If you do any amount of camping, tailgating or picnicking chances are you have used plastic freezer packs to keep things cold. I prefer the Blue Ice packs from Rubbermaid because they don't retain the smells and scents of food that they are exposed to (even in containers onions still smell), they clean up easily and rarely split, crack or leak. The standard Blue Ice freezer packs are thin so they can be wedged between things; if you temper your cooler first these will last a lot longer. To temper a cooler just put ice in it for an hour or so then dump it out and pack it with food or beverages and add the ice packs. The curved ice packs are great for cans but you need to wedge it between six cans to get the most use from it and to not waste space. The Blue Ice freezer packs contain a non-toxic solution but if one ends up leaking or gets punctured its best to throw out any raw / exposed food that it comes in contact with. I have also used these when I need an ice pack for a sprain and there's nothing else available or I can't walk down the steps to the large chest freezer and get the bendable ice pack. They are reasonably priced and if you take care of them you can get years of use from them.

AlexFortune

Undisclosed

We have several of these blue ice packs in various sizes. We use them when we pack lunches for items that need to remain cold for an extended period of time. They are especially useful if you are traveling and don't want to purchase ice. If you aren't going a long way, these packs are suitable for keeping many items chilled and they are less messy than ice. They wouldn't be good for say, trying to transport an ice cream cake. That particular item requires dry ice. We took an ice cream cake to our grandson, four hours away and the cake definitely needed dry ice. I have even used them as an ice pack. These blue ice packs are made of very durable hard plastic and I think it would be very difficult to make them leak. They would have to suffer some sort of puncture. The ones I have do not have caps that unscrew however, we also have some other brands that do. They freeze quickly and they stay cold for several hours. I recommend this product as an alternative to ice for carrying many food items.

dawna0123

SmallTown, TX

My husband and I bought one of these Rubbermaid "Blue ice" things to use on a 3-day road trip, and we have been using it ever since for many more trips, events, camping, outings... It has lasted 3 years now, without a sign of giving up anytime soon. It is slim, and doesn't take up a lot of space in the freezer, so we just keep it in there all the time so it's ready to use. We've used it on picnics, road trips, to keep stuff cold while having guests over, and so much more. You can stick it down the side of the cooler, or lay it flat against the bottom and put stuff on top of it. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who uses a cooler to keep stuff cool on a semi-regular basis. If you keep it in your freezer, it can also help keep the things around it frozen during a short power-outage during a storm (I grew up in the country and keeping ice in the freezer was very important so you didn't lose everything in a storm). You won't regret this inexpensive buy!

texasmama10

Warren, OH

I have a lot of friends and family that live nearby, but I also have family that lives out of state, so I like to travel to visit them as frequently as possible. Being a frugal person by nature, I don't like stopping at resturants and convenience stores on my drive to satisfy a hunger or thirst. Rather, I like to pack a cooler of drinks and snacks, as it is better on my wallet! The trick though, is keeping the drinks and snacks cold! I had struggled with various ice pack solutions before, but once I discovered the Rubbermaid Blue Ice pack I never turned back! I have purchased several of these packs, and they work just perfectly! These packs are small enough that I can squeeze them in any nook or cranny available in my cooler, but even though they're small in size, they stay cool for a long time, keeping my refreshments cold during my whole road trip! These also freeze back up quite nicely, and they fit in the freezer door very well so they don't get lost in the mess of my freezer! This is a great product!

PaulsenD

Warsaw, MO

Okay...so I am sitting here scrolling through kitchen reviews just because there is always something I want to get but don;t want to commit to without another opinion...I am not a gadget person but I spend a good bit of time in the kitchen and pack a lot of lunches so I thought I should share why you need these.  We live in the south and obviously it gets HOT!  And even though I try to take a thermal bag in addition to my reusable bags to the grocery...the bag needs a boost.  I have several Rubbermaid Ice in the freezer that I just pop in my bag and go...gives me time if I run late and have to hit car pool before coming home to unload groceries.  Also gives me extra time to unload kids and car and get everyone settled without having to worry about the ice cream melting right away.  The rectangular shape makes for easy, efficient storage in the freezer door.  The shape is good for lunch boxes and the sturdy body holds up to banging around groceries and kids beating the  lunch boxes.  The Blue Ice does not rupture like the plastic packs you get from the formula companies or the less expensive freezie product in the big stores.  Of course keeping your freezer full helps it run more  efficiantly.  Rubbermaid knows plastic...their toughness translates in to the Blue Ice...your kids will lose them way before they ever wear out.  Keep your food safe, buy yourself some extra time...you can safely send healthier lunches in with your kids when you can keep the lunch cold...they will enjoy cold yogurt and crisp fruit with these packs. 

archerethan

Birmingham, AL