What about other stupid crap like vintage coolers and water jugs?

I have a weird affinity for things of my childhood. I didn't grow up in the 50's, I was a 60's -70's kid, but we were poor, so we had garage sale stuff growing up. I remember driving down to the Red River, where my family is all buried as a kid. We had a 66 Rivi and mom and dad would roll the windows down, because the ac didn't work.

We would head to the metropolis of Ringling, OK to the cemetery. It was hot and there were no restaurants to be found, so we would pack a lunch and mom would fill a water jug with ice and those were the provisions for the day.

These coolers remind me of those times I guess. So, I collect them when I find a deal.




These are like the ones I have. (Stolen pics from the net). Mama Root is washing ours up for the trip to the Gathering at the Roc. That's what got me to thinking.

 

Yeah, every car nut should have a vintage picnic set. I have an old cooler that’s rusted out. A good candidate for restoration. Still on my to-do list.

 

Have this in the garage still...bought it 50yrs ago at garage sale for $5. My family always used the camel water
bags when we traveled throughout Arizona growing up. No overflow tanks on cars then, and not many gas
stations on some trips...good times....

 

We have a few old metal coolers, but you guys know as well as I they then to leak and don't stay cool for long, we found a collapsible ice chest that fits snugly inside and keeps drinks cold and the carpet in the car stays dry. HRP

 

Collapsible cooler? What is this witchcraft of what you speak?

 

I’ve posted this in a different thread before, but….
I believe my wife paid $5 on Facebook market place. I love the graphics on the label too.

 

I grew up with the Aussie version of this (an Esky, like the one below). Leaked like the screen door on a submarine. Pinched your fingers or busted your knuckles trying to swing the bar to open it. Top handle meant you couldn't sit on it other than perching on the side. Galvanised steel construction with foam insulation. Built-in bottle opener was near useless as most Aussie beers are twist-top. Dad still uses it each week.


Cheers,
Harv

 

Seeing these pictures reminds me of my youth traveling with my parents to the races, born in 1948, we had a metal cooler and a metal water jug for many years, Mom always packed us a lunch and sometimes with the little glass bottles of Coca-cola for her and me (a big treat)and bottle beer for Dad. These were good times and memories. Fast forward 30 years, sadly my Mom had passed away and Dad was going to the races now with me and my family, we rarely missed eating at McDonald's when traveling, had a big plastic cooler with bottled water, bags of junk food for all of us for snacks. I'll always remember the first time we went to bottled water, Dad thought we were nuts for buying water that way, what's wrong with a big water jug with tap water with ice made in your fridge ? Around this time frame, 78/79 I purchased a van, Custom/craft conversion for towing Midget racer and traveling, we had been using my PU truck with a slide in camper, Dad said nice ride, he enjoyed the upgrade (comfort)in our road time, finally asked what does something like this cost, around 13K my reply, I got chewed out, listened how his home cost less than that, what's wrong with you, etc. Now I'm the old timer and the world has passed me by, I hear my Dad talking through me about the price of things, funny how it all comes full circle.

 

When I read "Collapsible Cooler" in the previous post , it reminded me of an item that my parents always carried in the glove boxes of the family cars.....
The "Collapsible Cup".....I remember on our back road trips to the mountains there was a place along the road where there was fresh cold water from a mountain spring that flowed out of a pipe that stuck out the side of the bank , Dad would stop , and mother would grab the cup and we all would fill up with water...and of course further down the road we would have to pull over and.....well anyways this is one that I found years ago , also have an aluminum one somewhere.

 

My mom always carried these cups in the car. They made my teeth ring when I touched them.

Cool Story guys. Funny the things that stick
out in your mind.

I always ask my wife what the kids these days will look back on. “Hey you remember that TikTok video of the cat wearing pants?” Ugh.

 

Root, hopefully this visual aid will help clear up the mystery, I probably should have said soft sided ice cooler in my previous post.

We have been using the old Pepsi cooler for clean up supplies when we travel, we just happened to be at a show and we won a soft sided cooler as a door prize, and the discussion began on how far coolers had come and how I wished the cool old ice chest could be upgraded to hold ice like the modern coolers, then Brenda suggested we try to use the soft sided cooler inside the vintage cooler, the rest is history. HRP

Using one of these inside to old metal ice chest makes them hold ice much longer and the ice chest won't sweat & leak on your carpet in the carHRP

 

Gotcha.

 

I'm always game for old stuff, no matter what it is.... I restored this Cronstroms cooler as well as a couple of old tackle boxes. Glad I'm not the only weird one on here!

 

Grew up with them too. They started in a fancy leatherette (maybe leather) case like this:

Over time the case got discarded, and some of the cups got lost. Dad still has one or two in active service in the kitchen cupboards. Dinged up, scratched, bent but still serviceable. Different thinking... things don't get thrown our just because you bought new ones - things get worn out, then you buy new ones. Glad that some of that thinking rubbed off on me.

Cheers,
Harv

 

I can still open mom and dads cupboards and see stuff from childhood. Make me happy.

 

I remember Grandma having a set. Those were the Kool Aid cups. As a teenager I wondered if I could make some crazy velocity stack combo out of them.

 

This old cooler still works pretty good!

 

This hasn't been used in four years but fill it with ice, adult beverages and keep it in the shade it's perfect for at home bbq's

 

I used to have 4 or 5 of those. Mine all got painted and have floor dry in them now.

 

I have an old grease barrel for a garbage can....can't talk my daughter in law into painting something cool on it. And she's a great artist.

 

Tell her you plan on willing it to your grandkids, so in the future she can look at it as-is or painted.

 

She has suggested letting the two oldest grandkids paint it. They're two and four. I've been considering that plan. Grandma says it'll make a good video

 

I found this cool vintage " Desert Water Bag " at the Portland swap meet years ago. Its the only one I have seen, that has the double wooden bars that are spring loaded at the top, and the very cool spigot at the bottom.

 

They must have come in the proper diameters as back in the day guys used them with their fuel injection as air horns, guessing far cheaper than the Hilborn pieces, I had the Hilborn stacks as I purchased the complete injection, pumps, systems. AGREE with the stuff that pops into the old brain reading posts here on the HAMB, I like many here, I can't hardley tell you what I did last week/month/year, but stuff from 50 years ago comes back clear like it was yesterday when triggered. LOL Aging, you gotta love it, thus far I'm Not Impressed with the process, just another Grumpy Old Timer.

 

You're right.... the process DOES suck! The worst part is, there's no owner's manual to tell you what is old age and what is "Oh shit, I'd better see the sawbones!"

 

In regards to "old age "
I think that Jack Nicholson, in the film " The Bucket List "
Pretty much summed it all up nicely, when he said,
" Never pass up an opportunity to use the restroom "
" Never waste a hard on "
" Never trust a fart "

Right on Mr. Jack.

 

Found this at a pickers festival a couple years ago....Put it to immediate use!

 

So well made with nice styling!