt and dry quickly. In addition, the material must be of increased density to eliminate the possibility of mechanical damage during operation.

Foil-isolon is used as insulation. This is an environmentally friendly material with a long service life, excellent thermal insulation properties, high strength characteristics, and low specific gravity. The base is foamed polyethylene. The outer surface is laminated with aluminum foil and polypropylene film. Double protection protects the filler from chemical interaction with organic matter, which makes the material safe for food storage.

Cold storage

The northern regions, in this regard, are ahead of their neighbors, because in colder conditions:

It's harder to survive;
It is more difficult to get at least some harvest;
Those who are not ready to work up a sweat cannot hope to succeed;
You have to make plans for the years ahead if you want to live this time successfully.

Low temperatures “preserve” food;
With this storage, food does not lose its taste;
This is a cheap and accessible method today;
Food can be taken out of the refrigerator and cooked immediately, without any additional procedures or manipulations.

Stages of self-production

Many people create cold storage batteries with their own hands. The advantages of this solution are obvious:

devices are made from improvised materials available in every home - their cost is extremely low;
manufacturing requires a minimum of time and effort - preparation will take no more than 10-15 minutes, the rest of the time is freezing the homemade refrigerant.

First you need to collect a basic set of raw materials and supplies - 0.5 and 1 liter plastic bottles, table or Glauber's salt, wallpaper glue or gelatin. The manufacturing nuances in each option will be slightly different.

With table salt

You will need: 1 liter of ordinary water, 450 g of table salt, plastic containers of the required volume.

The components for a strong solution are mixed and slightly heated so that the salt crystals dissolve faster.
The resulting liquid is poured into a juice container, bottle or durable plastic bag.
Freeze at minus 18 degrees.
After 8-10 hours, the finished refrigerant is wrapped in a terry towel to create proper thermal insulation, and a bag is put on top so that the condensation that forms does not fall on the food.

This cold accumulator will keep food at a temperature of -15° for 11-13 hours.

With Glauber's salt

Mirabilite is widely used in refrigeration, so it is perfect for making homemade refrigerant. You will need: 1 liter of water, 200 g of salt itself, 10 g of gelatin or wallpaper glue.

The step-by-step algorithm is not much different from the first option:

A saline solution is prepared, then it is thickened with gelatin (glue).
The finished mixture is poured into a bag or bottle and placed in the freezer for 6-9 hours.
The container is wrapped in terry cloth and placed in a bag that will collect condensation.

In the thermal bag, Glauber's salt coolant maintains a temperature of -10° for about 8-10 hours.

With wallpaper glue

To prepare, you will need a plastic container, 1 liter of water, 40 g of dry wallpaper glue. Step-by-step preparation:

Combine water and dry mixture and stir well until a gel-like consistency is obtained.
The solution is poured into a prepared container and frozen in the freezer.

The refrigerant will keep food in the thermal bag for up to 11 hours at temperatures below 0.

The approximate ratio of wallpaper glue and water to create a cold storage device is 4:100.

With gelatin

To create a gelatin refrigerant, prepare 4 liters of water, table salt, 10 g of gelatin, and a plastic container.

Pour salt into 1 liter of water in a ratio of 10:3 and stir thoroughly. The sodium chloride should be completely dissolved.
Then dilute the mixture with the remaining 3 liters of water and add gelatin. Stir well again - the liquid should thicken a little.
The solution is poured into a plastic container and placed in the freezer until completely frozen.

The gel substance melts more slowly than the options described above, so it will keep the cold inside the thermal bag for 8-10 hours.

What is needed for making

You need to start making a refrigerator bag by drawing up a drawing and preparing materials. The drawing is made from several angles indicating the dimensions of the parts. This will make it easier to calculate the necessary funds. Next, a brief description of the design is compiled with a breakdown of the interlayers that provide the thermal effect.

What can you use as the basis for a bag?

You don’t need to sew the base of the design; just use a shopping bag or travel bag.

It must meet the following criteria:

stable base;
suitable size (volume);
presence of a zipper lock;
waterproof material without mechanical damage.

Sewing the base yourself is also easy. Both polyester and leather substitutes are suitable for fabrics. In any case, preference is given to synthetic materials, since they are easier to care for.

To make a car bag, the following can be taken as a basis:

wooden box with lid;
thick cardboard box;
Plastic container.

