Thread: The elusive Costco bag

On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:43:49 -0400, Nancy Young
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I'd read about it here over the years, but I've never seen
>it for sale. It must be my week for picking up stuff I wanted
>for a while. There it was today, a pile of them. $6.99.
>
>That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
>if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
>stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
>in handy on the holidays, etc. too.
>
>nancy
>
I know about Costco carry bags, but I haven't ever heard of Costco
cooler bags. Describe please.
Janet US

On 7/27/2012 2:24 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:43:49 -0400, Nancy Young
> <[email protected]> wrote:

>> That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
>> if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
>> stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
>> in handy on the holidays, etc. too.

> I know about Costco carry bags, but I haven't ever heard of Costco
> cooler bags. Describe please.

Oh, so I didn't get the bag I've read about. Oh, well, it's
a great cooler bag. It's a big lined and insulated canvas bag,
26" wide by 17 high. Keeps food frozen for up to 5 hours.

http://i49.tinypic.com/dnowwi.jpg

It folds flat so it can live in my car trunk.

nancy

Nancy Young <[email protected]> wrote:
> I'd read about it here over the years, but I've never seen
> it for sale. It must be my week for picking up stuff I wanted
> for a while. There it was today, a pile of them. $6.99.
>
> That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
> if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
> stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
> in handy on the holidays, etc. too.
>
> nancy

Don't expect it to work as well as a styrofoam or hard plastic cooler. There
really isnt' that much insulation compared to, say, a pizza bag. Whatever
goes in needs to be good and cold (or hot) and then it will hold temp fairly
well up to a point.

It is handy when grocery shopping where you might go to more than one store.
You can put the cold and frozen stuff in it and it will stay cool pretty
well as long as your car isn't in the sun for too long.

MartyB

On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:56:30 -0400, Nancy Young <replyto@inemail>
wrote:

>On 7/27/2012 2:24 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:43:49 -0400, Nancy Young
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>> That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
>>> if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
>>> stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
>>> in handy on the holidays, etc. too.
>
>> I know about Costco carry bags, but I haven't ever heard of Costco
>> cooler bags. Describe please.
>
>Oh, so I didn't get the bag I've read about. Oh, well, it's
>a great cooler bag. It's a big lined and insulated canvas bag,
>26" wide by 17 high. Keeps food frozen for up to 5 hours.
>
>http://i49.tinypic.com/dnowwi.jpg
>
>It folds flat so it can live in my car trunk.
>
>nancy

On hot days it's best to let that bag live inside your car's air
conditioned passenger compartment... or you'll be coming from the
store with ice cold/frozen perishables only to find your insulated bag
at an oven-like temperature (those bags hold heat as well as cold). If
you're going to be shopping any length of time over ten minutes your
entire car will be like an oven and so will that insulated bag.
Happened to me just a week ago when I went to my doctor and then five
minutes later went to shop on the way home, the bag was stiffling from
waiting over an hour for me at the doctor (was the hottest day of the
year). I ended up not using the bag and decided instead to rely on my
car's A/C. Next time I'll bring the bag into the air conditioned
store with me, maybe stuff it into the ice cream freezer while I shop.
Anyways on hot days those insulated bags can do more harm than good
unless you're bringing home a hot meal.

On 7/27/2012 2:59 PM, Nunya Bidnits wrote:
> Nancy Young <[email protected]> wrote:

>> That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
>> if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
>> stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
>> in handy on the holidays, etc. too.

> Don't expect it to work as well as a styrofoam or hard plastic cooler. There
> really isnt' that much insulation compared to, say, a pizza bag. Whatever
> goes in needs to be good and cold (or hot) and then it will hold temp fairly
> well up to a point.

I have a much thinner cooler bag that really surprised me in
the past with how cold it kept things, so I feel that this heavy
one will do a good job, but I really don't expect to store ice or
frozen food in it for any great length of time.

It does rather remind me of a pizza bag.

> It is handy when grocery shopping where you might go to more than one store.
> You can put the cold and frozen stuff in it and it will stay cool pretty
> well as long as your car isn't in the sun for too long.

I think it will be great to hold things for tailgating and transporting
foods to somewhere that is reasonably close. The capacity is really
what I like compared to other cooler bags I've had. Ones for which I
spent a whole lot more than $7.

nancy

"Nancy Young" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:5012d35c$0$8835$[email protected] com...
> I'd read about it here over the years, but I've never seen
> it for sale. It must be my week for picking up stuff I wanted
> for a while. There it was today, a pile of them. $6.99.
>
> That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
> if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
> stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
> in handy on the holidays, etc. too.

