I want to travel for 5-7 weeks, so wish to keep my insulin at fridge temperature (2-8’C) for the entire outward journey, whether this be boat or airplane. Does anybody have any experience of using (and tempering) the biogel-packs that are used for keeping some cooling flasks at 2-8’C for long periods of time? (For example, The Voyager Cooler made by 4AllFamily but there are many other examples of this technology.) I am considering a battery-powered tiny fridge, such as Lifeinabox or the Voyager Cooler works in passive or battery mode. However, I wish to first ascertain whether the passive gel-pack coolers are worth considering. In my past experience, the tempering process is vastly different to the manufacturer’s instructions and not at all user friendly. Wondered if anyone has any recent experience please
I’ve had a 4AllFamily cooler for many years. It doesn’t have a model name, just “USB powered cooler”. It also came with a biogel pack. Flying domestically in the US I use the biogel pack - it lasts comfortably longer than 12 hours and then I put it in the freezer at the far end. I’ve also had 4 week long international trips, and there I can’t always count on a freezer for the biogel pack at the far end. I’ve also been in overseas airports where you can’t even find ice.
On international trips I’ve used the USB cooling lid. I have found that a 20k mAh LiIon battery (physically a little bigger and heavier than two smart phones stacked) will power it for 8-10 hours. Obviously it will last longer if you can plug the cooler (even better both the cooler and the battery) in somewhere along the way. I’ve gotten through 4+ week long trips this way.
European hotel rooms often shut off all of the power to the room when the room key (or other card) is not inserted in the slot by the door. These are typically credit card sized. Bring a spare card (old hotel room key, library card, insert from credit card junk mail, …) and leave that in the slot while you’re not in the room. I would also tell the person who will be making up the room why it’s there so they don’t helpfully pull it out when they leave to save power. And don’t forget power plug adapters and a car adapter if you’re going to be traveling in a car.
The only “funny” is that it has a USB type-C connector on the cooling lid, but it can only be used with a cable that has a USB-A connector on the far end (it came with such a cable). Fortunately I tested it with a pure type-C cable at home before traveling that way - which is how I found that it doesn’t work with a type-C to type-C cable or with a battery that has a built in type-C output cable. I suspect newer models don’t have this problem, but I would test whatever you’re planning to take before counting on it.
I’ve also found that with the USB powered lid on the cooler but without USB power, it will stay cool (maybe 8-12°C) for 30 minutes or so (the duration depends upon the actual temperature in the cooler when you unplug it - it cycles up and down between 2 and 6°C when the cooler is operating) when left at room temperature. Swapping between power supplies is no problem, but I wouldn’t leave one in a car in the Arizona summer sun very long at all. Pulling the cooler lid off and replacing it with the regular lid it comes with (for use with the biogel) doesn’t make much difference in this regard - without a frozen biogel pack it’s not going to stay cool for an hour.
That’s great information …. thanks Greg. When you get the frozen biogel-pack out of the freezer, before you put it into the Cooler, do you have to ‘temper’ it, i.e. warm it up for a period to partially thaw it? (I understand that this is in order to avoid the cooler being below freezing temperature if you do not do this step.). If so, how do you warm it …… and for how long do you warm it before putting in into the cooler flask?
I put it on a potholder (to absorb condensation) on the kitchen counter for 10ish minutes before putting it inside the cooler. The first time I did this I included a thermometer and found that this wait was sufficient to keep the other contents of the cooler from going below 2°C even though the biogel pack came out of a -20°C freezer.
That’s perfect information, thanks Greg …. everything I needed to know. Good to know that the biogel-packs work well ….. and that they are quick and straightforward to temper ….. and coming out of a freezer at -20’C. My past experience (with CoolMeds 2-8) about 7 years ago saw me tempering them for at least an hour ….. and it was really hard to get the timing just right, even at standard kitchen temperature (21’C), such that I gave up with it. Many thanks Greg.
