Cycling UK Forum

I have a Danish acquaintance who is a keen cycler tourist, often touring for several weeks with cycle, trailer and tent. However, due to a chronic health condition, he has to have with him medication that must be stored at about 8 degrees C. That factor alone has until now restricted his touring to Denmark, where he can be sure of being able, at Denmark’s campsites, to re-freeze "ice" blocks that he uses to keep cool an insulated soft case that holds his medication. He would love now to tour beyond Denmark, but he would be confident to do that only if he had a way of keeping his medication cool that was not dependent upon the availability of freezes and the kindnesses of their owners.

I have investigated with him self-sufficient means of keeping his medication cool. For example, small, soft, refrigerator bags that could be battery or solar-panel powered, but that does not appear to be an option as the power requirements for standard forms of fan-based refrigeration are relatively high.

Does anyone know of, or have an idea for a way of maintaining a small (e.g. 20 x 10 x10 cm) bag or box/flask cool while cycle touring? Solutions for this might well come from any of several quarters, e.g. leisure activities, cycle / canoe touring & backpacking, adventure sports and exploration, or humanitarian work (e.g. taking medicines / vaccines into remote places where there are only limited power options). One possibility might be some form of well insulated container that uses phase-change coolants such as liquid nitrogen – but we have not yet come across any such, easily transportable equipment.

Thanking you for your kind considerations of this enquiry,
Geoff Groom
(member of the Danish Cyclists Association, DCF)