G/O Media may get a commission.
Wrap your block ice in an extra-large Ziploc or a garbage bag prior to loading it– this can a minimum of slow the water leak around your food as the ice melts. You might also want to place a piece of cardboard over your ice obstructs for additional insulation prior to putting food on or around them.
Frozen food can double as ice packs, and will gradually thaw in your cooler so its prepared when you require it. If you have 2 coolers, keep food in one and drinks in the other. Plus, youre likely to open and close your drink cooler more frequently, and if food is jam-packed independently, itll be safeguarded from exposure to warm air for longer.
Keep the cooler closed.
Layer the bottom of your cooler with block ice.
Put the food youll need last in very first. Pack cans securely and horizontally with the labels facing up if you have drinks (in the separate or very same cooler).
Put in a 1.5-2.5 inch layer of crushed or cubed ice.
Repeat.
Picture: David Stuart (Getty Images).
Pre-chill your cooler.
You would not anticipate a room-temperature freezer to keep things cold. A cooler pulled right from your hot attic, basement or garage wont be that efficient either. Fill it the night before (or at least a few hours ahead of time) with a complete bag of ice to cool it down.
Usage block ice.
Block ice melts more slowly than cubes, and can assist keep things cooler for longer. It might be difficult to discover at your local supermarket or filling station, but you can make your own if you prepare ahead. Just freeze water in a baking pan or cooler tray.
Layer strategically.
Stacking items in your cooler at random and dumping ice on top is an ineffective cooling technique, and likewise makes it difficult to discover what youre trying to find. You can assist alleviate this by planning ahead. Put what youll require last on the bottom and alternate foods (or food and drinks if youre working with a single cooler) with layers of ice.
There are few things more frustrating in the height of summer than pulling a lukewarm beer or spoiled food out of your cooler. Truly keeping food and beverages cold in very heat might appear like an impossible job, but it can be done if you load your cooler strategically. Heres how to do it.
For other types of beverages, ensure theyre chilled before you load them into the cooler if you want to consume them cold.
Separate food and beverages.
Keep food in one and drinks in the other if you have 2 coolers. Neither will be packed too securely, which indicates you can keep more ice in each and layer more easily (more on that in a second). Plus, youre likely to open and close your drink cooler more regularly, and if food is jam-packed individually, itll be safeguarded from exposure to warm air for longer.
Freeze (or at least chill) everything.
Get a running start on cooling by freezing whatever that can be frozen and cooling the rest. This works particularly well for items youre not planning to utilize for a few days. Frozen food can function as ice packs, and will gradually thaw in your cooler so its all set when you need it. Ditto for kids juice boxes, water bottles and noncarbonated drinks.
Michael van Vliet of camp meal blog site Fresh Off the Grid shared a practical layering technique with Mel Magazine:.
This one is crucial to keeping everything cold. The more air gets into your cooler, the quicker the ice will melt, and the quicker your food and beverages will begin to heat up. Try to minimize the number of times you open the cooler: go out whatever you need to prep dinner at the same time, for example, and after that quickly close it back up.
Clearly, youll also desire to keep the cooler in the coolest, shadiest spot possible. Keep it in the rear seat instead of the trunk while youre driving, and move it around camp as required to prevent the sun.
The more air gets into your cooler, the much faster the ice will melt, and the sooner your food and beverages will begin to warm up.
This keeps you from digging around to find what you require since youll work your method from the top layer of food down. Van Vliet also recommends mixing drink types in each layer so people do not need to search the bottom of the cooler.
Put what youll require last on the bottom and alternate foods (or food and beverages if youre working with a single cooler) with layers of ice.
