How to keep something cool in a hot truck

That’s what I though too. The problem is not so much the actual meters. Even do they do need about 20 minutes to a aclimate when moving from one temp to the other. The bigger issue are the test strips that come with the meter. If exposed to high temps for long periods of time. They become unreliable. I believe the upper limit is 90 degrees. And long periods can be anything from an hour up.

 

It isn’t just the meter and test strips. It’s also insulin.

 

Yeah, that all makes sense. I'm curious how my FIL deals with this as he's diabetic. I'll ask and respond if I turn up anything useful.

 

There are only two ways to cool something. Ice in a cooler or refrigeration. That's it. Pick one.

 

By what I’ve seen. A lot of people have the attitude of “I just leave it in the car” and whatever. But I’m controlling this without meds. So I have to be more careful with the tools I use. And of course I’m also asking on a group related to my question. But I figured since a lot of you guys spend a lot of time out with no air conditioning… I might find an answer here.

 

How about a swamp cooler, 3rd category?

 

Only two ways man... ice in a cooler or a fridge. That's it. No other options.

 

Have you tried reaching out to the manufacturer of the monitor? I would trust what they recommend more than I would from Google or an internet board.

 

Can’t you just put the meter and strips in a backpack and take it with you to the beach?
If you’re going to the beach, you should be bringing a cooler for the beverages, right?

 

THAT is absolutely true my friend! Excellent point.

 

Either keep suspended in an ice cooler to prevent moisture damage or place out of the direct sunlight, in the back where you probably have dark tint and crack all windows about 1” down and if possible park in shade all these things combined will be about 30 degrees cooler than sitting out in the sun with windows up.

 

doesnt do a person much good .................meter in truck

OP in cubicle farm or factory floor.....................more than afew minutes away from meter when info is critical

i would think Op would want it MORE accessible at snack & meal times

simply Not a convenience device

 

Useful answer:
They'll be fine. It is absolutely best practice to keep the strips <90F, but they are commonly used outside those bounds (we run multi-hour backcountry calls in >110F ambients) and at least one study (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1932296815598775) shows no significant degradation with test strip exposure up to 50C (122F). Many meters do require meter temp to fall below 105F prior to testing.

Less useful answer:
Battery/solar powered rooftop AC unit. We get ~8 hrs of continuous operation depending on ambient temps. Wife tested, pig approved.

 

Sounds like a good opportunity for a project. Could go with adding a second battery to run a small fridge. You wouldn’t even need to run it low because it sounds like you want it close to ambient air temperature anyway. It’s a small device it looks like. I wonder what the smallest 12 volt fridge is. Seems like the go to answer for this forum. Buy stuff, mod truck, solve problem.

 

You could make a very small pelican box sized solid state electric cooler by using these- They run on 12V and draw about 6amps:

HiLetgo 2pcs TEC1-12706 Semiconductor Refrigeration Tablets TEC1-12706 12V 6A Heatsink Thermoelectric Cooler Cooling Peltier Plate Module 40x40MM

$10 HiLetgo 2pcs TEC1-12706 Semiconductor Refrigeration Tablets TEC1-12706 12V 6A Heatsink Thermoelectric Cooler Cooling Peltier Plate Module 40x40MM

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M1PM7H6?_encoding=UTF8

add one of these to the circuit for temperature control:
LM YN DC 12V Digital Thermostat Module -58℉ to 257℉ Fahrenheit Temp Display Temperature Controller Board With 20A Relay Waterproof Sensor Probe Dual LED Display Red Blue

$12 LM YN DC 12V Digital Thermostat Module -58℉ to 257℉ Fahrenheit Temp Display Temperature Controller Board with 20A Relay Waterproof Sensor Probe Dual LED Display Red Blue

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076Y5BXD9?_encoding=UTF8

Solid-state Peltier modules (refrigeration tablets) are pretty cool gagets, no moving parts and they have a cold and hot side for cooling or heating. Here’s some information about what and how to make use of them:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.instructables.com/DIY-Portable-Mini-Refrigerator/?amp_page=true

https://www.elecfreaks.com/blog/post/refrigeration-tablet-user-guide.html

 

The Cooluli USB fridge is supposed to cool to 35-40 below ambient. Makeup storage is part of their marketing, so it should be a dry cool.

 

My ex wife who is T1D took hers everywhere…

 

That fridge looks perfect for storing meds, or insulin and a BG monitor. It uses the same solid-state technology as I described above in the DIY version.

Another idea for the Peltier units I posted about above is that you could use them to turn your glovebox or cubby into a cooler too!

 

Maybe you can make a storage box under the truck to keep it somewhat cooler?