Any ideas on how to keep medicine cold (40f) on a multi-day hike?
Dougelfir
Keeping medicine cold
system
#3
A diebetic guy at Trail Days demonstrated a container he made to keep his insulin cool. It was a few years ago. I don’t remember exactly what it was, but maybe this post will jog someone’s memory. I do remember he said he used cold spring water with this thing he made and packed it in the middle of his pack and it worked good. Sorry I couldn’t remember more than that. 
Stumpknocker
system
#4
Stumpknocker’s coffee must have kicked in, as he is correct on this point
The diabetic hiker made his container out of a Nalgene. There was an interior container as well. The design won an award from the Backpacker Magazine road trip folks. I’m thinking that was 2004.
You might query Backpacker about this. You’ll want to talk to the folks that take their booth on the road.
Here are the people who did the 2004 tour: http://www.backpacker.com/getoutmore/roadteam/bios/0,3686,,00.html
Jan LiteShoe
system
#5
Keytone GA->ME 2004 (aka: Shawn Spatz)
Here’s a link to Keytone’s 2004 AT Journal with a link to his personal web site where you can find a page showing his Insulin Storage Device. Any further questions, send him an eMail!?
Hey Keytone… see ya in Damascus at Trail Days again this year???
TBott
GA->ME 2004
TBott
system
#6
The GeoCities web site you were trying to view has temporarily exceeded its data transfer limit. Please try again later.
Prospector
system
#7
TBott, hope to see you at Trail Days this year, too. It’ll be my third one and the first when I won’t be hiking. Don’t know if that’s good or bad.
Sal Paradise
GA-VA 04
GA-ME 05
0101
system
#8
Yeah, I remember meeting him at the place at traildays '04. Pretty ingenius container, remember it worked well for him too… didn’t know his trailname, but funny he was named keytone, after ketones or alpha keto-acids that diabetics…well, whatever… glad to hear he made it all the way.
-xtn :boy
airferret
system
#9
Most insulin (humilin these days) can be kept at room temperature up to 30 days. I know, I checked my box of Humilog 70/30. Much longer if kept cold.
Bill White
system
#10
Bill, out of curiousity, what is the accepted temperature range listed on the side of your box of humilin 70/30?
The reason I ask is, hiking in the summer you can’t really rely on it being in the 70’s or thereabouts, if it hits in the high 80’s or above, or the heat of your body is absorbed to any appreciable degree by your pack, that could present a problem.
Also, depending on how much insulin you take, your diet while hiking, fluid intake (and all the other factors I am sure you know first hand and well more then me), taking denatured (ineffective)insulin or other problems when you are far from town might have complications and best to play it safe. His device was really neat, and would probably work well in a small nalgene vs. the 1L size he carried, but most importantly, he finished his hike happy and in health.
-xtn :boy
airferret