ActiveOutdoorsCamping7 essential camping cooler tricks to keep your stuff chilled for longer when on a tripWant your stuff to stay frosty for longer? Check out these seven cool box hacks/tipsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ActiveOutdoorsCamping7 essential camping cooler tricks to keep your stuff chilled for longer when on a tripWant your stuff to stay frosty for longer? Check out these seven cool box hacks/tipsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Want your stuff to stay frosty for longer? Check out these seven cool box hacks/tips
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Yeti)
(Image credit: Yeti)
Summer is just around the corner, and with the weather warming up, many of us will start entertaining the idea of getting a cool box to keep ourbeersfood and drinks cold when we’re out on a camping trip. And while you can just have a look at T3’sbest cool boxguide and pick one you like the look of, we’d recommend also following the below cool box tips to ensure your perishables stay consumable for as long as humanely possible.
Although we can all agree it’s great to have chilled beverages at hand when camping, there is a more essential reason why you want to keep your produce chilled: you don’t want to get sick when you’re in the middle of the forest in a tent. TheUS Department of Agriculturesays, “Spoilage bacteria […] do not generally make you sick.” However, “pathogenic bacteria do, and food that is left too long at unsafe temperatures could be dangerous to eat but smell and look just fine.”
- Buy a good quality cooler
It should be a hard-sided box with a tight lid seal and thick insulation.
- Pre-chill your cooler
Place extra ice in the box a few hours before filling it up with food/drinks/etc. you’re taking on the trip. The pre-chilling ice might get wasted, but it’ll help you not throw away food later, which, admittedly, is more important than wasting some cold water.
- Prep and organise at home
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
You can use a sheet to plan out the meals you will have on the trip. It’s best to wash/pre-cut the vegetables you want to use, too, so they are ready to go in the box when needed. Another way to ensure that wasted space in the compartment is kept to a minimum is to use reusable bags instead of rigid plastic containers.
- Use the right cooler material
Ice is excellent, but many reusable cooling pouches these days can chill quicker and stay cool for longer than tap water. Plus, when pouches thaw, they don’t turn into water, making all your stuff soggy and wet. A good ice-to-food ratio is around 2:1. You also want to minimise air in the bag.
Minimise the time you open/close the box
Consider multiple coolers
One for drinks and one for food, and if you want to go crazy, you can even have a third one just for cooling pouches/ice. This is especially handy if you travel with a group, as the drinks cool box will be used way more than the food chiller.
- Keep the cooler out of the sun
Keeping the cool box in the shade will help the box stay frosty for longer. No matter how thick the insulated walls are, direct sunlight will warm the cool box up eventually, so if you can, always store it in the shade/tent/etc.
Today’s best Camping Equipment deals$35.29$6.99View$8.95View$44.99View$69.99ViewEditor’s Pick$350View$350ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Camping Equipment deals$35.29$6.99View$8.95View$44.99View$69.99ViewEditor’s Pick$350View$350ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Camping Equipment deals
$35.29$6.99View$8.95View$44.99View$69.99ViewEditor’s Pick$350View$350View
$35.29$6.99View
$35.29$6.99View
$35.29$6.99View
$35.29$6.99
$6.99
$8.95View
$8.95View
$8.95View
$8.95
$8.95
$44.99View
$44.99View
$44.99View
$44.99
$44.99
$69.99View
$69.99View
$69.99View
$69.99
$69.99
Editor’s Pick$350View
Editor’s Pick
Editor’s Pick
Editor’s Pick
Editor’s Pick
Editor’s Pick
$350View
$350View
$350
$350
$350View
$350View
$350View
$350
$350
Show More Deals
Show More Deals
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Build bigger arms in just 30 minutes with this 5-move dumbbell-only workoutIt’ll leave the biceps and triceps popping!
It’ll leave the biceps and triceps popping!
OMEGA puts the moon on your wrist with its new Speedmaster Moonphase MeteoriteOMEGA adds two new Moonphase Meteorite watches to its Speedmaster line-up
OMEGA adds two new Moonphase Meteorite watches to its Speedmaster line-up
