How many icepacks should I use for my cooler?

Question

I just bought a "five-day", 54 quarts cooler, and I'm going on a trip that will involve camping. What is the minimum number of medium-sized ice packs should I put in there to make sure that the food stays at at least fridge-temperature for something like four days? The cooler will remain mostly in the A/C-cooled car during the day, and the cooler will be pretty full of food (some of which will start frozen). Would two packs be enough? The extraordinarily bright people on the Coleman customer service line told me "as many as you can", which doesn't help at all...

Answer 1

I'd say 3-4 should do, just make sure to only open it for removing food, quickly and never leave it open, keep the most needed stuff towards the top and the food for the last day at the bottom.surrounded by ice packs, the idea is the cold will stay in the bottom of the cooler, but can be warmed up by constant opening due to the draft is causes, forcing the cold out and making the ice melt faster to cool it again.

also, freeze the least important and last day stuff, no matter what, it will likely still be frozen on the last day, but it's better then spoiling, I personally have a lot of canned goods when car camping, so I don't need to worry about this so much.

Answer 2

I have one of these 5 day coolers and it works great. Freeze everything you don't need for the first 2 meals. Take a second cooler for drinks This way you won't be warming your food when someone wants a beer. Make blocks of ice before you leave home,(4 half gallon blocks). Drain excess water daily as ice melts. Add more ice as necessary.



We have had food frozen near solid after 5 days with no problem. Keep cooler out of the sun to make last longer.



Block ice will last much longer than ice cubes.

Answer 3

Ice Packs For Cooler

Answer 4

Ice packs are for short trips. They don't last as long as blocks of ice or frozen gallon milk jugs. I use Ice packs for day trips and also I put 6 in my cooler to pre-chill it the night before I load it with food and ice before a long trip. Bags of ice cubes melt quickly and make a lot of water. Be sure to seal all your food in zip lock baggies. Freeze all your meat and food you can before you put it in the cooler. Make sure your cans of pop or beer are cold when you load them. I also freeze water in a 9" X 12" cake pan or tupperware container. It makes a flat ice block you put on top of everything in the cooler. Cold drops, heat rises. It's sometimes hard to buy ice blocks, so it's best to freeze your own. If you have to leave your cooler in the direct sun, put a blanket or sleeping bag over it. It'll be insulated from the heat.

Answer 5

It is called a cooler as it keeps things cool not cold..I freeze gallon jugs of water, then as it melts we have drinking water..also you do not have everything soaked in the melted ice @ the bottom of the cooler..freeze every thing that you can. Pack the cooler as full as you can..if you have extra room add the ice packs..Ice packs will not last as long as the gallon jug and frozen meats..have a good time..

Answer 6

Four days is a tall order. Three frozen 2 liter bottles.

Answer 7

Stormgals right on also freeze anything and everything you put in there that can be frozen except soda pop.