A cooler bag is an irreplaceable thing when traveling to nature or when exporting frozen crops from a summer cottage. The thermal bag can be purchased at the store, but it is not difficult to build it yourself. In this case, you can definitely make it the size that is necessary for your needs.
Making a cooler bag
To make your own cooler bag, you need a large shopping bag or gym bag. It is advisable to use those models that have a zippered cover. Remove or cut off the inner partitions or pockets.
Even a large plastic bucket can be used as a base for a homemade refrigerator.
At a hardware store, purchase foamed polyethylene foam on one or both sides. This insulating material is used during renovations, placing it behind the radiators to reflect heat into the room. It is sold by the meter, so first remove the dimensions from the prepared bag.
Pattern your bag liner on paper. To do this, you can use a piece of old wallpaper or newspaper sheets. Measure the height of the sides of the bag, its length and width. Set these dimensions aside on paper. The pattern will be in the shape of a cross, where the central square or rectangle is equal to the base of the bag. Open the lid separately. Try on the resulting mock-up for the bag, adjust the dimensions if necessary. Now you know how much foamed polyethylene foam you need to purchase.
Assemble the cut bag liner. The foil must be inside the structure. Glue all seams twice and as carefully as possible with aluminum tape. Position it both outside and inside the liner. Attach the polyethylene foam cover separately. It can be done without cutting, immediately on the pattern, and then bend, but this heat insulator does not bend well. It is more convenient to glue the cover separately.
Insert the resulting structure into the prepared bag. If it becomes necessary to add stiffness to the bottom and sides of the bag, use thin foam plastic between the fabric and the insert. Also, pieces of padding polyester or batting can be laid in the pier to improve insulation.
Inside the bag, place a large, heavy-duty plastic bag into which you will load the groceries. If necessary, it can be easily removed and washed.
Using a homemade cooler bag
Wrap chilled or frozen food in newsprint before putting it in your bag, so it will last longer. When laying fresh fish, you can additionally lay it with fresh nettles to improve preservation.
Use plastic ice bags or heating pads as refrigerant. Use them to transfer food in the cooler bag. Small plastic bottles can also be cold accumulators. Fill containers with water and table salt diluted in it. The solution should be saturated. Place the prepared container in the freezer, and use it for the portable refrigerator as needed.
