I love having a cold drink wherever I am, but there are usually trade-offs involved. A portable fridge is great, but it relies on power, which might not always be practical. Then there’s ice: not only do you need to remember to get it in the first place, but you also have to deal with melting. My latest solution? A Dometic Recon cooler.
Quick translation: a Dometic Recon cooler is a small esky, ice box or chilly bin, depending on where you are from. You can add ice to it (but you might not need to, more on that later) to keep stuff cold, like other types of coolers. My test unit measures 42 x 46 x 28 cm and weighs 6.24kg. Under the right conditions, Dometic indicates that the Recon will keep ice for up to three days.
I am a big fan of having a 12-volt compressor fridge in the back of my car to keep things cold, but it’s not exactly what you take to a party or a picnic when your car isn’t right next to it. So the old esky is the go-to. I am not a fan of ice and use ice packs or a flexible sheet called Techni Ice, both of which don’t melt water in your esky. The Recon is certainly not old-school, and although it’s pricier than the old foam esky, it has some pretty neat features.
Aside from the bright colour, which hopefully helps you remember to take the cooler when you leave, the first thing I noticed was how well this product is made. Its walls are moulded plastic, measuring 5cm thick. This installation helps keep your goods cold or possibly warm.
Does the Dometic Recon cooler keep drinks cold?
A few days after I received the cooler, I had an evening function, and on the way, I picked up a cold case of beer (a 16L cooler holds 18 cans) and placed it in the Recon. With the ambient temperature at 40 degrees Celsius, I did not have much hope that the beers would stay cold. As I only needed one can when I arrived, I did not care.
When I got home that night, I opened the Recon for the second time and found the beers were still cold five hours later with no ice or ice packs added. The next morning, I opened the Recon again, and the beer was still cold. I was impressed that the pre-cooled beer stayed cold for 15 hours without ice.
The Recon has several smart features, including solid handles that magnetise, slots that allow the cooler to be tied down, a lid with latches that also act as bottle openers, and opening from either direction, with the opposite side hinging. The drain plug has a small well to drain water, and the plug magnetically attaches to the outside so you don’t lose it. The base also has heavy-duty grommets to stop the cooler from sliding or damaging floors.
Putting liquid directly into the cooler
The Recon includes a second drain plug with a wine-cask-style tap. This enables the cooler to be turned into a water cooler. Dometic recommends cleaning your cooler before adding liquid using a mild detergent and warm water.
You can, however, take the cooler to the next level with the optional $119 Recon 360 Faucet, which is a rechargeable battery two-speed tap that pumps water from your cooler. The kit includes a second specially designed drain plug that connects to the tap via a supplied plastic hose.
I am going to add this to my 4WD setup, as it makes it easy to fill a glass of water and even wash down your sandy feet. The tap even has a built-in cut-off to prevent your cup from overflowing, saving water. The base of the tap is magnetic and can be attached to any metal surface, including the top of the cooler. Although covered in rubber, the top must have a metal plate hidden beneath. The battery will last nine complete refills before needing a charge using USB-C.
The Dometic Recon cooler I tested was the 16-litre version, but it is also available in 41 and 69-litre versions. Each model is available in yellow or grey and priced from $325 to $599 from Dometic or leading retailers.
