freezers in roomettes?

[Skip]

I have a condition which causes serious irritation of my pudendal nerve when sitting. Basically it just plain hurts to sit normally, but can be mitigated by keeping my feet elevated. But that is usually difficult to find. In order to sit normally I can mitigate the pain to a reasonable degree with something called BodyIce (from my physical therapist). It does a pretty decent job of freezing the pudendal nerve. BodyIce is approximately the dimensions of a sheet of paper in width and length. It contains a gel which is malleable so it can be folded and is not terribly uncomfortable to sit on. It's never pleasant, but better than the pain. This is why I have always flown. I would love to take Amtrak to many destinations in the US but I am very hesitant - how am I going to keep my BodyIce cold? Without the ability to keep several of these BodyIce at a bit below freezing, I would end up spending nearly all my time in my room lying down. Not much fun.

 

[me_little_me]

As someone who has had to keep medicine refrigerated for weeks on a long trip (I now have a really small portable electric refrigerator), I sympathize with your worse plight. Have you considered dry ice?
The smartest thing I ever did was to test my cooling procedure at home (like using refrigerator then assuming external battery pack ran down and I had to use ice packs for a while) then testing when taking a short trip (and staying in hotels for two weeks where I knew I could always use in room or front office refrigerator but tried not to have to). You might do the same at home with dry ice and cooler or ice packs with cooler) to test it out.
I get my medication overnighted and it comes in foam cooler with ice packs and I am swimming in both. Check friends and neighbors who might be diabetic or ask therapist if someone who is or who otherwise gets medical shipments in coolers as there is a limit to how many they would ever want to keep. I've given them away to local meat market and dessert place to give to their customers who might not be going straigt home. I wish I could find a permanent place to donate them.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Have you considered the Food Bank/Pantry? They can always use stuff like that!

 

[TinCan782]

Don't know how long your trip is but, have you considered a cooler with dry ice as me-little-me suggested?
Definitely below freezing but the question is, how long will it last before it evaporates? Not going to be easy to re-supply along your journey.
Just a thought.

 

[flitcraft]

Given the cost of an Amtrak trip and the discomfort that you'd experience if you didn't have a way to keep you packs cold, let me second me-little-me's good advice on doing a trial run at home with a cooler and dry ice. Coolers and ice packs vary a lot in their efficiency; I would invest in a really good cooler--not a styrofoam one, for example. I think America's Test Kitchen did a test of ice packs recently; you could probably find it online to pick the best, longest lasting packs. I'd be tempted to try a belts-and-braces approached of dry ice plus ice packs--presumably the dry ice would keep the ice packs cold, and you might be able to eke out more hours with the packs alone in the cooler once the dry ice evaporated.

Good luck with your journey. If it turns out that Amtrak doesn't work for you, at least you'll have discovered that in the comfort of your own home rather than in agony in a roomette somewhere many hours away from relief.

 

[John Santos]

A light-weight soft cooler full of ice should last for at least two nights. I filled mine at a campground in Redwood NP, spent the last night at a motel in Berkeley, and still had some ice in it when I refilled it at the CVS across the street from Chicago Union Station after arriving on the CZ. This was in the summer of 2017, which was extremely hot. (122F/49C according to my car in Santa Rosa at the north end of San Francisco Bay!) I understand sleeper passengers can get ice for drinks from their SCA or from the diner or cafe car, but I didn't need to do that.

I don't know if they could store your spare BodyIce in one of their freezers (probably not), but I think they could provide you with ice cubes to restock a small cooler of your own, especially for medical equipment. I would call Amtrak to make sure before booking my tickets, though. (Do they have a special number for assistance with things like wheelchairs? I think those would be the people you would want to talk to.)

P.S. @Bob Dylan great idea about the food pantry!

 

[OBS]

A light-weight soft cooler full of ice should last for at least two nights. I filled mine at a campground in Redwood NP, spent the last night at a motel in Berkeley, and still had some ice in it when I refilled it at the CVS across the street from Chicago Union Station after arriving on the CZ. This was in the summer of 2017, which was extremely hot. (122F/49C according to my car in Santa Rosa at the north end of San Francisco Bay!) I understand sleeper passengers can get ice for drinks from their SCA or from the diner or cafe car, but I didn't need to do that.

I don't know if they could store your spare BodyIce in one of their freezers (probably not), but I think they could provide you with ice cubes to restock a small cooler of your own, especially for medical equipment. I would call Amtrak to make sure before booking my tickets, though. (Do they have a special number for assistance with things like wheelchairs? I think those would be the people you would want to talk to.)

P.S. @Bob Dylan great idea about the food pantry!

Unfortunately storing it in the Amtrak freezer is not permitted (FDA rules).

 

[tgstubbs1]

I bought a 12/24 - 110v car refrigerator. It's about 20 liters. There was another with only 16 liters but I don't think it was much smaller. It has a thermostat you can set down to -4 F. It came with a small 12v transformer for about $200.

 

[caravanman]

If you are travelling in a roomette, you would have the option to sit, with your feet raised by placing items on the opposite seat. If you need to lie down with your feet raised, that would work by leaving the bed in the sleep mode all the time. Maybe a small portable freezer would work for you, there is 120v available in the sleepers. Do be aware that there is very little floor space in a roomette, a bedroom gives more space.

 

[railiner]

If you are travelling in a roomette, Maybe a small portable freezer would work for you, there is 120v available in the sleepers..

I don't know if those outlets would support even a small compressor...they are designed for shavers and phone chargers...stronger amperage might trip the breakers....
The ones in the passageway would probably work, as those are for vacuum cleaner's, but I don't know if they would allow you to run a cord to them, due to tripping and other possible hazards....