I have some Costco bags but have never seen a cooler bag. I am headed there
soon. Will look.

"Brooklyn1" <Gravesend1> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:56:30 -0400, Nancy Young <replyto@inemail>
> wrote:
>
>>On 7/27/2012 2:24 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>>> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:43:49 -0400, Nancy Young
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>> That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
>>>> if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
>>>> stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
>>>> in handy on the holidays, etc. too.
>>
>>> I know about Costco carry bags, but I haven't ever heard of Costco
>>> cooler bags. Describe please.
>>
>>Oh, so I didn't get the bag I've read about. Oh, well, it's
>>a great cooler bag. It's a big lined and insulated canvas bag,
>>26" wide by 17 high. Keeps food frozen for up to 5 hours.
>>
>>http://i49.tinypic.com/dnowwi.jpg
>>
>>It folds flat so it can live in my car trunk.
>>
>>nancy
>
> On hot days it's best to let that bag live inside your car's air
> conditioned passenger compartment... or you'll be coming from the
> store with ice cold/frozen perishables only to find your insulated bag
> at an oven-like temperature (those bags hold heat as well as cold). If
> you're going to be shopping any length of time over ten minutes your
> entire car will be like an oven and so will that insulated bag.
> Happened to me just a week ago when I went to my doctor and then five
> minutes later went to shop on the way home, the bag was stiffling from
> waiting over an hour for me at the doctor (was the hottest day of the
> year). I ended up not using the bag and decided instead to rely on my
> car's A/C. Next time I'll bring the bag into the air conditioned
> store with me, maybe stuff it into the ice cream freezer while I shop.
> Anyways on hot days those insulated bags can do more harm than good
> unless you're bringing home a hot meal.

On days like that I fill the bags with blue ice and try to make it home
within an hour.

On Jul 27, 1:14*pm, "Julie Bove" <julieb...@frontier.com> wrote:
> "Nancy Young" <rjynlynos...@vverizon.net> wrote in message
>
> news:5012d35c$0$8835$[email protected] com...
>
> > I'd read about it here over the years, but I've never seen
> > it for sale. *It must be my week for picking up stuff I wanted
> > for a while. *There it was today, a pile of them. *$6.99.
>
> > That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. *Very handy. *Even
> > if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
> > stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. *It'll come
> > in handy on the holidays, etc. too.
>
> I have some Costco bags but have never seen a cooler bag. *I am headed there
> soon. *Will look.

We use one of these http://www.norchillcoolers.com/ We have two we use
on our sailboat and they'll keep food cold the entire weekend. so
taking one to Costco and other stores when it's hot out ensures the
food will be cold by the time we get home.

On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:43:39 -0400, Nancy Young
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On 7/27/2012 2:59 PM, Nunya Bidnits wrote:
>> Nancy Young <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>> That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
>>> if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
>>> stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
>>> in handy on the holidays, etc. too.
>
>> Don't expect it to work as well as a styrofoam or hard plastic cooler. There
>> really isnt' that much insulation compared to, say, a pizza bag. Whatever
>> goes in needs to be good and cold (or hot) and then it will hold temp fairly
>> well up to a point.
>
>I have a much thinner cooler bag that really surprised me in
>the past with how cold it kept things, so I feel that this heavy
>one will do a good job, but I really don't expect to store ice or
>frozen food in it for any great length of time.
>
>It does rather remind me of a pizza bag.
>
>> It is handy when grocery shopping where you might go to more than one store.
>> You can put the cold and frozen stuff in it and it will stay cool pretty
>> well as long as your car isn't in the sun for too long.
>
>I think it will be great to hold things for tailgating and transporting
>foods to somewhere that is reasonably close. The capacity is really
>what I like compared to other cooler bags I've had. Ones for which I
>spent a whole lot more than $7.
>
>nancy

The physical thickness of those bags is not nearly so important as of
what material(s) they're made... space blankets are very thin yet are
great insulaters. I have several of those bags acquired over the
years, of different materials, the newer thinner ones insulate better.
Also those bags tend to keep hot foods hot better than they keep cold
foods cold... or maybe it's because folks don't mind tepid bbq chicken
as much as they mind soupy ice cream. When I remember I put a couple
of those blue ice thingies in my bags before leaving home to shop.

