Coolers are only as good as the users who pack them. If you don鈥檛 organize right, you鈥檒l squander all that fancy insulation you paid through the teeth to get.
For tips on how to maximize those cooling powers, I turned to several guide friends who鈥檝e taken their coolers on weeklong rafting, climbing, and camping trips around the world. Here are their tips.
Chill the Cooler Before Packing
A cold cooler keeps ice longer. If you somehow have access to a commercial freezer, let the cooler spend the night inside. For everyone else, keep it out on your porch overnight, or stick it in the coolest part of your house the night before your trip.
Freeze Your Food and Drinks
If you鈥檙e planning to have steak and chicken on the third night, pack them frozen, and let them thaw over time. They鈥檒l contribute to the overall cool and be ready just in time. The same goes for your water and other noncarbonated drinks. Start with frozen bottles in the cooler, and pull them out to thaw once you arrive at camp. “[Freezing bottles] is also a good way to save money,” says聽Lars Alvarez-Roos, a guide who owns聽.
Use Ice Blocks Instead of Ice Cubes
Ice blocks, which you can make at home by freezing water in Tupperware, are more work than regular cubes鈥攜ou鈥檒l need to bring a pick or hammer to knock pieces off鈥攂ut their additional mass means they don鈥檛 melt nearly as fast. “It’s easier to chip off ice for your cocktails than watch cubes melt in front of your face,” says Grand Canyon guide and outdoor educator Saylor Flett.
Drain Water on Long Trips But Not on Short Ones
The guides I spoke with don鈥檛 drain the cooler water on short trips because it keeps items like beer extra cold. But the water also makes the remaining ice melt faster, so if you鈥檙e trying to preserve your blocks for the next seven days, you鈥檒l need to drain your cooler a couple times each day.
Pack in Layers
Pack your ice blocks at the bottom of the cooler, and then cover the ice with a thin, solid layer like the side of a milk crate or a sheet of cardboard. This barrier keeps food from slipping between the ice and getting soggy.
Don鈥檛 Trust Food Packaging
It鈥檚 happened to most of us: you resealed the tortilla bag before putting it back in the cooler, only to find a bunch of soggy mash when you went in for breakfast. I always take my food out of its original packaging and put it in Ziploc bags or Tupperware before a trip to prevent this very mishap. This also cuts down on trash once you鈥檙e at camp. Pro tip: wrap your greens in wet paper towels before sticking them in bags. It will help them stay crisp longer.
Add an Extra Layer of Insulation
Even if you own a Yeti cooler, it doesn鈥檛 hurt to put more insulation over the top of your grub to fight off the beating sun. Some people cut old sleeping pads into cooler-size rectangles. works, too.
Keep It Latched and Closed
If your cooler is fully sealed when not in use, less cold air will leak out. Go into the cooler for what you need, then shut it immediately so you鈥檙e not unnecessarily venting cool, beneficial air.
Keep Your Food Organized and Separated
If each food type has its own section鈥攎eat, vegetables, condiments, etc.鈥 and you know where everything is, you鈥檒l be able to rifle through everything much more quickly.
Bring a Separate Beer Cooler
Beer takes up a lot of space in a cooler, so give it some room to stretch out. Plus, campers reach into a cooler for beer more often than food, which can kill valuable ice for your chicken. Warm beer is better than salmonella.
Clean and Air-Dry Your Cooler After the Trip
It鈥檚 easy to throw your cooler in a dark corner and head inside for a shower after you get home. Resist. Hit that thing with soap and warm water, and maybe even some bleach. You don鈥檛 want bacteria festering inside. Once the cooler is clean, let it sit out to fully dry. Even a little water left inside can be the perfect breeding ground for all kinds of funk.
Store It Inside
Your cooler might be designed to withstand a falling tree, but it鈥檚 not designed to live in the sun, which can break down the plastic. Keep it in the garage and the thing will last forever.