Coolbox

Cool boxes are awesome as they’re like a mobile mini fridge. A cool box keeps food and drink chilled and has a hard exterior, to prevent things getting squashed. The lid fully opens making it easy to see and access what’s inside, and they are tall enough to keep bottles upright. Many cool boxes also have a heating function for keeping hot food warm. Cool boxes can run off electricity, which is why they’re sometimes known as an electric cool box. You can either plug them into a standard 3-pin plug socket – these are found on your electrical power point at the campsite. Or they can run off the 12V cigarette lighter port in your car. If you’re on the go, you can load your cool box up with ice packs for mobile refrigeration.

Top benefits of a cool box
 - Ideal for any outdoor adventure
 - Multiple ways to power – they can run off 12V, 230V or ice packs 
 - Highly versatile with many electrical cool boxes offering cooling and warming functions
 - Hard casing protects the food and drink inside
 - Portable with carry handles for easy transportation
 - Lightweight so you can take your coolbox anywhere
 - Easy to clean, wipe-down surface

Where to use your cool box
Here are a few ideas of where your cool box will come in handy.

At the campsite
A large cool box is ideal for the campsite as you can hook them up to your electrical supply point and use them just like you would a fridge at home. Just fill it with everything you need for breakfast, lunch or dinner – and eat fresh every day.
Top tip! Prepare and freeze meals at home before your holiday and keep them fresh in your camping cool box. This is great for an easy meal on the first night. If you’ve been travelling for a few hours, the meal will have defrosted by the time you reach the campsite. So all you need to do is heat it up on your camping stove. Perfect for weary, hungry travellers!

On picnics
Love to eat al fresco? Enjoy fresh food at the park, beach, forest or lake with a handy 24l picnic cool box. This is a great size for picnics. There’s room for lunch and a light evening snack, plus space for bottles. Choose a cool box with a comfortable handle so it’s easy to carry to wherever you want to set up base. Add a few picnic rugs and enjoy!
Top tip! Use ice packs to keep your food fresh throughout the day.

At festivals
Whether you fill it with naughty but nice treats, wholesome breakfasts, or a cheeky tipple, a coolbox is a great choice for festival fun. A lightweight 24l cool box is ideal as it’s easy to carry from the car to the festival field and is large enough for a few days essentials. The cool box’s hard casing will keep all the contents well protected and prevent things getting broken or squashed.
Top tip! Add extra ice if the contents are starting to warm up. 

At special events
Heading to proms in the park or an outdoor cinema? Or maybe you want to take strawberries and cream to a tennis match or watch the boat race with a glass of chilled Pimms. Wherever you’re going, your cool box will make sure you do it in style. The best cool box for you is one that can fit bottles upright and have enough room for your favoruite food. Make sure the cool box is easy to carry and add ice packs to keep everything extra chilled.
Top tip! Take screw top bottles that won’t leak over your food.

In your campervan
Kit out your home on wheels with a campervan cool box and have fresh food wherever you go. The best cool box for campervans is a 3 way electrical cool box. This lets you power it while you’re driving using the 12V cigarette lighter port in your campervan. At the campsite, you can plug the cool box into the 230V plug socket on your electrical hook up point. When you’re out and about, simply load the cool box with ice packs.
Top tip! Make sure your cool box is large enough for your entire trip. 

Cool box FAQs
Find out everything you want to know about cool boxes.

What is a cool box?
A cool box is a hard container that is used to keep food and drink chilled. It has a carry handle for easy transportation.

What’s the difference between a cool box and a cool bag?
Cool boxes have a hard casing and can be powered by electricity. Cool bags are made from insulated fabric and can fold flat when not in use.

How do I power a cool box?
Electric or plug in cool boxes can be powered by either a 12V car port or 230V plug sockets.
For 12V hook ups:
 - Plug the cool box into the 12V cigarette lighter port in your car or campervan
 - Only use while the car/camper is moving as the cool box will drain your battery if you plug it into the 12V port while   your vehicle is stationary
For 230V hook ups:
 - This is a standard 3 pin plug and will fit electrical hook up points at campsites
 - Plug your cool box when you arrive at the campsite and use it as mini fridge throughout your holiday
  Classic cool boxes use ice packs or ice to keep food chilled. Electric cool boxes can also use ice packs.