On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:56:30 -0400, Nancy Young <replyto@inemail>
wrote:

>On 7/27/2012 2:24 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:43:49 -0400, Nancy Young
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>> That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
>>> if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
>>> stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
>>> in handy on the holidays, etc. too.
>
>> I know about Costco carry bags, but I haven't ever heard of Costco
>> cooler bags. Describe please.
>
>Oh, so I didn't get the bag I've read about. Oh, well, it's
>a great cooler bag. It's a big lined and insulated canvas bag,
>26" wide by 17 high. Keeps food frozen for up to 5 hours.
>
>http://i49.tinypic.com/dnowwi.jpg
>
>It folds flat so it can live in my car trunk.
>
>nancy
Hey, neat. I'll keep my eyes open for that one. Currently, we have a
zippered bag with waterproof lining It's huge. I put 4 of the 8 inch
square blue ice thingys in the bottom and take the bag into the store
with us. We fill it with cold and frozen stuff as we shop, then just
put the bag up on the checkout counter and let the checker ring up the
contents. That way everything stays cold.
Janet US

On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:25:46 -0400, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:

>On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:56:30 -0400, Nancy Young <replyto@inemail>
>wrote:
>
>>On 7/27/2012 2:24 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>>> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:43:49 -0400, Nancy Young
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>> That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
>>>> if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
>>>> stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
>>>> in handy on the holidays, etc. too.
>>
>>> I know about Costco carry bags, but I haven't ever heard of Costco
>>> cooler bags. Describe please.
>>
>>Oh, so I didn't get the bag I've read about. Oh, well, it's
>>a great cooler bag. It's a big lined and insulated canvas bag,
>>26" wide by 17 high. Keeps food frozen for up to 5 hours.
>>
>>http://i49.tinypic.com/dnowwi.jpg
>>
>>It folds flat so it can live in my car trunk.
>>
>>nancy
>
>On hot days it's best to let that bag live inside your car's air
>conditioned passenger compartment... or you'll be coming from the
>store with ice cold/frozen perishables only to find your insulated bag
>at an oven-like temperature (those bags hold heat as well as cold). If
>you're going to be shopping any length of time over ten minutes your
>entire car will be like an oven and so will that insulated bag.
>Happened to me just a week ago when I went to my doctor and then five
>minutes later went to shop on the way home, the bag was stiffling from
>waiting over an hour for me at the doctor (was the hottest day of the
>year). I ended up not using the bag and decided instead to rely on my
>car's A/C. Next time I'll bring the bag into the air conditioned
>store with me, maybe stuff it into the ice cream freezer while I shop.
>Anyways on hot days those insulated bags can do more harm than good
>unless you're bringing home a hot meal.

Costco has no problem with bringing your cold carrier into the store.
They just check to make sure that it isn't a pet carrier. Apparently
shoppers have been trying to bring their animals inside the store on
hot days.
Janet US

On 7/27/2012 4:14 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
> "Nancy Young" <[email protected]> wrote

>> I'd read about it here over the years, but I've never seen
>> it for sale. It must be my week for picking up stuff I wanted
>> for a while. There it was today, a pile of them. $6.99.

> I have some Costco bags but have never seen a cooler bag. I am headed there
> soon. Will look.

Now I know what I got wasn't the aforementioned bags, but
this will still hold quite a few items, saving a trip or two
from the car anyway. Keeping the meat, etc at a cooll temp
is a bonus.

nancy

On 7/27/2012 3:25 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:56:30 -0400, Nancy Young <replyto@inemail>
> wrote:

>> http://i49.tinypic.com/dnowwi.jpg
>>
>> It folds flat so it can live in my car trunk.

> On hot days it's best to let that bag live inside your car's air
> conditioned passenger compartment... or you'll be coming from the
> store with ice cold/frozen perishables only to find your insulated bag
> at an oven-like temperature

You're absolutely right.

>(those bags hold heat as well as cold). If
> you're going to be shopping any length of time over ten minutes your
> entire car will be like an oven and so will that insulated bag.
> Happened to me just a week ago when I went to my doctor and then five
> minutes later went to shop on the way home, the bag was stiffling from
> waiting over an hour for me at the doctor (was the hottest day of the
> year). I ended up not using the bag and decided instead to rely on my
> car's A/C. Next time I'll bring the bag into the air conditioned
> store with me, maybe stuff it into the ice cream freezer while I shop.
> Anyways on hot days those insulated bags can do more harm than good
> unless you're bringing home a hot meal.

Not too often. Point taken, thanks.

nancy

On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:43:49 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:

> I'd read about it here over the years, but I've never seen
> it for sale. It must be my week for picking up stuff I wanted
> for a while. There it was today, a pile of them. $6.99.
>
> That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
> if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
> stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
> in handy on the holidays, etc. too.