Thermal insulating layer

The main function in the design is assigned to the thermal layer, which follows the shape of the base. It is placed inside the bag. For manufacturing, you can use materials with low thermal conductivity. Foamed foil polyethylene (isolon) is most often used. Its properties are ideal for a portable refrigerator. Preference is given to polymer with a double-sided foil coating 0.5 cm thick.

What tools are needed

It is worth taking care of the tools in advance so as not to be distracted while assembling the structure by searching for the necessary device.

The following will be useful at work:

scissors;
awl;
measuring instruments (ruler, tape measure, etc.), marker;
a set of needles (if you need to sew the base parts);
strong threads;
tape (regular, double-sided and foil);
zipper;
foamed foil polyethylene.

Build process

The assembly algorithm for a mobile refrigerator consists of the following steps.

From the bag chosen as the base, cut off the pockets, remove partitions and other decorative elements.
Take measurements from the internal surfaces and use them to make a pattern for thermal insulation.
Cut out the cutting details from isolon.
Connect the elements at the joints using tape. The first penetration is made with ordinary adhesive tape. A layer of foil tape is placed on top of it.
Place the resulting box inside the bag. The surfaces must fit snugly against each other. In some places, you can secure the parts of the base and thermal protection with double-sided tape. The voids are filled with foam rubber.
If the bag has a flap in the form of a lid, it is also insulated with polyethylene foam.

How does a cold accumulator work?

First, you need to understand what principles underlie the operation of the device and what it is.

In terms of device, everything is not so complicated:

A container that serves as a container for liquid;
The liquid itself, consisting of water and additives
;
Dye.

Let's go from the end. The dye performs a purely aesthetic function

Any plastic container, such as a soda or mineral water bottle, can serve as a container. Two substances are used as filler. The first of these is water, to create volume and as a convenient solvent.

The second component could be:

Carboxymethylcellulose;
Salt;
Glycerol;
Isopropyl alcohol.

The task of this “additive” is always the same - to increase the heat capacity of water

How to choose a device

Cold storage tanks differ in design features, type of refrigerant and its volume in a sealed container. These parameters must be taken into account when choosing a refrigeration device. The color of the refrigerant does not in any way affect the characteristics of the battery and does not carry a functional load, unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer on the packaging.

Some factory cold storage batteries can not only be frozen, but also heated. The substance inside the container is capable of keeping food warm. When it is necessary to use a cold accumulator as a heater, it is charged in the microwave. The heating time should not exceed that specified by the manufacturer.

Heating in a microwave oven is only possible in the case of purchased drives, the manufacturer of which allows their use with heating.

Preparation and action

It is not difficult to prepare a cold accumulator for use.
The containers are placed in the freezer, turning on the maximum cooling mode, for the time necessary to completely freeze the liquid. Freezing time directly depends on the type of filler. You can then use it in an isometric bag throughout the day, the battery will take heat from the food, keeping it fresh. The useful life of the battery depends on several factors:

battery type;
insulating properties and volume of the bag;
rationality of placement;
initial temperature of the products.

Depending on the size of the bag, you may need several batteries. It is very important to place them correctly in the space of the bag:

can be placed on top of provisions;
arrange horizontally in layers;
place above and below.

As the composition in the battery container defrosts, it is removed from the bag, washed with water, wiped dry and placed back in the freezer.

It is necessary to store the cold accumulator in the refrigerator when it is not in use, this ensures the safety of the accumulator and increases the life of the refrigeration-freezer device.

New food storage technologies

Why not come up with something revolutionary that can store food much longer and take up less space in the kitchen?

There are several problems here:

Today, the refrigerator is already an accessible, convenient and cheap option;
Developing something new will result in a sum with many zeros;
There is simply no demand for new technology, as long as everyone is satisfied with the existing one;
Freezing using cold has shown its effectiveness and safety for many centuries; people will treat anything new with distrust.

We, by and large, do not value what we have:

Cold has virtually no effect on taste;
The original structure of food is not destroyed;
There is no additional stress on the body due to this method of storing food;
It is safe.

