Drop the temperature inside the cooler the night before by layering it with crushed ice. By dropping the temperature well before you head out you’ll save the fresh batch of ice from melting quicker and your food and drinks won’t be placed in a warm environment.
2. Block ice is best
Crushed ice or servo ice is full of air and space which makes it melt quicker in comparison to blocks of ice, often leaving you with cooler full of water. Because block ice is a solid mass it will keep it’s form longer and your icebox cooler for longer. Either buy ice blocks from your local camping store or make your own using plastic containers and water.
3. Salt water makes cooler ice
Salt water freezes at a lower temperature compared to normal water. Throw in some salt before you freeze your water to ensure you have the coldest ice possible when packing your cooler.
4. Cool your food and bev before hand
To keep the cooler at it’s optimum temp it’s important to place your food and bev into the cooler already refrigerated before hand. This way the ice is not having to cool down the contents of the cooler and will last longer.
5. Adding the bevys!
When you’re putting the drinks into the cooler, leave the crushed ice in (tip# 1 from above). The ice slush will slow the melting process of your ice blocks that you may be using. Keep as much surface area in contact with the ice as possible.
6. The sun is not your coolers mate
The number one tip to remember is to keep your cooler out of direct sunlight and somewhere with good airflow. Leaving the cooler in the back of the car or in a humid tent will drastically increase the melting process of your ice, almost like putting it in an oven. We recommend putting the cooler in the shade, but if none is accessible then placing a wet towel over the top of the cooler will suffice.
7. Don’t open it if you don’t need to.
A no-brainer but sometimes we forget with the temptation of ice cold bevys, but reduce the amount of times you are opening and closing the cooler. Every time the lid is opened heat is let into the cooler and cold air is let out. We recommend moving enough drinks to a smaller cooler bag like our Ringers Torquay cooler bag and leaving the main cooler alone. You’ll be amazed at how much longer your ice last and keeps everything cold.
8. Pack it to the brim
The more you can pack your cooler to the brim the better. This will mean the ice doesn’t have to cool down as much air and will reduce the rate at which it melts.
