SOMETIMES ice packs and thermo-electric coolboxes just aren’t good enough and that is when you want this 42-litre absorption fridge. It runs off mains electric (book that hook-up now), gas (in case the hook-ups are taken) or 12V – although only use the latter sparingly if you want to conserve the battery.
I first saw these in use at a Readers’ Panel camp where a camper had split the feed from his gas cylinder to run both fridge and stove. The noise free unit regulates the temperature to 25°C below ambient (thermostat on mains, flame regulator on gas) and our couple had managed to make ice in the supplied ice tray, for their drinks!
There are down sides. For a start, it weighs in at 17.7kg – integral handles help moving it around. And for it to work properly you’ll need a few wedges to ensure that it sits level – it has a spirit level built in. But while you can do without a fridge when camping, it certainly lifts the camping experience when you can serve up items that would otherwise spoil in the heat. And you can always use it at home if the fridge packs up. For me, this is the ultimate camping accessory and a real treat to have on site
Expect to pay £185.99
Web royal-leisure.co.uk
This review was published in the April 2011 issue of Camping magazine. Order our latest issue.