Question

Situation:

You are leaving this afternoon for an overnight summer camping trip WITHOUT any electricity. You want to pack some ice cream to eat tomorrow afternoon. How will you keep the ice cream frozen for 24 hours without electricity? Ice often melts after 12 hours in a regular camping cooler. To solve your problem, you need to develop the ultimate camping cooler.
How can I incorporate the aspect of convection to prevent heat transfer?
What materials can I use? I need help with this.

Answer 1

hmmm... well you know that in a styrofoam cooler if you pack ice, then pack the cooler in towels... it stays cold for a good chunk of time... what about "dry ice"?

Answer 2

I thought of dry ice, but would that count as an aspect of convection?

Answer 3

fill the volume in the cooler with the ice cream ans styrofoam peanuts. then wrap the cooler with a towel, then aluminum foil.

Answer 4

Well...my husband the Physicist wasn't too much help. He said if you need convection you need movement, thus airflow over your icecream. What about a hand crank fan inside the box, with the handle outside the box. You could take turns cranking to circulate the air inside (it would be worth it... if the ice-cream stayed frozen)... hmmm....

Answer 5

And the convection Bob?

Answer 6

OK Bob... I leave this in your capable "scientific" hands : ) I will happily await a nice scoop of vanilla ice-cream on a hot summer day.

Answer 7

Thank you both so much. -Unfortunately, it certainly isn't icecream weather where I am! Too bad.