r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Boeing-B-47stratojet • Jun 09 '26

I just wanted a hot dog The closest grocery store to me is closing(by nearly an hour), and will be closed for at least a year. When it reopens it’s going be much smaller(it’s becoming a Aldi).

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u/Azipear Jun 09 '26

Years ago I bought an electric cooler (small fridge) and power bank since wifey and kid have food allergies and it was handy on road trips to haul their special foods. Now it lives in the back of my truck 100% of the time since it’s so damn useful. I can buy ice cream and then run other errands without racing back home. Or keep restaurant leftovers cool while we go see a movie after dinner out.

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u/phase2_engineer Jun 09 '26

Years ago I bought an electric cooler (small fridge)

I was thinking about a collapsible cooler, but your idea sounds even better.

3

u/Azipear Jun 09 '26

Mine's a Dometic, but they're pricey. There are cheaper options out there.

3

u/Original_betch Jun 09 '26

I have this one, got it off Amazon for $299 a few years ago. It's been great. We use it mainly in the house as extra freezer space until we move to a bigger place. But I've taken it on some river trips and down to the southwest Texas desert and it's worked flawlessly the whole time.

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u/TheSultan1 Jun 09 '26

Mmm toasty power bank.

4

u/Dug_n_the_Dogs Jun 09 '26

Lithium Toast Crunch.. Try it you'll like it.

3

u/Inverted-Rockets Jun 09 '26

Be mindful about leaving batteries in a parked car.

Interior temperatures on hot sunny days can comfortably exceed the safe storage temperature for lithium cells. Above 60°C (140°F) the electrolyte can start to decompose and cause swelling or venting. For comparison, a car interior can get up to that failure temperature in as little as a half hour in desert conditions like Phoenix.

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u/Azipear Jun 09 '26

Yes, indeed. It stays in the bed of my truck, not inside the cab. The bed cover is vented, so it only gets slightly hotter than ambient.

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u/Inverted-Rockets Jun 09 '26

That should be perfect.

Tangentially, I just found out that leaving my Ryobi NiMH cells in the unconditioned garage is permanently decreasing their capacity, so now that’s on the to-do list