We’re big fans of ARB’s portable fridge freezers, which allow you to keep food fresh and drinks ice cold for weeks on the road, so long as it can draw power from your car’s 12V outlet. Once you decide to bring it to the backcountry, the beach, or wherever else you’re spending the day, though, you’ll need a portable power station to provide the necessary charge, since it’s not of those fancy solar-powered cooling rigs. The ARB Zero Fridge Freezer Power Pack can do that while seamlessly integrating with your portable fridge.
Designed for use with the outfit’s Zero Fridge Freezer, it allows you to keep the appliance’s compressor running on the go, so you can chill your food and drinks without having to keep it in the car at all times. Want to keep the fridge right next to your tent, so you can grab a cold drink when you wake up in the wee hours? Yes, you can do that. How about taking it along the trail to the nearby waterfall, so you can eat and drink up right next to cool running water? This will do the trick.
The ARB Zero Fridge Freezer Power Pack is a charging device that houses a 15Ah lithium-ion battery inside the enclosure, which, the outfit claims, is enough to get the fridge running for up to 18 hours between charges. Granted, the actual charge endurance will vary based on the fridge’s temperature settings, so it will last much shorter if you want it to keep your food and drinks at freezing temperatures. Suffice to say, you’ll probably have to charge it in the car once a day if you plan on camping with the fridge for extended periods.
To use the battery, simply snap it to the fridge’s side walls using the rubberized magnets in the backside, which ensures the battery is mounted on the fridge at all times. From there, you just plug in the power cord and you’re set, with the power pack continually feeding it 14.4 volts to keep the whole thing running.
The ARB Zero Fridge Freezer Power Pack has an LED display that shows the current battery level, making it easy to recognize whenever it needs a recharge, with a completely drained module allowing it to fully charge from a standard outlet in around six hours. It’s water resistant according to IP66 standards, too, so it can shrug off spilled drinks and the occasional drizzle without taking any damage. And the whole thing is lightweight, adding just 3.6 pounds to the fridge whenever it’s mounted.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Zero Fridge Freezer, it’s ARB’s newest portable fridge model, which comes in a boxy shape and rugged looks that make it well-suited for the outdoors. It comes in five sizes, from 38 quarts to 101 quarts, with each one packing outlets for both AC and DC power connections, a Bluetooth connection for pairing with the mobile app, and even a USB outlet for charging phones and other small devices.
The ARB Zero Fridge Freezer Power Pack is available now, priced at $339.