For this episode of The Overland Journal Podcast, hosts Scott and Matt discuss choosing overland 12-volt fridges over coolers, advocating for the smallest necessary size (25–35 liters for one/two, 45–55 liters for small families) to avoid heavy slides and oversized units (like an 80-liter unit for just drinks). They compare chest/drawer fridges to less-efficient door-opening models, emphasize that cooldown speed matters mainly for warm groceries, and outline testing metrics: power draw, temperature accuracy, and warm-up time. They review brands, noting Engel’s reliability issues, Dometic’s value, National Luna’s build quality/higher power use, and the heavy but high-performing ARB Elements 60L, plus Iceco and EcoFlow’s battery/app features, promoting upcoming Overland Journal (Summer 2026 issue) test results.
Overland Journal Podcast Episode #295
The Overland Journal Podcast is brought to you this week by Overland Journal Magazine
The Best Overland Fridge Freezers
Host Bios:
Scott Brady
Scott is the executive publisher and co-founder of Expedition Portal and Overland Journal and is often credited with popularizing overlanding in North America. His travels by 4WD and adventure motorcycle span all seven continents and include three circumnavigations of the globe. His polar expeditions include two vehicle crossings of Antarctica and the first long-axis crossing of Greenland. @scott.a.brady
Matt Scott
Matt is a leading expert in automotive adventure. He has extensively explored the world’s most remote places by 4WD and is considered an industry authority on overland travel. He is the only American to ever become an editor of a major Australian 4WD publication and has over 15 years of competitive auto racing experience. @mattexplore
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