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Frio and seawater

Antje77

Antje77

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Location
Friesland (the Netherlands)
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
I couldn't find the answer on their site but some of you might know.
Next sunday I'll be the 'captain' of a big RIB (inflatable boat with a wooden bottom), transporting 12 people to an oyster bank on the Waddenzee to teach them about the sea, tides and oysters and to collect oysters to take home :hungry:.
It will be a windy summery day so I want to carry my insulin in my frio pouch. I expect it to be quite a wet trip, not only from spray water but also because everyone and everything will be wet and muddy by the time we get back. The frio won't work when packed waterproof so chances are it will get wet, even if I'm careful.
So, will the salt water ruin it?

edit: I found a solution! I leave the frio bag home and change my penfill now. My current penfill has some 15 units left, which is enough to get me through lunch on the oyster bank and a possible correction. Sunday I put the almost empty penfill in my pen again, and never mind if it gets too warm :)
 
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I've used the same for when I went sea fishing once but the only thing that will make it safe from sea water is a floatation bag which is the same as a suit just you keep your insulin in it but don't take your meter as I have lost a few due to the sea water as it gets in to the circuits and makes it go a green colour if you use a black and green screen and just white for a coloured screen so when I go sea fishing I don't take any meters just my insulin as most times I can be away for a week or two and I don't want to go swimming for the meter in the floation bag so I am able to feel how I am just by myself and my body and what to feel for a hypo and hyper and I am most of the time fine but I do carry with me a lot of dextrose tablets and sweets and chocolates and I have them for when I do feel off and I can only say for a meal just place on the oyster in the shell and eat it that way as that's the only way they go down
 
Jordi77 said:
don't take your meter as I have lost a few due to the sea water
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Sounds like pretty dangerous advice, especially as I am the one to hold responsibility over 12 paying passengers. I'm not sure what the rules say but they should be the same as for driving imo.
The problem won't be to keep my equipment dry, as I can pack for that. It's about keeping my insulin cool. To do that the frio bag has to be exposed to air.

I think I've thought up a solution, though!
 
helensaramay said:
Do away with the Frio bag and tow the pens behind your rib? :)
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That's a thought. If I used disposable pens. I'm not sure how the refillable pens hold up in seawater :) . Also, the tide will be going out when we arrive, leaving the rib on the bank, so I'd need a pretty long line. Although I could just push the pens in the wet mud, but again probably not advisable with refillable pens :P
(I edited my opening post to include my chosen solution :) )
 
I have once placed my insulin in a floation bag and placed it in the water but the problem with that is if it's rough or a swell is up you will loose it so watch out as I normally use a bucket and place it in there for the length I'm out and if I can change the water every few hours with sea water that's what I do and that way my insulin is cool and I am not placing it in the on board fridge and that is in case it doesn't work but mainly because it's full of food and drinks and no room to put my insulin so that is why I bought a floation bag just for my insulin and I have no pens that are pre filled as I wanted to use cartridges as it's easier to transport and to use as if you have a fault with a pre fill it's hard to have your insulin
 
Antje77 said:
If you do the frio doesn't work anymore. It cools because the water it holds evaporates, which won't happen in an air tight bag.
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If you do not squeeze the air out of the zip lock bag when sealing it up, the evaporation process will still work I think. For a short period of time this should be ok, it's not like your going for a long sea voyage.
 
Tipetoo said:
If you do not squeeze the air out of the zip lock bag when sealing it up, the evaporation process will still work I think. For a short period of time this should be ok, it's not like your going for a long sea voyage.
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That's what I hoped, but last week it got real warm in a plastic bag that wasn't even very much closed. But no matter, I'll just take the last bit of a pen fill with me :)
 
Why not make yourself a bag out of a towel, then use a floatation bag inside it to keep the inslin in. Provided the towel bag is wet it should keep everything in it cool.
 
ringi said:
Why not make yourself a bag out of a towel, then use a floatation bag inside it to keep the inslin in. Provided the towel bag is wet it should keep everything in it cool.
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Perfect! I don't have a flotation bag, but 2 freezer bags to keep the pen dry plus a wet sock to wrap it in should do the trick just fine! After all, that's how I keep my water bottle cool during sailing ( and the beer bottles for after sailing as well) :)
A salty sock it is!
 
Antje77 said:
Perfect! I don't have a flotation bag, but 2 freezer bags to keep the pen dry plus a wet sock to wrap it in should do the trick just fine! After all, that's how I keep my water bottle cool during sailing ( and the beer bottles for after sailing as well) :)
A salty sock it is!
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Does your rib have an electronic start battery for the engine(s)? If so, for future adventures, could the start batteries run a very small electric cool box? On one of our sport ribs, we had an electic cool box within the central console?

Ribs provide endless fun for short-ish jaunts.
 
DCUKMod said:
Does your rib have an electronic start battery for the engine(s)? If so, for future adventures, could the start batteries run a very small electric cool box? On one of our sport ribs, we had an electic cool box within the central console?

Ribs provide endless fun for short-ish jaunts.
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That would work but I like simple solutions better :) And I don't have or want an electronic coolbox, and I don't really trust them to not accidentally freeze my insulin. Once frozen, insulin is completely useles, I believe, and if it gets to warm it still does something. @ringi 's solution is just beautiful in it's simplicity, and I'll combine it with taking the last bit of a penfill as to not waste insulin should it still get too warm. I'll try to remember to post a picture :)
 
It just a different vertion of using a unglazed clay flowerpot to cool the wine (or milk) while camping........
 
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