One of the most fun times spent in life are during a camping adventure. To make sure everything goes smoothly on your camping expedition make the time and have fun planning. Keeping your drinks and food cold should be at the top of the list of camping priorities. Store your food at the right temperature and you will enjoy every meal and snack.
Top 10 Ideas for Keeping Your Food Cold on Camping Adventures
1. Always Use A Top-quality Cooler
A top-quality cooler should be at the top of your bring list. Purchase one that fits your budget but provides the results you want. The top-quality products are usually feature filled with thicker walls, providing better insulation helping the ice last longer, plus extra durability. Remember, you get what you pay for. TIP: Keep a thermometer inside the cooler to maintain the suggested 40 degrees Fahrenheit. We at Crowder Bros. Hardware recommend YETI coolers and stand behind their brand. The larger YETI coolers are great for longer adventures of a few days or more. On those hot Florida summer days, the larger coolers also help maintain the temperature inside longer. Longer camping adventures of one week or more are enjoyed with confidence. Visit one of our YETI authorized dealer locations in Spring Hill and St. Pete Beach to find the cooler that fits your needs.
2. A Second Cooler is A Must
Most experienced campers know to always bring a second cooler; one for beverages and the other for food. There are many benefits including making your perishables last longer and better organization of the items inside. Easy identification of the two different coolers makes finding what you want inside much easier. Using two different style YETI coolers is a good solution.
Bringing two coolers to ensure a successful camping adventure. You’ll have a better experience while enjoying food and cold drinks, longer.
3. Keep Your Coolers Closed
Drinks tend to be accessed most often during a trip. Because of this reason keeping the drinks and food items separated in two different YETI coolers is important. The hot air entering the cooler and cold air escaping will melt the ice. By limiting the opening of the food cooler those contents will stay colder and fresher longer while easily accessing beverages from drinks cooler.
4. Meal Preparation Before the Trip
Keep your food longer by preparing your meals before your camping adventure. Meals that need to remain frozen should be placed at the bottom. Reduce food waste by eating what will spoil most quickly at the beginning of the trip. YETI coolers offer a wide variety of products that help organize meals, use what best suits your needs.
5. Packs of Dry Ice
YETI coolers will do an amazing job of keeping ice longer. Bringing along packs of dry ice is smart and helps your food last longer with less space consumption. Make sure to only use top-quality dry ice because it comes in contact with food and beverages.
Always buy a few more dry ice packs for backup because they are low cost and can be fit into small spaces.
6. Salt
Salt and ice are usually associated with melting ice off roadways in areas where it snows. Chemistry 101, the melting point of water is reduced when salt is added. The temperature of the melted water surrounding the ice actually becomes colder than the ice when salt rocks are added. Don’t add too much salt, just enough to make the chemistry work.
7. Keep It In the Shade
The suns heat melts the ice, simple. Always keep your YETI cooler in the shade on your camping adventure and out of the direct sun. Keep the cooler away from hot or heat-generating objects. A grill or a campfire next to the cooler will also reduce the life of the cold inside and may melt the cooler material. Make sure to keep your cooler in a location that is easily accessible and away from heat sources.
8. Ice Jugs
Use a spent plastic juice container, the ones with the handle are best and fill then freeze the water inside a no less than 3 days before your trip. By freezing the water in the jugs longer it will not melt as fast, usually within a full day. Once the ice has melted, you now have water to drink.
We suggest 1 large jug per large cooler to ensure a few days worth of cold water.
9. Limit Quickly Spoiling Foods
In our daily lives, we are use to a fresh meal with perishable foods. Bringing the routine of our daily lives on a camping adventure takes away from the fun and experience of doing something different. There are many good and tasty food solutions that will stay fresh for a very long time in a YETI cooler. Sausages and jerky will last for a very long time in a cooler as opposed to meat or fish.
Cheese can be a nice addition to any food or meal. Make sure to bring hard aged cheeses like parmesan or chedder and stay away from mozzarella or brie which are softer and melt and spoil more easily. Remember to stay hydrated because of the frequent activity while on your camping trip but also dehydrated meats and hard cheeses are usually high in salt content.
10. Backups
Bring snacks that are non-perishable, an extra 1-gallon jug of water, dehydrated meats and fruits, and mixed nuts. Now go out there on your next camping adventure and enjoy it confidently with trust that your YETI cooler will keep all your food and beverages cold for a long time.
Go and Adventure
Either if camping with the family or great friends, the experiences become unforgettable and priceless. Knowing food and drinks will stay cold for a long time will make your experience more tranquil and enjoyable.
Stop by one of our Crowder Bros. Hardware store locations in Spring Hill and St. Pete to check out our full selection of top-quality YETI coolers and gear.