So how do you keep foods/drinks cold…
The simple answer…it’s the way you pack your cooler. If you toss your foods/drinks in a cooler and hope that it will be in one piece and cool for when you arrive at your destination – not gonna happen. A lot of people actually do this and wonder why their cooler is “not working”.
A lot of you already know this but let me help you with some extra tips.
First, a little prep work before packing your cooler.
Now I usually keep my cooler in the garage and it gets very hot out there in the Californian summer (which, as we know, is 11 months of the year). So the night before I leave on a trip, I bring the cooler in the house so that it gets a chance to cool down (don’t put them in the fridge or freezer – the insulation will crack). House temperature is fine.
If your cooler is only half full then that means the rest of the cooler is full of air, which means the ice packs will melt faster, drinks/foods won’t stay as cool… etc. Think of it like not closing the fridge all the way.
So first thing is to decide what you are going to pack THEN bring a cooler that will fit all your goodies (you do have more than one size of cooler, right?).
Important – line the bottom of the cooler with reusable ice packs OR fill up several ziplock bags with ice and line your cooler with those.
If you are bringing a lot of food and a ton of drinks – best to bring 2 coolers, one for each.
Pack foods in order – so for instance if you are bringing raw meats, fish or chicken they should always be on the bottom. Make sure whatever you bring are in sealed bags. PLEASE don’t just toss a raw chicken in there and hope for the best (yes, this has happened before). Wrap it – seal it. Avoid cross contamination. Clean all your goods before placing them in the bags so they are ready to toss on the barbecue when you get to your destination.
Remember to put the “soft” stuff at the top and the heartier stuff at the top/middle.
Fill up spaces with small frozen bottles of water. I’ve found this is a great way to keep my stuff cold.
Put your cooler in the trunk of the car or somewhere away from the sun. You can even put a blanket or your extra clothes around it for extra insulation.
This should keep your food/drinks cold throughout the day. Please read our FAQ tips on how to pack your cooler for more tips!
