Hi there...planning a 12 month ish 4x4 trip from S Africa to UK and wondering if anyone has done this without a fridge?

Is it possible to buy ice along the way to put in a good quality ice box?

I eat a mainly vegan diet, so keeping the steaks cold won't be an issue.



P

Lots of travellers do it, not least because if you are on a motorbike, bicycle etc, you don't have the option. Fridges are very useful in terms of being able to keep food for longer but definitely a luxury rather than a essential

I have done two long trips in Africa without a fridge. You get by just fine, no drama at all.

I have now bought a 40l fridge for the next trip as:

- Mostly being myself I cook most of my meals (rice, pasta etc) and so it's great if you can cook a nice meal, and make enough of it to last for breakfast and lunch the next day etc. Saves a lot of effort and time. You just reheat and eat, not cook. Without a fridge pasta would go off in a matter of hours when left in the vehicle. Even vegetables were rotten within a day. So with a fridge you can eat better for a longer period in between points of 'civilization' where you can stock up. Else you end up relying on a lot of tinned food etc.
(Disclaimer: All depends on how you travel as well!!)

- It's nice to have a cool drink when it's 38 degrees!

- When camping in fun places like Portugal where you can eat well everyday with ease, it means you can stock up with a weeks worth of food ie: saves breaking camp to drive to the fish market/supermarket etc to buy food every day or two etc

- I was trying to encourage my girlfriend to come and she loves quality food, whereas I'm quite 'easy' eating rice, beans and canned tuna every day.

(Forget the ice idea imho - treat it as a lucky break when you do find it).

__________________
Kiwi, 7 years around Africa. Overlanding channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/roamingyak

Beware of buying ice - it can contain some very nasty stuff-
- how will you acertain the origin (read cleanliness/safety) of the water used?

Thanks for the replies.

Hearing that finding ice will not be so easy makes me more inclined to go with the fridge. The quality of ice doesn't really matter...wouldn't be eating it, just using it to chill food.

Plan on staying places a while, so not having to break camp to go shopping would be good also.

Just out of interest, which fridge did you go for roamingyak?

Fridge seems the way to go
and if even if you say you just want it to cool food....
unless yours is sealed in completely waterproof containers, ice or melting ice water will, most probably, come in contact with your food resulting in the
same problem! = Montezuma's revenge....