PRODUCT TEST
THEREWEREAlotof hungrybelliesto
feedandthirststo quenchduringour
summertripintothebush.WithGold
Coasttemperaturehoveringaround
30°Candthehumidityaround 90 per
cent,it wasn’tlongbeforewestartedto
feelparched,orhearthatall-too-
familiarrumble.
Wewereglad,then,to havesomehelp
fromEngel,specialistsincooling
technology.Inthemorning,thesun
havingrisenat 4:45am,orintheevening,
asbatscircledoverhead,therewas
nothingmorerefreshingthanthe
coolcrunchof anapple,orthe
icysipof a beverage—two
thingswhichEngelhad
notroublesupplying.
STAYING COOL
IN QUEENSLAND
At the start of the trip, the team
sampled cool drinks from an Engel
Fishing Cooler Bag. These were filled up
with breakfast foods on a daily basis:
fruit, bread, Norco milk, cereal, yoghurt,
jam, margarine, and the like. These
bags, with their blue camo styling, were
perfect for event purposes, but I can see
their usefulness extending to all manner
of applications, from fishing, to days at
the beach, to picnics.
They come with a big adjustable
shoulder strap over the top. There’s also
grab handles if you prefer to carry by
hand. Down the narrower sides
of the rectangular carry bag
there are zippered pockets,
with additional storage on
the outside of these, such
as the flexi-retaining
pocket down one side.
Along one of the longer
sides there’s a sewn-in
fabric strap you could tie
things to, and a little
removable wallet. Below this
there's a big compartment that
opens outwards with folding
f laps down the side so the
contents don’t fall out.
The main compartment
opens up around the top
and inside you have a good
sized rectangular prism of
undivided space to store
your main items. You canstanda beerbottleupjustfine,if you’re
wondering.Theinsulationlookedthe
goodsandmanagedto keepthings
insidecoolandingoodconditiondespite
thebags,nowandthen,beingleft
inadvertentlyinthedirectsun.Witha
pre-frozenicepackinhereyoucould
keepdrinksandsangaspleasantallday,
noqualms.
Our particular model had a 158 litre
capacity. When you are catering to the
number of people we were, you need
something of that size, and it’s great to
see Engel’s range reach such rarified
heights. You’d do well to find a chest
fridge/freezer that big and besides,
there’s no need for electricity at all here.
Measuring a whopping 418 (H) x 443
(W) x 827cm (L) on the inside, the ice
box is made of food-grade polyethylene
which is rotational moulded into shape.
The exterior is UV resistant and the lid,
sides and bottom offer 50mm of foam
insulation. Silicone gaskets do a stellar
job of keeping it airtight inside. If you
use a solid ice block, the unit can retain
cool and ice for up to 10 days. We used
broken-up bagged ice and had to refill
ice once, due to the exceptional heat and
the fact that we were opening and
closing the lid every two minutes.
Draining water from the inside is easy
thanks to the bung plug.
The ice box weighs 19kg empty. Once
it’s full, the 158L model inevitably,
because of its size, becomes hard to
move around, but the convenient grab
handles make it as easy as it can be. If
you are hosting a smaller crew, there’s
plenty of other, smaller sizes available.
Actually experiencing and using
Engel’s gear puts the brand front of
mind when it comes to keeping your
food and drinks cool. Who better to help
out in that all-important task in
Australian conditions than a brand
backed by nearly 60 years of experience?WORDSSAMRICHARDS
PICSMARCUSCOZZOLINORunning around in the Queensland heat works up a mean thirst and appetite. Having
the support of Engel, who supplied an 158L ice box, and Fishing Cooler Bags for a
recent trip into north made the long days — and longer nights — a whole lot more
pleasant and achievable.
ENGEL FISHING
COOLER BAG
RRP: $74.95
More info:
http://www.engelaustralia.com.auENGEL ICE BOX
158L
RRP: $499.00
More info:
http://www.engelaustralia.com.au30 / Outdoor