Identify some plastic packing ?

[stormbird]

Hi all

So wanting to improve my camping when at race meetings and to fit in with my car conversion to a sleeper I want to build a ultra insulated passive cool box.

Usually a commercial cool box is more inner/outer casing than insulation.
I want to build a custom box that fits under the bed and has at least 2" [ 50mm ] walls and floor/top.

Of course I want the materials to be free if possible ! as well.

Having some plumbing work done I have some of the packing plastic , however it is not polystyrene but that grease harder plastic for absorbing impact ?

However what is it called ? does it actually have any insulation value ?

I think for £14 I can get two sheets of 1" [25mm ] which I need to calculate the interior volume of when turned into a giant shoe box it might just be enough and thick enough when doubled up.

Another trick to get the box to last 2/3 days will be to ditch the usual ' cool blocks ' and freeze drinkable water instead which will be usable when thawing and any other food that will survive being frozen will also help .

Paul

 

[undertoad]

Do you have a photo?
I've seen some flexible polyethylene foam used for packing - I'm sure it has insulating value, as anything that traps air should.

 

[DannyC]

You could just use a conventional ice-chest/cool-box.
Buy a bag of ICE from your local supermarket, chuck it in, put your food in a tray on top or in a sealed plastic bag buried in the ice.
As the ice melts decant the water for drinking/cooking/tea-making. Buy fresh ice anywhere along the way?
Not sure how useful a "shoe-box" size would be.

 

[maddox]

Historicaly, there were "cool boxes" made from a outer wooden box, lined with wool/felt. For cooling, ice was used (ceramic jars or leather flasks), and yes, cold drinking water was a nice secundary benefit.

I guess with modern materials, making such a ice chest to fit, shouldn't be that big a problem.

 

[stormbird]

Do you have a photo?
I've seen some flexible polyethylene foam used for packing - I'm sure it has insulating value, as anything that traps air should.

That's the problem I am not sure it is a very good insulator as there are no air bubbles visible ....

Oh and it is very very hard to photograph

Paul

You could just use a conventional ice-chest/cool-box.

But I am try to improve on the performance of the one's I already have ?

Buy a bag of ICE from your local supermarket, chuck it in, put your food in a tray on top or in a sealed plastic bag buried in the ice.
As the ice melts decant the water for drinking/cooking/tea-making.

yes however

Buy fresh ice anywhere along the way?

In a 24hr race miles from the nearest shop that could prove to be difficult ?

Not sure how useful a "shoe-box" size would be.

shoe box was just used as a shape and I did use the word giant ?

paul

 

[undertoad]

That's the stuff I was thinking of - Polyethylene foam.
It definitely has air inside it - If you threw it in water, it would float like a cork, from the trapped air.
R value = 4-6 per inch

 

[Radical Brad]

Same stuff pool noodles are made of, and it does have a good amount of R value.
I did all the pipes in my house with pool noodles actually!

You can get "proper" pipe insulators for about $1 / foot at the hardware store.
But you can get 4 foot pool noodles on sale in the fall for about 4 for a dollar.
Since my house is 80 feet long, this was a HUGE savings, plus they are larger in diameter.

But the point of that ramble was that your foam is the same material, I recognize it.
Good for hard seat foam too.

Brad