I don't remember paying $7 for my big blue bags. Maybe a 2 or 3 pack
of them since I have 2 of them (and lost the other?).

I would not have bought one bag for $7.

-sw

On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:56:30 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:

> On 7/27/2012 2:24 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:43:49 -0400, Nancy Young
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>> That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
>>> if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
>>> stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
>>> in handy on the holidays, etc. too.
>
>> I know about Costco carry bags, but I haven't ever heard of Costco
>> cooler bags. Describe please.
>
> Oh, so I didn't get the bag I've read about. Oh, well, it's
> a great cooler bag. It's a big lined and insulated canvas bag,
> 26" wide by 17 high. Keeps food frozen for up to 5 hours.
>
> http://i49.tinypic.com/dnowwi.jpg
>
> It folds flat so it can live in my car trunk.

Mines different. I must have got the $3 ones that are some sort of
vinyl with a quilted foil-ish lining.

-sw

On 7/27/2012 5:48 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:56:30 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:

>> Oh, so I didn't get the bag I've read about. Oh, well, it's
>> a great cooler bag. It's a big lined and insulated canvas bag,
>> 26" wide by 17 high. Keeps food frozen for up to 5 hours.
>>
>> http://i49.tinypic.com/dnowwi.jpg
>>
>> It folds flat so it can live in my car trunk.
>
> Mines different. I must have got the $3 ones that are some sort of
> vinyl with a quilted foil-ish lining.

I've seen those type of bags.

This is the label: http://i46.tinypic.com/nocbgo.jpg

It's got some type of foam insulation with a white
plastic-y lining.

nancy

Sqwertz <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:56:30 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
>
>> On 7/27/2012 2:24 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>>> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:43:49 -0400, Nancy Young
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>> That is one big Costco sized cooler bag. Very handy. Even
>>>> if I don't have cold food, it's handy to carry a bunch of
>>>> stuff into the house at once after a Costco run. It'll come
>>>> in handy on the holidays, etc. too.
>>
>>> I know about Costco carry bags, but I haven't ever heard of Costco
>>> cooler bags. Describe please.
>>
>> Oh, so I didn't get the bag I've read about. Oh, well, it's
>> a great cooler bag. It's a big lined and insulated canvas bag,
>> 26" wide by 17 high. Keeps food frozen for up to 5 hours.
>>
>> http://i49.tinypic.com/dnowwi.jpg
>>
>> It folds flat so it can live in my car trunk.
>
> Mines different. I must have got the $3 ones that are some sort of
> vinyl with a quilted foil-ish lining.
>
> -sw

Silvered foil is for reflecting heat, so a cold bag should have foil on the
outside.

Greg

On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:22:07 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:

> On 7/27/2012 5:48 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
>> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:56:30 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
>
>>> Oh, so I didn't get the bag I've read about. Oh, well, it's
>>> a great cooler bag. It's a big lined and insulated canvas bag,
>>> 26" wide by 17 high. Keeps food frozen for up to 5 hours.
>>>
>>> http://i49.tinypic.com/dnowwi.jpg
>>>
>>> It folds flat so it can live in my car trunk.
>>
>> Mines different. I must have got the $3 ones that are some sort of
>> vinyl with a quilted foil-ish lining.
>
> I've seen those type of bags.

Since you showed me yours I'll show you mine.

http://i47.tinypic.com/302b247.jpg

It measures about 26" x 9" x 18" There's Velcro on the front (those
three white strips, and also on the underside of the lid flap. The
Velcro doesn't exactly shut it up tight unless you fill it exactly to
it's intended volume dimensions. Looks like yours is more 2
dimensional to solve that problem.

-sw

On 7/27/2012 7:02 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:22:07 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:

>> I've seen those type of bags.
>
> Since you showed me yours I'll show you mine.
>
> http://i47.tinypic.com/302b247.jpg
>
> It measures about 26" x 9" x 18" There's Velcro on the front (those
> three white strips, and also on the underside of the lid flap. The
> Velcro doesn't exactly shut it up tight unless you fill it exactly to
> it's intended volume dimensions. Looks like yours is more 2
> dimensional to solve that problem.

That's a lot like my other insulated bag, and I never have
stuff in it where the Velcro lines up efficiently.

This bag has a zipper top, no Velcro. It opens out to a
flat, say, 18 X 8 rectangular bottom.

nancy