Best way to pack ice overnight?

[Petr]

My buddy and I are going to do a 17 mile overnight loop hike. I'd like to enjoy some margaritas when we setup camp. Obviously I'm not going ultralight, but I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions for packing ice for drinks (in a backpack) in terms of minimizing space/weight of insulation.

I plan on making bigger cubes, so they hold better, but not sure about best way to insulate while we're hiking. I'll premix some tequila, cointreau, and fresh lime in an insulated metal thermos and leave it in the freezer overnight. Maybe that'll stay cold enough on its own, but some ice clinking in the glass sounds pleasant.

Any pointers for packing ice?

[chknfngrs]

Could you put the ice in a thermos designed for coffee?

Or, make a real mountain Marg out of lemon lime Gatorade powder, H2O and tequila? No ice

[JNI64]

I've taken ice on over nighters I put the ice in a big zip lock baggie and I have a small collapsible lunch sack that fits nicely in my 70 liter osprey.

[JNI64]

Insulated collapsible lunch box thingy.

[LoneStranger]

Insulated container will work but the ice will freeze together so you'll need something to break it up to get it out. Wide mouth bottle works better, but regular Microlite will do the trick.

[Night Train]

Silicone ice tray (2X2 cubes) in a ziploc wrapped in Reflectix.

[Kittyslayer]

Midway through the hike you could drink the water from the ice that has melted, thus only carrying ice and not melted water weight. I would not do that too often as you do not want to open your insulation and expose the ice to warm air.

Of course I vaguely remember from high school that the melted ice (water) stays at 32 degrees until all the ice is melted so keeping the ice cold water around the ice might slow the melting process. Been a long time since high school so don't rely on my memory as we also had an open beaker of mercury where we tested what would float on it. However in high school we were not carrying the ice/water experiment on our backs for 17 miles.


Eiger Sanction movie Beer Scene.

On a climb up an incredibly difficult pillar of rock in Monument Valley, Hemlock and Bowman reach the top. They are sitting on top of a narrow pillar of rock, miles from anywhere.

Bowman: Wanna beer?

Hemlock: You gonna call room service?

Bowman: We got beer.

Hemlock: You haul beer up this rock, you’re insane.

Bowman: I may be insane but I’m not stupid (he reaches into Hemlocks backpack and pulls out some beers) I didn’t carry it you did, in your pack!

Hemlock: (Takes a beer) Christ I oughta throw you off this pillar – besides, its warm.

Bowman: I’m sorry, I thought you’d draw the line at haulin’ ice

Eiger-beer.jpg