Best way to make ice blocks?

[Becca]

I use frozen water jugs too on some trips. Usually ATV or boat based trips where weight isn't an issue. My preference is to use the sturdier plastic bottles like these:

They hold up better in rough terrain than the thinner milk jugs.

Fill and freeze, use to keep cooler contents cold. Bonus is you have a jug of drinkable water after it thaws.

 

[Mike7]

The great thing about the polar bear tubes is that you can customize the size to your coolers, but be prepared to spend a little time putting a lot of pressure on the caps for a while during the glue drying process. The bigger diameter PVC pipes hold ice longer, but if I remember right they also had me spending several minutes at least per tube really pushing down with all of my weight on the cap due to the 10-15% of air on the top of the tube becoming compressed/pressurized in the process of sliding the cap with wet glue down into place.

 

[COLOelkman]

Besides juice jugs, I use the 2.5 gal water jugs from the grocery store. Gotta drain some water to prevent cracked jugs. I think bigger blocks last longer. Also a good cooler or keeping it closed helps as well as keeping it covered with extra sleeping bag or blanket helps. After 22 straight days with ice cooler in my vehicle, I still had 50% of my ice blocks.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

When I need a cooler full of ice to last as long as possible, I use the rectangle juice jugs frozen full of water. When making them, fill them 2" at a time that way they don't split due to expansion.

Some seem to think salt water in the jugs will make them last longer. Not true. It will make the cooler colder, actually a few degrees below 32F, but the jugs will melt faster in the end.

When I'm making huge blocks for tuna fishing, I use the dry box insert from my cooler.... its the same size as the cooler. Freeze "2 at a time, and warm outside of tub slightly w/ running water to get it to release. Stack finished blocks in spare freezer until needed. Thinner blocks can be stacked in tub and topped off with a little water to make a huge homogenous block. Use hatchet or ball peen hammer to break up blocks for slush barrel or ice down chilled fish in aux coolers or insulated fish bags.
Hunt'nFish

 

[cornfedkiller]

To the guys that use the polar bear tubes... What diameter PVC pipe did you use? I went to the hardware store today and I couldn't decide if 1.5" was too big or not..

 

[Ray]

I use frozen water jugs too on some trips. Usually ATV or boat based trips where weight isn't an issue. My preference is to use the sturdier plastic bottles like these:

They hold up better in rough terrain than the thinner milk jugs.

Fill and freeze, use to keep cooler contents cold. Bonus is you have a jug of drinkable water after it thaws.

This has worked for me for years. This thin jugs are surprisingly sturdy and have yet to rip open during the freeze expansion. Up here in the fall they are typically on sale for $1. Last for two weeks in a good cooler up here.

 

[orionsbrother]

I use frozen water jugs too on some trips. Usually ATV or boat based trips where weight isn't an issue. My preference is to use the sturdier plastic bottles like these:

They hold up better in rough terrain than the thinner milk jugs.

Fill and freeze, use to keep cooler contents cold. Bonus is you have a jug of drinkable water after it thaws.

And the square-ish bottles work nicely too. I prefer them to round bottles.