Varieties

There are several types of cold batteries: silicone, gel, water-salt. Having understood their differences, you will be able to understand which is more effective and choose the best option for yourself:

Silicone. This type of cold accumulator maintains a low temperature for the longest time - from 0 to +5 degrees throughout the week. It looks like a rectangular film package. Inside it is a special silicone mixture that freezes quickly and melts slowly.
Gel. This type of cold storage battery is the most common. It looks like a dense, sealed, rectangular bag. It contains a gel-like substance inside that keeps the inside of the bag cool. It can also be used as a heat accumulator. It supports a wide temperature range and operates for up to 16 hours. If the filler leaks, you don’t have to worry - simply wipe the surface with a napkin or rinse with water. The gel will not spoil the products, it is completely safe and does not harm the body.
Salt cold accumulator. Appearance: rectangular plastic box. It contains a water-salt solution inside, which can be added if necessary (but not all manufacturers provide this possibility). The battery maintains low temperatures, down to approximately -10°, throughout the day.

Properties of cold sources

For the production of the storage devices in question, only safe polymer materials that do not threaten human health are used. The capacity of magazine devices is generally from 0.25 to 0.8 liters.

The use of a film surface allows you to give sources that have not yet frozen the desired shape. In addition, temperature changes do not have a negative effect on them.

The outer part of the gel devices is made of film, and the substance of the same name, which has high thermal conductivity, is used as a filler.

The use of gel cold sources allows you to create an area of low temperatures (inside the container, bag), as well as maintain a certain temperature of the products, so that they can remain warm longer.

Carboxymethylcellulose, which is a gel-forming substance, in case of damage to the film and accidental contact with food or medicine, does not spoil them and does not have a negative effect on the human body.

How to make a cold accumulator?

You can make this “miracle of technology” right in your kitchen:

Take a half-liter plastic bottle;
Pour in 400 ml of liquid;
Add 100 grams of salt;
Place in the freezer for a day;
We enjoy the result.

You can measure salt using teaspoons or tablespoons. In the first case - 10, in the second - 3 with a slide. Freezing may take a little longer and you should make sure in advance that your freezer is capable of reducing the temperature to -18° C. Otherwise, there is little point in the experiment.

Immediately after removal from the freezer, the manufactured “device” can be used for its intended purpose.

If you want to make something a little more complicated and a little more effective, you can use other fillers instead of salt:

Carboxymethylcellulose;
Glycerol;
Isopropyl alcohol.

In the public domain you can find tables at what temperature each solution freezes. Of course, it all depends on the mass fraction of the substance; with 100% isopropyl alcohol it is possible to achieve a figure of -73° C. But first make sure that your freezer meets your desires and can freeze the cold accumulator to such values.

Using cold storage tanks

The principle of operation of drives is the same for all types. Before using a portable compact cold generator, a person needs to charge it. To do this, you need to put the device in the freezer for 8 hours - until the refrigerant inside the sealed container freezes. In the case of refrigerators with a no-frost system, the placement of the battery does not matter. When ice freezes in the freezer, it is advisable to place the storage unit closer to it.

For reference! It is recommended to store it in the freezer during periods when the storage device is not needed. The absence of temperature surges allows you to increase the operating period of the device.

Keeping the battery in the freezer for a long time does not affect the performance of the device in any way - sub-zero temperatures do not render the refrigerant or the sealed case unusable. After the element has used up its charge, the drive is thoroughly washed, the case is allowed to dry on its own, and then put back into the freezer.

Principle of operation

Cold accumulators are a plastic, necessarily sealed, rectangular flat container containing a special liquid inside – usually a solution of carboxymethylcellulose. The weight of one container is approximately 0.5 kg, it is designed for 6-10 liters of thermal bag volume, allowing you to maintain a constant temperature for up to 10 hours. In fact, the device resembles ice, but has special properties - it freezes quickly and melts slowly.

Devices that accumulate cold are multifunctional: they will be useful for tourists, summer residents, and motorists on the road. In addition, they extend the life of a stationary refrigerator, reducing the load on the compressor, and become a real salvation during a power outage when the contents of the freezer begin to melt. Refrigerants are also used in medicine - for the transportation of a number of drugs, vaccines, biological tissues and other things.

The operating principle of such a device is simple: the container is placed in the freezer, where it completely freezes in 6-8 hours. After this, the battery is ready for use - cover the sides and bottom of the thermal bag with the required number of bags, and then tightly load the products into it. The lifespan of the refrigerant is unlimited; after use, it can be rinsed with water, wiped dry and re-frozen.

Cold storage batteries: which ones are better?

