Cooler Hack! How to Build SUPERCHARGED Reusable Ice Pack Pods

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July 30, 2022: Build a set of supercharged ice pods and keep your cooler COLD!

In this video I will show you how I built a set of supercharged ice pods custom fit to the exact internal dimensions of my cooler. These pods freeze at a temperature of around 26 degrees so they will help keep your cooler colder than ordinary ice will.

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[FXDE]

Maybe some food coloring in the solution would be good so you could tell if they're leaking. Cool idea!

[johnx]

Just a suggestion - if you load the pipes with very hot saline water before you seal them, the air inside will be expanded.
This will contract when cool, and will provide less pressure on the caps and pipe when the water is frozen.

[bstsmanufacturing]

My uncle Burt made something similar when he had a pesky graboid infestation. Worked like a charm!

[Sushihunter]

Back when I was guiding, I just used 2 Litre Coke bottles filled with salt water. They fit the cooler perfectly. I could easily get two days use out of them. Another advantage was that I could dump the water after they thawed to make it easier to transport home to be refilled.

[azycray]

In case your interested, the only difference between the purple primer and the clear cleaner in the yellow can is the purple dye. They came out with the purple primer around the early 80's so the plumbing inspector could tell whether or not you used a cleaner/primer before the solvent weld. So unless you are getting a plumbing inspection, I always use the clear cleaner in the yellow can because the purple will stain anything it touches. Just FYI

[Rescue-mtfl]

Awesome tip. Tried it myself, was able to get best dissolved salt in water by using pickling salt, it’s much finer and dissolves faster.

Looked great but being a long time bay fisherman who normally uses a hundred or so quart ice chest and spend many days out in the summer heat I've found that a pair of one gallon milk jugs filled with water and frozen will last for two days and keep all my fish cold at the same time.

[jamescostello]

Old irrigation tech here. Always apply glue to the pipe and fitting. They will go all the way in and that will be a forever seal.

[Joeyw-]

I just use bottled water. Most won't burst when frozen solid. If you are worried about that, just remove about 5% of the water, then freeze solid. You can pick bottles based on the size of your cooler, and it's avaliable to drink in a pinch once it defrosts.

[Kevin-wrum]

Not sure I'll ever do this but this was one of the best, most complete DIY videos I've ever seen. Good job sir, I'm subscribing just in case.

[ralphwilliams]

I would use schedule 20 pipe. Freeze faster and hopefully work more efficiently. This is a great tip. Glad I ran across this video.

[anthonyadams]

I have done similar, but I used 1 part 91% rubbing alcohol to 4 parts water in a heavy duty bag. It freezes softly, so you can bend it and mold it around things. I love this idea though!

[friki-tiki]

I've seen a lot of comments about boiling water or trying to figure out how to keep the pressure down when the water freezes but I have always just filled the pipe with water, stood it on its end in the freezer with the one cap off. When it freezes, cut the overflow of ice off and then cap it.

[jpendowski]

Thank you for a clear and simple presentation, visual and verbal instructions and readily available supplies. They may not suit all needs but I appreciate the great information.

[salplus]

I'm not an angler but stumbled across your video. Very well done and I liked how you walked through each step for anyone who has never measured something like this. Thanks for the video, will have to try this out on my next family camping trip.

[azycray]

I did a little research on this and found that there is a reaction that takes place when salt is added to ice, it makes the water colder as the ice melts. This is the best explanation I have from what I read so checking with a scientist to corroborate is a good idea. But, when the water and salt are already mixed, the process that takes place with salt on ice is no longer there. So in making your own reusable freeze tubes, there should be no difference in the ability to make things colder. Looked at another way, if your freezer gets down to -10 degrees, the ice you make will be -10 also. Whether fresh or salt water, the cold it stores is limited by the freezer making it. the fact that the salt water will melt at a lower temperature probably has no effect since the salt water will still be the same temperature as the fresh water ice that is still frozen. Salt water is more dense than fresh water but it is denser because of the dissolved solids. Normally I would think that the denser something is, the longer it would hold a temperature, whether it is heat or cold. but in this instance, what would hold temperature better, sodium chloride or H2o. Whatever the difference, it is most likely negligible since the salt content is so low it would not be detected. So this is a very long winded way of saying that using salt water to make your reusable cold blocks probably is no benefit over using fresh water. Use the coldest freezer you have for the best results.

[jfowler]

Love the idea for a long weekend-ish trip. When I go way out in the boonies, I'm often out for 6 days or so. A block of ice will last that long and I'm sure these wouldn't. However, when I cast the block to fit in the bottom, I'll bet I'd get an extra day with salt water.

[hugchopshop]

Can also freeze Gatorade. Since you can drink it when it melts, you didn't "give up" any cooler space.

[MikeAlexander-kf]

I also utilize 1 liter bottles I had previously emptied. I fill them with tap water and store them in the freezer until needed. When traveling I refreeze them where we are staying (a BnB or hotel with kitchenette). Easy and you don’t have to deal with melted ice.

[joshuahowitt]

I like the idea, and I like a commenters suggestion to use steel, because the heat / cold transfer properties are faster. However I feel compelled to note, that although salt water and fresh water freeze at different temperatures, the actual temperature of the water / ice / or other solution is the same as the rest of everything in the freezer, provided it's had enough time to get cold. A freezer set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit results in fresh, salt or artificial solution at 0 f within a day or two (maybe less)... That's where the steel would help the water freeze colder faster in the freezer.  

I've been using refreezable soft packs, but I don't like how they sometimes freeze into jagged irregular shapes if I don't lay them out in a single layer in the freezer, and that takes a lot of freezer rack space. Using rigid freeze packs like this or other, is now really appealing to me. Thanks!

I like the DIY and presentation and steps shown. :)