How to keep cool...

[Reps on Tour 2004]

Hi all,

I have been to LM for the last couple of years.  We stayed in Karting Nord.  For the last 2 years we have had the use of a motorhome.  We used the fridge to keep the beer cold.  This year we are in MB but will not have the motorhome with us so we need another way to keep the beer cold.  I assume we can buy ice from the Carrefour each morning and fill a couple of cool boxes.  Our problem is Saturday.  Last year it took us 4 hours to get back in to the camp due to traffic.  Is there anywhere on / near Maison Blanche where we can buy ice?  Or do you have any better ideas?  

[jpchenet]

A generator and a fridge and or freezer.

Gas powered camping fridge.

12V cool boxes (watch they don't drain your car battery.

Take lots of ice from the UK in a very good quality cool box.

[Reps on Tour 2004]

Thanks for that.  We are a little short of space though  (only 2 cars) and were planning to put clothes etc. in the cool boxes to maximise space.  Can you buy ice from Carrefour?

[jpchenet]

I've not seen any ice for sale in Carrefour before. I've known people to blag some ice from the fish counter but sometimes they can be a bit stingy.

The supermarket (Intermarche I think) at Mulsanne sells blocks of ice, but they were quite expensive at about 3 euros per block IIRC and weren't very big.

[Cannonballer_Stu]

We were on Karting Nord last year (although without the use of a motorhome) and managed to get a load of ice from the local Carrefour. Can't remember how much it was (it was fairly cheap though), and didn't come in small cubes, but instead was a solid block of about 2L - stayed solid for about two days in our coolbox, even in that heat.

   Only two weeks to go...  

[Andy Zarse]

NEVER bank on being able to buy ice from the supermarkets in LM.

Like JPC says, buy loads in the uk and take it with you. So it's the old clean clothes/cold beer question for you guys, which goes back to time immemorial. I know which I'd rather have.

[Steve Pyro]

If you're short on boot space like us   buy some buckets or a cheap pool and keep the beer cool in the water.

All the labels soak off so it's a bit of a lottery if you've bought different types of beer but it's better than nothing.

Call by our camp for a warm beer  

[Robbo SPS]

Reps - I've NEVER been able to find the ice in the supermarkets - They sell out quickly.


Steve B -

If YOU take a couple of 2l ice cream tubs with lids, i will make the ice for you in my Frezer ( provided the TV system works   )

[jpchenet]

Reps - I've NEVER been able to find the ice in the supermarkets - They sell out quickly.


Steve B -

If YOU take a couple of 2l ice cream tubs with lids, i will make the ice for you in my Frezer ( provided the TV system works   )

I think cold beers on Maison Blanche aren't going to be a problem this year are they Robbo. With your fridge/freezer and our chest freezer we should have have it sorted!!

[Steve Pyro]

Steve B -

If YOU take a couple of 2l ice cream tubs with lids, i will make the ice for you in my Frezer ( provided the TV system works   )

Cheers Robbo, 2l tubs added to the packing list  

[jpchenet]

The other alternative is just to freeze some bottles of water. That way you know it's good enough to put in drinks too!!

[rcutler]

We tried an aircon thing for fun in spain a few years ago I will try to make some sense of it.

Get a frame ie. two bread baskets.
Ideally make it in the shade
Get a large tray which the frame can stand in and fill with water.
Put the frame in the water and drap tea towels over the top into the water.
It is important that the top and the sides are covered by the tea towels.
Soak the tea towels and wait.

The evaporating water creates an aircon type system inside. We had it down below 5degC when it was 40degC but we were not stacking it full. I am thinking of trying it out again this year to see if it works again.

[JBP]

Nice trick, I'm sure it works (can't see why it shouldn't!)

A simple way to keep things cold is:

- Dig a hole in the ground (in shade, ie. under a car or a tent)
- Put a large pastic bag in the hole
- Fill the bag with water (cold! not hot)
- Put the beers in another bag and put it in the water
- Cover the hole thing by something (ie. a waiters-tray)

[rcutler]

I can hear it it now.

In the middle of the of the night:-

OH Sh!T "SPLASH", Mmmm BEER!!!

[JBP]

Yep, it's pretty smart:

- You'll break a leg
- The leg gets cooled down
- You can't move, so You are forced to drink the beers