Oddly enough, a self-made cold storage battery can perform much better than store-bought analogues:

Ezetil
products performed well when cooled during the first 10-15 hours;
Freezpack
batteries perform better over longer distances;
Plain water is also quite suitable, especially if you add a little salt.

Knowing the contents of the container, you can make exactly the same solution, or even with better characteristics. So going to the store and overpaying is pointless. Selling this product in electronics stores also looks a little stupid, considering that the “mechanism” itself contains only plastic, water, dye and a simple additive.

If you want to make the most effective cold storage battery, use isopropyl alcohol:

It provides a significant increase in the heat capacity of water;
Most effective for small devices;
Before use, make sure your freezer is up to the task.

Choosing the right battery

When choosing a cold storage battery, it is important to consider that the characteristic blue color does not have any functional properties: this effect is provided by the dye. The lifespan of industrially manufactured batteries is unlimited. Manufacturers guarantee environmental friendliness and safety of materials that do not change their characteristics depending on time and sudden temperature fluctuations. Typically, the capacity of a standard battery is 250-800 ml.

When choosing a battery for your needs, take into account its parameters: volume, design, filler composition.

DIY battery

Batteries can be purchased in specialized stores, placed an order on online resources, but you can make it yourself, according to the “cheap and cheerful” principle.
Of course, the key point is the composition of the liquid that is used as a filler for a plastic container. In industrial batteries, the coolant contains: water, an antibacterial additive and carboxymethylcellulose. The latter serves as a thickener and controls the expansion of water when freezing. Considering the above, we offer several recipes for preparing liquid for a homemade cold accumulator.

Recipe No. 1

Manufacturing process:

in a liter of ordinary drinking water, preferably warm, prepare a saturated solution of table salt, adding about 400 grams of sodium chloride (table salt);
add three liters of water to the composition and add the required amount of wallpaper glue. The consistency of the liquid should be gel-like;
pour the solution into plastic containers with a screw cap or plastic bottles;
place in the freezer and freeze.

Read also: Pancakes with red fish recipe with photos

Such a battery can maintain the temperature in a special bag down to -20 degrees C for a long time.

Recipe No. 2

For a homemade cold accumulator: you need to prepare a 20% solution of Glauber's salt. For 100 grams of solution, you need to use the following ratio of substances: 20 grams of anhydrous salt, 1 gram of CMC (wallpaper glue) and a certain amount of water.

This battery composition is capable of maintaining cold temperatures down to -10 degrees C.

Recipe No. 3

This is the simplest, one might say force majeure, method of making a cold accumulator. It is necessary to mix water and wallpaper glue in the following proportions: 96 grams + 4 grams.

Minus 1 degree Celsius in a bag of groceries can create refrigerator conditions and allow you to hold out for some time.

At home, it is difficult to maintain tightness requirements, so special attention when using homemade cold accumulators must be paid to safety, especially if they are planned to be used for cooling food.

Video about preparing a cold accumulator

Most people don’t even suspect that making a cold storage battery with your own hands is much easier than it might seem at first glance. Behind the clever words lies a simple mechanism of action that can be reproduced even at home, with minimal effort and money.

Use depending on the type of bag

To choose the ideal way to keep cool for a specific case and decide how to use different types of cooler bags, it is important to compare their basic user properties

Model	Typical volume, l	Typical weight, kg	Temperature retention time, h	Network connection	Scope of application
Isothermal with thermal insulation	From 1.5 to 60	Less than 1	From 2 to 7	Not required	Picnic, short trip, day hike.
With cold accumulators	From 3 to 100	From 2 to 10 (1 cold accumulator – from 200 g)	From 8 to 48	Not required	Hiking for weekends, short trips, transporting food and medicine
Thermoelectric	From 3 to 30	From 3 to 5	Unlimited (requires several hours to cool down)	12/24/220 V (built-in battery, vehicle network, fixed network)	Long journeys, transportation of food and medicines for which a decrease in temperature is critical and will lead to spoilage
Compressor mini refrigerator	From 10 to 60	From 10 to 20	Not limited	12/24/220 V (car battery, landline network)	Traveling by car and yacht

It is worth considering in more detail universal options that are not tied to the vehicle.

