Tips on how to keep your ice from melting too fast, how to keep your ice cold and your food fresh when traveling in the desert. One of the challenges of
How to keep ice COLD in the desert 65 Comments / Desert Road Trippin / By DUSA Staff Tips on how to keep your ice from melting too fast, how to keep your ice cold and your food fresh when traveling in the desert. One of the challenges of camping in the desert is keeping your ice from melting in a cooler and thus keeping your food and beverages cold and edible. How can you preserve your ice so it doesn’t melt quickly? Learn tips to keep your food from getting soggy from melted ice. Discover techniques to keep a cooler cold for 5 to 10 days if ice is not available for purchase nearby. What type of cooler should you use? There are many types of coolers to choose from, including metal, plastic, Styrofoam, soft-sided nylon and hard-sided plastic. The soft-sided nylon coolers and Styrofoam coolers are suitable for day trips. If you are camping overnight or going on a longer trip, it is very important to get a durable cooler that can keep your food and beverages cold over a period of time. Metal coolers hold heat longer when left in the sun, so plastic coolers are the most popular choice for campers. The Best Coolers of 2024 We read a lot of online reviews and these cooler brands/models kept coming up as the best coolers of 2024. Best Large Coolers OtterBox Venture 65Orca 58 – 140 QTYeti Tundra 65 -350 QTPelican Elite 55-250 QTEngel Deep Blue 50- 320 QTRTIC 65Grizzly Cooler 60 – 400 QTColeman Xtreme 70 Quart (Best Value) Igloo Quick and Cool 100 – 150 QTIgloo Yukon Cold Locker 50 – 150 QT Mid-sized Coolers Otterbox Venture 45 QTOrca 40 QTYeti Tundra 35 – 50 QTPelican Elite 45 QTRTIC 45 QTGrizzly 40 QTK2 Summit 50 QTColeman Xtreme 50 QT (Best Value) Igloo Yukon Cold Locker 50 QT Best Small Cooler OtterBox Venture 25 QTOrca 20 QT or 26QTYeti Roadie 20 QT/14 Can CapacityPelican Elite Cooler 20 QT, 35 QTEngel Cooler/Dry Box 19 QTRTIC 20 QTGrizzly 15-20 QTK2 Summit 20-30 QTStanley Adventure Small Ice Chest /21 Can Capacity Trooper LT 30 gives you the option to carry with shoulder carry or backpack carry. (PRNewsfoto/OtterBox)[/caption] Soft Portable Coolers Otterbox Trooper LT 20 & 30 Yeti Hopper Two 20 Portable 18-Can CapacityColeman Soft 10-Can CoolerOzark Trail 20-Can Leaktight Cooler When selecting a plastic or hard-sided cooler, make sure to choose a ooler that has an insulated lid with a tight seal. Wheels and big handles for easier management are also beneficial features. Make sure your cooler has a plug on the bottom for water drainage. Ice Chest Preparation Pre-chill your drinks and food before placing the items in the cooler. You’ll extend the life of your ice by pre-chilling all items. You can also pre-chill your cooler by filling it with ice to chill the interior, prior to packing it with food and beverages. Freeze plastic bottles of water or canned drinks that are not carbonated, such as Hansen’s fruit juices. The frozen drinks will act as ice and will keep the other items in your cooler colder. You can also freeze water or other non-carbonated beverages in gallon milk or juice jugs. They can be consumed when the liquid inside melts. Freeze water or drinks in plastic bottles. Freeze meat, and any other food that can be frozen, to help keep the food cold and fresh. Freeze bread and other food items that don’t require refrigeration, and store these items in a dry cooler without ice to keep food fresh and dry. Reflectix foil insulation can help add additional insulation to your cooler. Line your cooler with Reflectix (aluminized bubble wrap). You can find it at most home improvement stores. It was invented to insulate homes and buildings. Smart campers came up with the idea to use Reflectix to keep the heat out and the cold air in coolers. Cut the Reflectix into pieces that fit, lining the inside of your cooler, including the top/lid. You can even throw a sheet of Reflectix over the outside of your cooler to further insulate it. Packing your cooler Pack items in your cooler in chronological order based on when you plan to use or consume the items. Put the items you will use last on the bottom of the cooler, and those you will need access to first, on top. Cold air travels down, so pack the items in the cooler first and then pack either crushed ice or block ice on top. Make sure you pack your cooler tight as air pockets can increase the temperature inside. Pack perishables such as meat or dairy products directly on the ice. Put food in zip-lock plastic bags or in plastic containers to keep it dry as the ice melts. For longer trips it’s a good idea to keep your beverages in a separate cooler that can be opened more frequently. Put all of your food in another cooler and open it less often. What type of ice should I use in a cooler? What type of ice should you use? Crushed ice cools items faster, but ice blocks last longer. Block ice is recommended for trips that are more than one or two days. Dry ice will last the longest and keep your food dry, but requires some special handling. You can freeze water in quart-s...