Cooler vs 12V Fridge for a Weekend: What I Take
For one or two nights I take ice. I buy a compressor fridge when I am already tired of ice runs.
Field notes — I write these in first person, from how I actually pack. Photos go in when I have them.
A weekend is an ice problem, not a refrigeration problem
I pre-chill the cooler. I use frozen water bottles. I keep drinks in a second cheap cooler so I am not opening the food lid every ten minutes. That beats a $700 fridge I use four nights a year.
Thermoelectric ‘coolers’ that only drop 30°F below ambient are not fridges. I do not buy those for meat.
When I do want a compressor
Trips longer than four or five days. Dairy I care about. I already have 12V power figured out. Then a real compressor unit. Until then, ice is simpler and I say so.
Quick answers
Is this a complete packing list?
No. This is what I actually do for this situation. Use a full checklist for the boring essentials, then add or subtract from this note.