How To Keep Things Cold In The Utah Wilderness

Exploring Utah’s many natural wonders means you’ll be packing food and drinks for the trip. Whether it is for a weekend getaway or something more extensive, you may want to pack a cooler or possibly look into a mobile fridge.

Here are the Positive and Negatives for Ways to Keep it Cold

I talked with Robert Sudeith who hosts the YouTube channel “Weekend Escapades”. He and his wife head out every weekend to visit ghost towns and abandoned mines in Utah and Nevada in his camper van.

He gave me a rundown on what is good about a cooler and the benefits of a travel fridge. Because he doesn’t usually go for more than a few days, he relies on a high-end cooler, but that doesn’t mean the fridge isn’t a good option as well.

Space and cost are big factors in choosing a cooler or fridge. Canva

Good and Bad Things About a Cooler

A high-end cooler will run from $150 to $300 and will keep your food and drinks cold for 2 to 3 days. It is simple with no electronics to break, and you can sit anywhere in your vehicle. This is what he uses on weekends.

“Packing your own drinks saves money rather than stopping at every gas station,” said Sudeith.

The drawbacks with a cooler are that the ice takes up a lot of room. To keep everything cold you need to pack it right. It can also make food soggy as it melts.

Good and Bad of a Travel Fridge

A battery powered fridge doesn’t need any ice and so there is more room. You don’t need to be looking for ice to keep it going, and you don’t need to worry about whether it got to warm for meat products.

On the downside, the fridge needs to plug into the vehicle and must be near the spot. It costs more, anywhere from $400 to $1000. You’ll need a battery backup for when the car is off, and it can drain your battery over time.

It seems like the length of your trip may determine which is better. Of course, you can skip the whole problem and just live off beef jerky and drink from clear mountain streams like the pioneers did.