20 Campsite Food Tricks That Keep Your Food Cold, Dry & Safe Without Expensive Gear, by Rugged Logic on YouTube. 22 min 8 s.
- Video length
- 22 min 8 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Chill the cooler the night before you leave. Freeze water bottles or ice blocks and leave them inside so the walls are already cold before you pack any food.
Freeze meat, stews and marinades solid before the trip. Pack them at the bottom of the food cooler and let them double as extra ice for the first day or two.
Fill the cooler completely. Pack food tight and plug the gaps with ice, frozen bottles or crumpled newspaper, because a full cooler holds cold far longer than a half-empty one.
Lay block ice or frozen bottles on top of the food. Cold air sinks, so the coldest layer sits above the food and cools downward through the whole cooler.
Keep drinks in their own cooler. The drink cooler gets opened all day and warms up fast, so separating it protects the food cooler from constant lid lifting.
Double-bag raw meat in zip-top bags and keep it at the bottom of the cooler. That way juices cannot drip onto cooked food or anything you eat raw.
Pack dry goods in sealed bins or screw-top jars and keep the bins off the ground. Close the lid again straight after each meal so moisture and insects stay out.
Put the cooler in shade, lift it off the ground on a log or mat, and drape a blanket or reflective cover over it to slow the ice melt.
Check the food cooler with a thermometer every morning. You want it at 4C (40F) or below, and anything warmer for hours should be thrown out.
Set up one closed pantry bin for snacks, coffee and dry food. Never leave food out on the table overnight, even at a quiet campsite.
Tips and common mistakes
Decide what you need before you open the cooler, then close the lid quickly to keep the cold air in.
Skip loose cubed ice on long trips, since block ice and frozen bottles melt much more slowly.
Label bins and bags by day or meal so you are not digging through everything three times a day.
Cool cooked leftovers before they go in the cooler, because hot food melts ice and warms everything around it.
Questions
How long will food stay cold in a normal cooler?
It depends on the cooler, the outside temperature and how often you open it. A cheap cooler packed full with block ice, kept in shade and covered with a blanket will hold safe temperatures much longer than a half-empty one in direct sun.
Can I put warm food straight into the cooler?
Let cooked food cool first, then seal it in a container and add it. Warm food raises the temperature inside the cooler and melts your ice faster.
Do I need to buy an expensive cooler for this?
No. A basic cooler with a tight lid works if you pre-chill it, pack it full, use block ice and keep it shaded and covered.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
