The great esky debate

[shortthenlong]

Nice to see another Coopers fan.

The Coopers XPA (purple cans) are my go to but I did by a box of the Australian IPA (fancy cans) and then realised the ABV number. A couple of those in hurry would kncok me around.

Matt

[NAGG]

Nice to see another Coopers fan.

Well someone mentioned that I needed to put something into the esky ...... this was the first thing that came to hand

Chris

[NAGG]

The Coopers XPA (purple cans) are my go to but I did by a box of the Australian IPA (fancy cans) and then realised the ABV number. A couple of those in hurry would kncok me around.

Matt

1.9 std drinks ...... per can

personally - I like the purple cans , for me a better beer ...... The Australian IPA was a little over the top for me (too complex for my palette)

Chris

[disorderly]

Chris, when I have gone for up to a week or so up the Cape or to Hinchi my missus precooks dishs like Curries, stews, mexican chilli beans, spag bol etc and then she portions it into vacuum packed bags which are then frozen..

Its so much easier then taking perishable salads and bread and " stuff"and keeps really well...these along with some fresh fish and mud crabs makes for a great diet..

Also gives much more time for fishing and drinking..

Another thing to consider with packing your fish for freezing for the return trip home, apart from the bag limits, is the rules about fillet size and skin left on...

[NAGG]

Chris, when I have gone for up to a week or so up the Cape or to Hinchi my missus precooks dishs like Curries, stews, mexican chilli beans, spag bol etc and then she portions it into vacuum packed bags which are then frozen..

Its so much easier then taking perishable salads and bread and " stuff"and keeps really well...these along with some fresh fish and mud crabs makes for a great diet..

Also gives much more time for fishing and drinking..

Another thing to consider with packing your fish for freezing for the return trip home, apart from the bag limits, is the rules about fillet size and skin left on...

Yeh , I hear you .

The aim would to eat fish - My young bloke loves his fish but doesn't really get to eat it living with his mum. ....... I owe him - ​ I still cant believe
that in 1 week at the Whitsundays (Christmas 2018) I never landed a legal fish ... not one.

Wraps are a go to for me ...... even bacon & egg wraps for breakfast.

The dry esky mainly holds dairy products - eggs .... some veges / salad for the first few days - Tim Tams etc

Outside of what we take for daily meals (fish)- I probably wont take much home but I am on a promise for a trout for the bbq when we call in on my brother in Brissy . I'll certainly check on rules & regs.

Chris

[scottar]

My young bloke loves his fish but doesn't really get to eat it livin
The aim would to eat fish - My young bloke loves his fish but doesn't really get to eat it living with his mum. ....... I owe him - ​ I still cant believe
that in 1 week at the Whitsundays (Christmas 2018) I never landed a legal fish ... not one.

Chris

I'm glad it's not just me. I feel for you Chris. The ONLY time I have ever fished Awoonga for a donut was the week I had my young bloke in tow. I even then took him to the barra park at Bli Bli on the way back...........for a donut". He is of the firm opinion that barramundi do not exist and that I am FOS when it comes to stories about them .

[Lovey80]

They say a quarter of a cup of salt in 2 lts of water then frozen will last longer than normal tap water when frozen.

In this instance it's about prolonging keeping the temperature down in a 120lt esky - I want the esky cold & dry .

so currently 20kgs of frozen bulk water packs has given me 5 days & counting ....... that's good . I reckon I'll get to 6 plus . Currently it's still 50-60% frozen

Next I'll freeze up 10kgs of salt water in a jerry can & do the same test .
It will be interesting to see the difference over the course of 5-6 days.

When it comes to keeping fish - once we go to Hammo - I'll buy a few bags of party ice for the seat box & then put what I need into the mackerel box as I go ....... I generally spray in 10-20lts of sea water for a bit of a slurry .

Chris

I don't think you'll see a noticeable difference between the two.

[NAGG]

I'm glad it's not just me. I feel for you Chris. The ONLY time I have ever fished Awoonga for a donut was the week I had my young bloke in tow. I even then took him to the barra park at Bli Bli on the way back...........for a donut". He is of the firm opinion that barramundi do not exist and that I am FOS when it comes to stories about them .

I know a hell of a lot of people who believe barra are a myth .

But not to catch a legal fish of any description in the Whitsundays over a whole week ........ me - a legend in my own lunchbox ...... hell I would have taken that bet every day of the week.


In all fairness though ...... there were several unstoppables hooked - flying spanish mackerel & I did follow legal length to the letter ( or mm) - but it was still a big fat goose egg. ..... oh & it blew a gale every day.

Chris

[gunna]

One of you clever blokes can tell me. You take your bottles of water and freeze them at home. Freezer is set to say -10. Neighbour’s fridge however, will freeze to -20. Do his bottles last longer in the esky?

[NAGG]

One of you clever blokes can tell me. You take your bottles of water and freeze them at home. Freezer is set to say -10. Neighbour’s fridge however, will freeze to -20. Do his bottles last longer in the esky?

Absolutely do - .... minus 20 ice takes longer to get to melting point than say minus 10 ice

Chris

[NAGG]

BTW - Day 5 @ 2.1 deg C

Attachment 124496 That 2 x 10lts frozen bulk & I reckon I'll get another day out of it

Chris

Still going @ 3.2 deg (day 6)

It's safe to say that freezing up 3 x 10kgs of bulk water will do the job for a week away .

So I'll be pre chilling & packing cold items into the esky for the road trip ....... then overnight I will refreeze one of the packs & swap them out each day - I think that will work a treat .

Chris

[disorderly]

But not to catch a legal fish of any description in the Whitsundays over a whole week ........ me - a legend in my own lunchbox ...... hell I would have taken that bet every day of the week.



Chris

007.jpg

Hopefully you might get a day or 2 of decent enough weather to get out to the reef...

You will need a fair bit of fuel though ..the reef starts about 70km's from Airlie beach with decent reef 80-100 clicks out...

Otherwise look for some wonky holes and rubble in between the islands...a mad keen local fishing fella I know currntly works on Hammo taking punters out for a fish..they actually get quite good nannies around the islands...they get some nice trout as well...

yeng.jpg

[Dignity]

Absolutely do - .... minus 20 ice takes longer to get to melting point than say minus 10 ice

Chris

Not as much as one would think, I did have some data somewhere about it as there is a huge amount of variables and the isotropic properties of ice/water are such that once water forms inside the container both will melt at the same rate. One of the variables includes how long the ice has been frozen as that also changes one of the variable.
Bloody complex process which I still struggle with.

[NAGG]

Not as much as one would think, I did have some data somewhere about it as there is a huge amount of variables and the isotropic properties of ice/water are such that once water forms inside the container both will melt at the same rate. One of the variables includes how long the ice has been frozen as that also changes one of the variable.
Bloody complex process which I still struggle with.

I'm freezing two 500ml (approx) containers - one at minus 30ish & the other at minus 10 ish - both over 24 hrs ...... I'll then take them out & time how long they both last - side by side .

Chris

[Dignity]

Sounds like a plan