I have used the 4All Family coolers for the past several years along with the biogels that come with them. I have the Explorer and the Voyager. I also in flight use a battery pack which will work for around 6 hours give or take. I have traveled outside of the country several times using them. I do want to caution you about one thing. The cooling lid has to have air to work properly. One airline we have used a couple of times have a shorter height for “under the seat storage”. Therefore the cooler wouldn’t fit well and get air. One actually quit working altogether before I noticed. Thankfully I had the regular lid handy and quickly changed it out. The biogel was still frozen and kept my insulin safe. I use the cooler in motel or cruise cabins as I do not trust refrigerators. Take extra power banks and extra biogels. My plan C is a frio pouch which is always handy.
Thank you Yeagen, very helpful. What I really need to know now (from as many people as possible) is how easy is it to ‘temper’ the biogel packs? When you get the biogel-pack out of the freezer, how and for how long did you heat it up? (I have had awful problems with tempering in the past ….. using an older and different model so now I am wary of using them again ….. but want to know if they are worth considering. It could be that my experience was an unfortunate one-off so am keen to hear how the tempering process works for other people.
Also ….. did you find that the biogel packs work well? For how long does it keep the flask cool, between 2-8’C? Thanks.
I have been using analog insulins long enough in the real world that I am comfortable having insulin at “room temperature” or even outdoors at 90-100F temperatures at times, but out of direct sunlight, for consecutive weeks.
What I will still avoid, is insulin in an unventilated car in direct sunlight for even the briefest periods. Even in the fall (70F) a car in direct sunlight can reach unreasonable temperatures real fast.
I am VERY uncomfortable with say hotel refrigerators because of the risk of freezing. I have had way too many hotel refrigerators freeze milk or sodas in the non-freezer section. And freezing my insulin is not something I’m going to risk.
Thanks Tim. I agree with all of what you say there. Do you not bother with any coolers at all then ….. or perhaps you are never away for more than 4 weeks?
Instead of tempering take a page out the mail order pharmacy manual and create an air gap around your insulin with about 1/2" of cardboard between the gel pack and the box.
Like Debs3, I agree with your approach. I rarely refridgerate once I begin using, but I also will never leave insulin in a car during the day. I will admit in over 60 years of being insulin-dependent, I did let one vial get over-heated and I found it was about 50% less effective.
For a while, my insurance wanted me to get insulin from a mail-order provider. Though I tried to time each order to arrive when I would be home, sometimes they delayed shipment and it arrived while traveling, and I lost several shipments to sitting in the sun by the front door. I now get my insulin from a local pharmacy.
I just set it out for a few minutes before use.
I used to worry about refrigerating insulin. I stop caring and I never chill insulin. When I get new bottles, I put them in the fridge, but then I never put it back in. I travel with insulin at room temp. My pump keeps it at body temp.
Insulin is far more robust than one would think. I would not bother with bringing tell packs and refrigerators. You will enjoy your trip more if you don’t worry about it
Thanks for this. Yes I’m sure that will work if the packs are at not far below 0’C ….. but in situations where the whole case / flask is below 0’C ….. which mine was, for hours, before it got to 0’C. This was when I was using a pouch with gels in about 9 years ago. In this situation, the entire contents of the flask will freeze whether or not they are in contact with the gel packs. Tempering is needed when the gel packs come out of the freezer at -18’C …. and the manufacturer’s tempering instructions were way off the mark. This is the reason why I am hesitant to buy another one and am asking for users’ experience when using the more modern ones.
Thanks, that’s reassuring.
Many thanks. I think I might take this advice; I really might. I will certainly bear it in mind. It’s just that I am potentially going away for 6 weeks or more … and I want to take a lot of spare insulin ….. so I will potentially be bringing a lot home again ….. so it could be 2-3 months (after first leaving the fridge) before some of it eventually gets used.
That’s what has always worked for me (50+ years). In university I kept my insulin in my dorm room, on a bookshelf, and never had a problem. I’ve travelled for two months at a time in hot climates, kept insulin at ambient temps, like you never in direct sun, and never had a problem. There’s enough to stress about with diabetes, no point worrying about something that doesn’t need to be worried about (despite manufacturers’ recommendations).
Thanks, that’s great. Very useful and reassuring.