Author Topic: Does anybody bring a cooler on the tour?  (Read 11250 times)

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Offline denbec

Does anybody bring a cooler on the tour?
« on: April 15, 2009, 11:00:41 pm »
I'm curious if any bicycle tourists carry a small cooler on the bike for food and of course beer!  I'm debating about it myself - thoughts?

Offline valygrl

Re: Does anybody bring a cooler on the tour?
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2009, 01:10:34 am »
I've seen it done, but it seems light a waste of weight.  It was a small softsided six-pack sized cooler.  Seems silly to me - would only keep things cold for a little while, and think of the weight of the ice!

Offline Westinghouse

Re: Does anybody bring a cooler on the tour?
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2009, 05:06:54 am »
I have never carried a cooler. A thermos would be more to the point.

Offline staehpj1

Re: Does anybody bring a cooler on the tour?
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2009, 07:19:27 am »
Nope, never done that and never seen anyone on the road with one.  For beer it would only keep it cold for a very short while unless you carried ice.  Drink your beer while it is still cold, drink it warm, or cool it in a mountain stream.

Offline seaworthy

Re: Does anybody bring a cooler on the tour?
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2009, 07:45:25 am »
One of the guys with whom I rode the Northern Tier last summer brought a soft, lightweight cooler along. He used it mainly to hold ice for his water and to keep his dinner ingredients cold. Not valuing cold water or preserved meat as highly as he did, I myself wouldn't have chosen to carry the extra weight and bulk.

Offline LaidBack1

Re: Does anybody bring a cooler on the tour?
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2009, 09:59:34 am »
There was a how-to article in Bike Report (the previous title of Adventure Cyclist magazine) about making a bike trailer out of a cooler.  The writer sang its praises as a great way to carry gear and have a cooler available.  I tried searching the archive for it but never found the article. 

I sometimes bring a soft cooler on short tours.  On longer tours, the beer doesn't last long enough to get cold. :D



Offline denbec

Re: Does anybody bring a cooler on the tour?
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2009, 09:02:32 pm »
The replies are what I was expecting - thanks everyone.  I was not really thinking of bringing beer or whatever on the bike but thinking more about having a way to keep it chilled at the campsite.  Guess I need to drink faster!  :)

Offline wanderingwheel

Re: Does anybody bring a cooler on the tour?
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2009, 01:18:48 pm »
Sure, I sometimes bring a small, soft cooler, I think it's sized to fit a six-pack.  I use it when I pickup my dinner groceries early and want to keep them cool and protected.  It's not really any extra weight, and can be crushed down when not in use so it doesn't take much space.  Those insulated lunch bags can work, too.

Sean