With cold accumulators - for short trips and hiking Compressor mini-fridge - for long trips Isothermal - for picnics and short trips Thermoelectric - for long trips

Thermos bags

Considering what an insulated bag is, it can also be used as a large thermos: if you load warm foods inside, they will not cool down for a long time. You can take both cold and hot dishes with you in such a bag to a country picnic, on a train (unless it’s a trip from Moscow to Vladivostok), or to work. A simplified version of the design - a thermal package - has a very thin thermal insulation layer (0.3-0.8 mm). Such a primitive refrigerator can be used as a bag for delivering frozen food from the store, but nothing more.

Cold accumulators

If you line all the inner surfaces of the bag with cold packs, it can stay cold for a day or two. This is enough for a weekend trip or a short hike. You can calculate in advance how many cold accumulators you need for your cooler bag to achieve maximum effect. Let’s say the depth of the internal space of the container is 25 cm, the width and length are 30 cm, and you need to lay cold elements measuring 9 x 19 x 2 cm. In this case, the diagram will be like this:

three cold elements will fit on the bottom along one wall, the fourth will fit on the second, and the remaining gap will have to be closed by the fifth;
five more - under the lid;
for wall insulation - three cold elements.

In total, a container with a volume of 22 liters will require 22 batteries. They will weigh at least 6 kg. If you plan to carry all this in your hands, you will have to make a compromise: place one cooling element on the bottom and on the sides, and another one under the lid. It is also better to cover obvious weak points - joints of blocks of insulating material, damage, through fastenings - with cold elements. This is exactly how most ready-made solutions with cold storage batteries work.

A few hours before using a bag with cold accumulators, you need to prepare and think through the loading procedure. Approximate sequence of actions:

Charge the cold cells in the freezer for 8-12 hours.
Place in a cooled bag.
Immediately download products.
Place several ice packs on top.
Close the lid tightly and carefully check the tightness.

Before using a cold accumulator to cool a vaccine or medicine, you need to find out the rules for storing the drug. If the instructions say “do not freeze”, do not put the ice packs directly from the freezer. You will need to keep them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours until you can hear the splashing of the liquid inside when you shake the container.

Thermoelectric mini refrigerators

Beautiful and “smart” refrigerators based on Peltier elements are an interesting alternative to thermos bags. An important advantage of thermoelectric devices is the possibility of heating (in some models - up to 70 °C). You can take out cold food and then reheat the cooked food in the same chamber.

However, these high-tech products have several serious disadvantages:

cooling power is low: if you open the lid frequently, the contents will heat up;
maintained temperature is usually above 0 °C;
When used autonomously, the weight of the batteries is added to the weight of the container.

The thermoelectric model is suitable for those who use a cooler bag at least several times a year. For rare picnic trips, a simple and lightweight insulated bag would be appropriate.

What is this invention?

In its simplest form, a cold accumulator is a plastic bottle filled with salted water. It is enough to place it in the freezer for a day, then take it out and put it in your thermal bag so that the food and drinks in there remain at a low temperature for as long as possible.

In this water (filler) you can dissolve:

Salt;
Isopropyl alcohol;
Glycerol;
Carboxymethylcellulose.

All this will increase the heat capacity of water - it will take longer to freeze and release heat more slowly. Those. will be able to cool longer what needs to be stored at low temperatures.

If you don’t want to overpay, just do everything at home, with your own hands. Anyone can dissolve salt in water, and it’s not difficult to find table salt; just open a cabinet in the kitchen or look at the nearest grocery store.

If you want a “frosty blue” color, just like in the store, add dye.

Cold storage batteries do not always meet the expectations of their owners, and why should there be any surprise? It's just a frozen container of liquid.

Cooler bag for train travel with or without battery

Usually, along with a good thermal bag, cold accumulators are also sold - small containers with saline solution. If the thermal container does not have such a device, cold accumulators can be purchased separately. Batteries do not freeze, but are capable of releasing cold during defrosting. It is with the help of batteries that the food inside the thermal bag remains cooled or frozen longer.

Externally, the cold accumulator is a flat flask. The filling can be liquid or in the form of a gel. It is gel cold accumulators that take longer to heat up, but solution ones are much cheaper.

In principle, the service life of such a battery is unlimited. Before loading food, freeze containers in your home refrigerator. However, if the container with saline solution is cracked, you should immediately say goodbye to such a battery.

A properly selected salt refrigerant container can maintain temperatures 25° below ambient for 18 to 24 hours. Remember, for 1 liter of food you should use 50-60 g of refrigerant in the battery.