We’re always on the look out for equipment or gadgets which will make our travels easier. Before Christmas Hubby suggested we buy a car fridge. At first I was dubious as I’d always associated them with camping, but it turns out it’s a super useful gadget for day-to-day and travelling. A car fridge could be a good disability equipment solution for others looking at road trip travel.
CAR FRIDGE FOR TRAVEL
When looking at options, Hubby was keen to have one with dual function, cooling and heating. It also had to be compact for fitting into our, usually overloaded, car when we travel. The criteria was that it could fit between the wheels of BJ’s wheelchair when it was loaded into the boot.
We purchased the Brass Monkey Portable Cooler/Warmer 30 Litre capacity – model GH1369 from Jaycar at $129. It was reasonably priced compared to other brands and so far we’re really happy with it.
HOW IT WORKS
The car fridge plugs into a 12 volt outlet and a switch at the top changes the fridge function between cooling and warming.
It can also be plugged into power if you’d like to use it at home as an additional way of cooling or keeping food warm. You do need a power supply adaptor which is around $50 extra.
USES FOR A CAR FRIDGE
We’ll be using it for medication to ensure it stays cool in the car while we’re travelling.
We’re fans of self-catering when we travel. Though we like the occasional meal out, to save on the travel budget, we usually take some cooked meals from the freezer to use at our destination. A car fridge means the food doesn’t defrost on the way.
Last year there was the Empty Esky campaign, which encouraged people to travel to regional areas affected by bushfires over summer and fill their esky with local products to help the economy. Long before the Empty Esky campaign I’ve been a big supporter of buying local produce and products from wherever we travel. Having the fridge means I can stock up and not worry about an esky bag and ice bricks and the food getting squashed on the way home.
We can pack lunch, drinks and snacks for day trips or for when we go on a road trip. It saves stopping and avoids the junk food often on offer at road stops.
In summer in Australia, it’s handy to be able to put grocery shopping into a fridge to keep it at the right temperature and to stop that tub of ice cream from getting runny! No-one wants their ice cream ruined.
The other day we grabbed some take away for the family and Hubby had the fridge set to warming and all our food arrived home steaming hot. I was amazed at how well the warming option works. It’s also perfect for taking hot food to contribute to family get togethers.
We’re not a camping or fishing family but I can’t imagine a better way to keep everything cool when doing either of those activities.
The car fridge can be used as a regular esky with the bonus it doesn’t need ice or ice bricks to keep things cool.
We’re sold on the idea of travelling with a car fridge and the unexpected benefit is the day-to-day uses for keeping things cool or warm.
We are in no way associated with Brass Monkey, we just love sharing equipment solutions when we find them.
You may like some of our previous equipment solution blogs which you can read here and here.
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