I can already hear the hate mail and chest beating now. The technology-hating camper crowd is cracking its knuckles, eager to give me a stern virtual thrashing about the virtues of escaping into the woods like an ascetic monk, wearing nothing but a loin cloth with a Bowie knife clenched between its teeth.
But here’s the thing: There are no awards for eking out a weekend in the woods with as few creature comforts as possible. If that hardcore Survivorman style of
One of the best ways to upgrade your car camping loadout is with a portable fridge. Seriously, portable refrigerator technology has come a long way in the last several years. These days, car
Why traditional coolers suck
Traditional coolers have gotten the job done for decades now.
Coolers are heavy
Most coolers worth buying (we’re talking rotomolded models from the likes of Yeti and Pelican) are going to be heavy. Even when empty, the medium to large versions of these coolers typically weigh between 30 and 40 pounds. Add ice, and you’re easily doubling that weight, and that’s before you start tossing in food and bevies.
They offer limited capacity
If you’re properly packing your cooler using the “2/3 ice, 1/3 food/drinks method,” you realize pretty quickly that that big 80-quart cooler you bought is suddenly a lot less usable than you thought.
They can’t keep up with extreme heat
Even the best coolers can’t defy the laws of physics. On hot, 100-plus-degree summer days (which seem to be getting a lot more frequent with each passing year), traditional coolers can only keep ice frozen for so long. Despite the manufacturers’ oft-touted “keeps ice for seven-plus days” claims, even the most premium rotomolded models typically keep cool for just a few days. And that’s assuming you’re practicing good ice management, like pre-cooling it before you head out, keeping your cooler in the shade, limiting how often you open it, etc.
Melted ice makes for soggy food
All that melty ice quickly turns everything in your cooler soft, soggy, and nasty. Seriously, who likes wet bacon and water-logged burgers?
Coolers cost more in the long run
A bag or two of ice is pretty cheap. But over time, those bags add up. If you’re a hardcore cooler user, you can easily burn through hundreds of dollars in store-bought ice every year.
Why a portable fridge is better
The remedy for all your cooler woes? A portable fridge, of course. I’ve spent the last few months
Portable fridges are cheaper in the long run
Many campers don’t realize how much more affordable portable fridges are now than just a few years ago. Some are less than $300. So, for someone already willing to drop $400 or more on a premium Yeti/Pelican cooler (not including the cost of countless bags of ice), they’re probably better off spending that same money on a portable fridge/freezer. The side benefit here is not having to waste time chasing replacement ice from gas stations, grocery stores, and bait shops when you should be relaxing at camp.
You’ll never suffer with soggy food again
No melted ice means no more soggy food. Period.
The volume is 100% usable
Without ice hogging up all that precious interior space, you can use every cubic inch of your portable fridge’s interior for more important stuff like bratwurst and White Claws.
They can run (almost) indefinitely
Yes, you’ll need a good portable power station to run your fridge, but many car campers keep at least a small one in their gear closet these days, anyway. If not, they’re extremely affordable. Hook up a solar panel or two, and you can keep your portable fridge humming for as long as there’s sunlight.
Portable fridges are more versatile
Single-zone fridges are great alternatives to your existing cooler and the best option for budget-conscious campers. If you want to level up your experience, though, go with a dual-zone portable fridge. These offer separate compartments with two individually adjustable thermostats. That means you can use both sections for refrigeratables, both sections for frozen foods, or one section as your refrigerator and the other as your freezer.
The best portable fridges worth buying right now
The portable fridge market has exploded in just the last few years, with dozens of great models on offer. Here are our favorites.
Dometic CFX2 45 Single-Zone
Dometic’s all-new CFX2 series of single-zone portable fridges is perfect for anyone looking to upgrade their current cooler without dropping over $1,000 for the privilege. The CFX2 45 is the ideal middle-of-the-road size with enough capacity for a couple
EcoFlow Glacier Dual-Zone
For maximum portability, we love the battery-powered Glacier from EcoFlow. The optional battery pack provides up to 40 hours of wireless cooling, and it’s easy to swap between two batteries for enough juice to last a three-day weekend or longer. The dual-zone design makes this a true residential-style unit for on-the-go cooling convenience. Did we mention it also has a built-in ice maker?
BougeRV Rocky 41QT Dual Zone
BougeRV’s Rocky 41-quart dual-zone fridge ticks all our must-have feature boxes. Plus, the price — around $550 retail and often available for less on sale — makes this the best value portable fridge. If you’re looking for even more of an upgrade, the Rocky is available in 55-quart, 69-quart, and 81-quart models with all the same great features plus even more space.
