Tips to Keep Ice Longer in Your Cooler

1. Start With a Pre-Chilled Cooler

If you start with a warm or hot cooler a significant amount of ice will be wasted cooling the cooler itself. Preload your cooler a few hours prior to use with a sacrificial bag of ice to cool it down or store it in a cool place before loading it up.

 

2. Use a 2:1 ration of ice to contents

Making sure you use enough ice in your cooler is key. We recommend following a ice, contents ratio. This means that one-third of your cooler can hold your cold drinks and food, while the other two-thirds should be filled with ice if you fill the cooler completely. The more ice you use, the longer it will last.

 

3. Ice Temperatures Vary Significantly

Not all ice is equal.  Warm ice (around 30°F) is typically wet or dripping, and won’t last long. Ice that is -40degrees will last significantly longer.

 

 

4. Block Ice vs. Cube Ice

Smaller, cubed ice will chill a cooler and the contents more quickly, but block ice melts at a much slower rate. Most people use a mix of both to chill contents and achieve long-term ice retention to keep their cooler cold the longest.

 

5. Warm Air is not good

Large areas of air inside your cooler will accelerate ice-melt as the ice is consumed with having to cool the air, instead of your contents. If you do need to leave space in your cooler, they are best filled with extra ice, towels, or crumpled newspaper if weight is a concern.

 

6. Don’t Drain The Water(This does not apply to 24can and 30Can Cooler bag)

Once your cooler is in use, DO NOT empty the cold water. The water helps to insulate the remaining ice.  Keep exposed food out of the water.

 

7. Sunlight is a Major source of Heat

Keep your cooler out of direct sunlight when possible. Ice can last up to twice as long in the shade.

 

8. Limit Cooler Access

Every time you open the cooler, you are exchanging the cold air inside for warm air outside that must then be cooled, causing faster ice-melt.

 

9. Dry Ice is Best but must be ventilated properly