 

[joelkfla]

Amtrak rules for dry ice are here, under the "Medical Devices" heading. Among other things: it must be labeled, styrofoam is not allowed, the container must be vented, and it's limited to 5 lbs.

Some websites say it might last a day, but I agree testing it at home would be advisable.

 

[drdumont]

Amazon has several portable coolers (ice chests) which will heat or cool when plugged in. I have one I have used on Amtrak a couple of times. It is a Peltier chip device, virtually noiseless, and hasn't tripped the breaker in the room.
Chill it down as much as you can before boarding, and if you can, load it with ice as well.
Hope you find a way to lessen the pain. Chronic pain is no laughing matter.

 

[me_little_me]

You probably qualify for the handicap room. Just get a letter from your doctor. More room, private bath, priced low like roomette. You have to call for reservation as you are not mobility handicapped. I had no trouble. Read Amtrak rules on what info you have to provide but I was never asked to show the documentation and have no trouble walking but sleeping is an issue.
They will not question your handicap - only may ask to see documentation. For me, that consists of a VA card that indicates I have a service-connected disability, not what it is.

 

[tgstubbs1]

I don't know if those outlets would support even a small compressor...they are designed for shavers and phone chargers...stronger amperage might trip the breakers....
The ones in the passageway would probably work, as those are for vacuum cleaner's, but I don't know if they would allow you to run a cord to them, due to tripping and other possible hazards....

My 20 liter car fridge draws less than 1 amp @120vac.

 

[tgstubbs1]

Amazon has several portable coolers (ice chests) which will heat or cool when plugged in. I have one I have used on Amtrak a couple of times. It is a Peltier chip device, virtually noiseless, and hasn't tripped the breaker in the room.
Chill it down as much as you can before boarding, and if you can, load it with ice as well.
Hope you find a way to lessen the pain. Chronic pain is no laughing matter.

These peltier based devices are mostly a waste and draw more current than compressor type car fridges.They won't ever freeze anything. Small ones might be useful for a short car trip.

 

[caravanman]

I have used the roomette 120v outlet to plug in a travel kettle, us Brits can't manage without a proper cup of tea.
The kettle is only rated at 650Watts, but Amps x Volts = W, so I guess the supply was providing about 5 Amps.
Please note I am not advocating plugging in high wattage items, just reporting my own experience.

 

[tgstubbs1]

In the US the type of receptacle can indicate the amperage. Most 110v are at least 15A. Some have a sort of extra 'cross' in one of the three prongs receptacles that indicates 20A. There are some appliances that draw more than 15A with one of the prongs rotated 'sideways' so they can only be used on a 20A receptacle.
I don't think Amtrak would want anything like a space heater that draws high current over long periods. They might be more tolerant of low wattage devices.

The main drawbacks of the compressor fridge are higher cost, weight, and they must not be tilted more than a certain amount. If they are inverted the freon becomes misplaced and the unit won't operate.

 

[PVD]

Since more than one receptacle may be on the circuit, and you may not know what is in use in the other locations the fact that it is a 20A vs a 15A can be deceiving. Part of the problem with most motor/compressor devices is startup, which may be quite a bit higher than running.

 

[tgstubbs1]

True, too many people drawing current on the same circuit could trip a breaker but wiring and receptacle should be safe.
I have a meter by a company called 'Kill a Watt' that displays instantaneous watts, amps, voltage and Hertz. It registers 0.50 to 0.65 amps with the car fridge. Startup current could be more but the supplied transformer maxes out at 2.5 amps.
I would be mostly concerned with the weight, about 20 lbs.
Would it be considered a carry on?

 

[PVD]

Many of the car coolers (as opposed to an actual mini fridge) are peltier effect not compressor, They would pose less of a problem.

 

[tgstubbs1]

Many of the car coolers (as opposed to an actual mini fridge) are peltier effect not compressor, They would pose less of a problem.

I have several peltier junction coolers...they draw more current than my compressor car fridge, 0.90 amps.

 

[PVD]

But if I recall, they don't have the big startup surge, which makes them predictable..(I could be mistaken, it has been a while).

 

[tgstubbs1]

My compressor car fridge doesn't have a big startup surge. It's difficult to measure but with double or even triple the 0.50 amp running current it is well under the 2.5 amp transformer max current.

But if I recall, they don't have the big startup surge, which makes them predictable..(I could be mistaken, it has been a while).

The peltier type coolers are nice and light and available in very small sizes.
I have a Koolatron that holds exactly one six pack of either cans or bottles.
I have used it many times on car trips. It keeps IPA reasonably cool but the 12v plug gets pretty hot in a half hour.
I have an Igloo that is close to a big as my compressor fridge that probably weighs less than 5 lbs.
They both pull about 3 - 3.5 amps @ 12vdc. That's more than the ' big startup surge' of my compressor fridge and it is a steady draw--no thermostat.

 

[PVD]

3.5A @12vdc is not much power at all (42W), is the fridge running 12vdc also? I can't picture a compressor starting with that low a wattage...

 

[tgstubbs1]

These new compressors are designed for use in vehicles and so a very low current draw.

People sometimes have trouble running the compressor fridge on 12v but they work well with the transformer and inverter connected to a battery. The compressor fridge will shut down if the battery voltage sags but the inverter seems to insulate it.

My Koolatron manual says it draws 4.5amps at 12vdc. Most of the other peltier coolers I've seen the specs on say 3.5 amps at 12v. It is a constant draw because they don't have thermostats, while the compressor fridge is computerized and has a thermostat.

I don't have a way to easily measure 12v amps but when I use the transformer the compressor fridge uses .50 amps while the peltier uses .90 amps on 110vac. They are both switcher type 110v - 12v power adapters.