What’s best to use - ice or ice packs?
Ice packs win every time. This is because ice melts faster than an ice pack. An ice pack will stay cooler and keep your food chilled for longer.

What is a 3 way cool box?
A 3 way cool box is one that lets you power it via:
1. A 12 V car adapter – plug this in to your car’s cigarette lighter port
2. A 230V plug socket – plug this in to a standard home plug socket or campsite electrical hook up point
3. Ice packs or ice – freeze and add these before you head out

What’s the best way to pack my cool box?
In the camping world, there’s a saying that a cool box is only as good as the person who packs it. It’s not a particular catchy saying, but hopefully you see our point! If you don’t organise your cool box properly, your food won’t stay chilled for as long as you might want it to.

Here’s how to get the most out of your cool box: 
 - Line the bottom of the cool box with ice packs – if you want to really go to town, you can add ice cubes on top of this.
 - Don’t empty any melted ice – this will act as an insulator.
 - Chill food and drink before you pack it – colder items will keep your cool box colder for longer.
 - If you are going on a long trip or the cool box will be in a hot car, freeze food and drinks items before you set off.
 - Plug 12V cool boxes into your car port during the car journey.
 - Plug 230V cool boxes into an electrical hook up as soon as you arrive at the campsite.
 - Only open the cool box to get out food and drink, then close it immediately afterwards – leaving cool boxes open causes cold air to leak out.
 - Consider buying a separate cool box for drinks and snacks – so you don’t have to keep opening your main cool box and letting out cold air.
 - Never pack warm items into your cool box as this will heat up all the contents and affect the cool boxes chilling ability – unless you are using the heater function, more on this next.

How do I use the heating function on my cool box?
This handy function lets you keep food warm, making it ideal for when you want to buy hot food in town and take it to somewhere more picturesque to eat. Or for when you want to transport hot food from your house to a party, venue, friend’s house etc.

To use your heating function:
 - Remove any chilled food – the heating function won’t work properly if there is chilled food inside. It will also warm up everything in the cool box so to avoid ruining your chilled food, move it to another cool box, cool bag or fridge.
 - Switch your cool box to the heat setting – give it a few minutes to reach full power.
 - Add warm food – the heating function won’t cook food, but it will keep hot food warm. 

Where should I keep my cool box when I’m out?
If possible, keep your cool box in the shade, out of direct sunlight.

How do I clean a cool box?
Your cool box should be cleaned after every use to keep it hygienic and mould-free. Easy Camp cool boxes are easy to keep clean, here’s what you need to do:
1. Wipe your cool box down with warm soapy water – make sure you wipe the inside, outside and handles. This can be done at home or at the campsite.
2. Before you store your cool box away, spray it with antibacterial disinfectant to kill germs.
3. Pat it with a cloth and leave it in the sunshine or by a radiator to dry thoroughly.
4. Make sure there is no moisture in the cool box before storing it away.

Cool box accessories

Al fresco dining? Here’s what else you’ll need to get comfy while eating outdoors.

Picnic rug
A picnic rug is the easy way to enjoy outdoor dining, just throw it on the ground and take a seat. The waterproof backing will keep you dry even on damp ground and you can place a few rugs together to make room for all your friends. Easy Camp picnic rugs have a handle and fold into a small size for easy carrying. 

Tableware 
You have your fresh food chilling in the cool box. Now you need something to eat it off. That’s where our brilliant break-resistant tableware comes in. Choose from melamine sets for two or four people – these come with bowls, cups and plates. Or get tableware and cutlery in one with our PVC picnic box that packs everything away neatly into a box with clip lid.

Cooksets 
A portable stove or grill is a camping must-have and the prefect partner to your cool box. With these two – and some pots, pans and kettles - you can rustle up a cooked breakfast, delicious dinner or night-time hot chocolate. Yummy!

Chairs and tables 
Prefer to sit off the ground? Folding chairs and tables are essential camping kit and can also be used at the park, on the beach or in the garden. For a laidback option, try our picnic tables that come with their own seating.

Got a question?
We’re here to help! If there is anything you want to know about buying your cool box online or if you have any queries about our products, please get in touch.