What size portable fridge should I buy?

When it comes to camping, preparation is the key.

Best fridges for camping

If you’re at a caravan park or a well-known campsite, chances are you’ll be within walking or driving distance to a local store or town. This is great because you will be able to re-supply every couple of days. Even for a family of four, you will be able to get away with a 40 to 50 litre fridge. And if you’re smart with your storage of cold drinks (for instance keeping 6 cans cold at a time instead of 24), then you are well on your way to an easy camping trip.

If you’re setting up a long term camp with a group or a very large family. You could use one of our large, upright LPG fridges. We have customers that set up their camp kitchen with our 185 or 280 litre models over Christmas for weeks at a time. LPG fridges can be transported on their side for long trips and are easy to run off a standard gas bottle.

Here’s a couple of good options:

The Original Bushman Fridge

In 52 litre configuration, The Original Bushman Fridge is a great family camping fridge. When packed well, you can keep enough perishables for all the family (and plenty of cold drinks). To see how to best pack your Original Bushman in 52L, check out this awesome video.

If you’re travelling solo (or maybe just the two of you and the little one), the Original Bushman in 35L is also worth considering. Rest assured, if you need to feed more mouths down the track, this 35L fridge can expand to 52L with the help of our 35L – 52L extension kit.

185L Upright Gas Fridge

The XCD185 litre upright fridge is designed primarily to run on LPG gas. It will run for around 2 weeks on a full 9kg gas bottle, so it’s perfect for when you are stationary for extended periods. And, you don’t have to worry about solar, batteries and power use. Need even more space? You could use our XCD280. With a 220L fridge and 60L freezer, it will handle almost anything.

Thinking about some serious 4WD touring or free camping?

Best fridges for 4WD Touring

Number one, cryovacing your meat is a must.

Number two, think about using your fridge primarily for perishables like dairy, pre-cooked meals, cold meats, fruit, and for keeping just enough drinks cold at a time. Simple things, like replacing your cold drink with a warm one when you get one out of the fridge will save you lots of space and power. Aluminum cans cool down real quick so you’ll never run out of coldies.

For any food that can sit outside a fridge, a good tip is to use an eski without ice as a pantry. This will stop any critters getting into your supplies and is an excellent way to ensure everything stays airtight and dry.

The Original Bushman Fridge

The Original Bushman Fridge will make for a perfect companion on your 4WD adventures. It operates on 12V or 240V and when packed well, you can keep enough perishables for everyone. This fridge can be purchased as a 35L, or you can purchase a version of it which comes with an extension kit that allows you to extend from 35L right up to 52L.

To see how much stuff you can fit in an Original Bushman fridge in 52L, check out this awesome video.

Bushman Roadie 15L Car Fridge

If you’re going to be spending a lot of time behind the wheel, consider purchasing a small second fridge to keep within reach A compact-size console fridge/freezer will fit almost anywhere; like on your back seat, in the foot well, to replace your centre console or squeezed in between your gear.

The beauty of this little fridge is your drinks and snacks will be on hand at all times and it will save a bit more space for supplies in your main fridge. You can also use it as a dedicated freezer, just like in this video.

If you’re caravanning, consider yourself lucky as space is not such an issue. And you may even have a powered site. In this setting, having an extra fridge for drinks or a freezer for ice-cream and ice cubes is both handy and practical.

Upright 12V caravan fridge

When it comes to determining which fridge is best for caravanning, think about how you’ll use it. If you need a fridge for your actual caravan, the best solution is to install an upright 12V compressor fridge. These fridges are designed for built-in installations and mobile use. They cool fast, stay cold and require little maintenance. 12V Compressor fridges will also operate effectively on angles up to 30º.

An extra portable fridge

On the other hand, if your caravan already has a built-in fridge, you may just need something to complement what you already have. Many of our customers use a chest fridge / freezer in the back of their 4WD or under the bunk / bed in the caravan – either as a dedicated freezer, dedicated fridge, or a bit of both. In this instance, you might consider using the Original Bushman Fridge in 35L as a dedicated freezer, or in any configuration up to 52L for use as an extra fridge. And, when in 52L configuration, you can also keep frozen items in the bottom basket and they will stay frozen, while you use the middle and top baskets at fridge temperature.