I drilled a couple holes in the bottom of the left saddlebag so as the ice melts the water can drain out. I fill the left bag with beer and ice. I start the rides with the right bag empty. I put the empties in the right saddlebag. After a couple hundred miles, there is quite a bit of ratteling from all the empties. That is what rest areas are for. Empty the right saddlebag (and the bladder).

 

You, sir, are right on the money....

 

I have the Harley cooler for my Ultra. It does not leak, however the ice last only 5 - 6 hours on a very hot day. Most of the time it is good enough. Maybe for a camp trip it would not be ideal. The saddle bag bottom gets very hot. It helps to have a couple of wipe down rags on the bottom to insulate from exhaust heat. All in all not a bad product. T

 

I freeze water in old 16oz. plastic water/soda bottles and just re-freeze them for the next time I need them. They don't leak, and the ice lasts longer than cubes.
Don't fill them all the way up, and don't put the lids on until frozen.

 

I just throw ice and cans in an empty saddlebag. Then when I'm done I take off the saddlebag and dump the ice/water and wipe it out with a towel.

 

I agree with the blue ice packs as a way of avoiding leakage. Consider also that condensation also will cause moisture to gather inside the saddle bag so be sure to let it air dry after each ride or you'll have mildew. (Ask me how I know.)

 

Wow! No comments from the beer police yet, amazing.

 

You're right. I hope you plan on staying for the night after you drink those six cans of beer.

 

I took my wife on what she thought was a very long road trip two years ago. We rode about 300 miles and ended up where some of my family was camping along a river.

I took all of our stuff out of our saddlebags and piled it on the ground and headed to the nearest little store and filled the bags with beer and then topped them off with ice. I drove the couple miles back to the campsite and we drank out of my bags the rest of the day.

By evening it was mostly water left in the bags. My wife became very upset with me because she wanted to know how I was going to get all that water out of there so she could put her stuff back in the bags. I told her to get on and hold on tight. I was going to wheelie around until all the water was out.

Just when she was about to give up, I undid the two clips on the bag and dumped it out. You should've saw the look on her face.


Dennis

 

LOL, we just try to minimize the time between purchase and consumption.