You’ve Been Packing Your Cooler All Wrong

It’s hard to believe there is a right and wrong way to throw some food and ice in a bin but trust me… there is. Here are a few tips to keep your drinks cold, your food unsoggy, and that summer evening picnic perfect.

*A hard insulated cooler is MUCH more effective and easier to pack than an insulated bag.
*Don’t use traditional ice. It makes everything wet and soggy, is not reusable, and is overall just a mess. Instead buy the reusable ice sheets or just the standard blue ice packs and surround the inside of the cooler walls.
*Pre-Chill your cooler. If you have a deep freezer you can throw your cooler in there for a couple of hours but most importantly put the ice packs in the cooler a couple of hours before you add the food.
*Pre-Chill you food and drinks. You will want to first refrigerate your food and drinks you are hoping to keep cold. I also recommend freezing a few water bottles. Not only will these help to keep other foods cold but you can then drink them once they thaw.
*Pack any raw meat on the bottom so that any juices won’t leak into other foods.
*Use stackable tupperware containers to utilize the most space.
*Pack utensils, straws, napkins, etc in a large freezer bag and attach to the inside of the lid with command velcro strips.