Creating A Cool Camper: Diy Guide To Beat The Heat

Keeping your food and drinks cool while camping is essential to prevent spoilage and maintain a safe temperature for consumption. One way to achieve this is by using a camper cooler, which can be purchased or made at home. Commercially built coolers can be expensive, ranging from $400 to $1,000, but they are effective at keeping ice frozen and items cold. For those seeking a more affordable option, DIY evaporative coolers, also known as swamp coolers, can be constructed for around $50 using materials such as a bucket, a fan, a cooler pad, and tubing. These coolers work by drawing air through a water-soaked membrane, causing evaporation and resulting in a cooling effect. Whether you opt for a store-bought or homemade solution, understanding how to pack and maintain your cooler is crucial to ensure the longevity of your food and drinks during your camping trip.

Use a separate cooler for perishable and non-perishable items

When packing for a camping trip, it's important to keep your perishables and non-perishables separate. This will ensure that your perishables remain cold and fresh for longer, reducing the risk of food poisoning. It will also mean that you don't have to worry about spoiled food every time you open your cooler for a drink.

Designate one cooler specifically for drinks and non-perishable items. This cooler can be opened frequently without impacting the temperature of your perishables. It's a good idea to include frozen water bottles in this cooler, which will act as ice packs and provide you with drinking water once they've melted.

In your second cooler, you can store all of your perishable food items. Pre-freeze these items in airtight bags or containers to help them stay colder for longer and prevent any liquids from escaping into the cooler. It's also a good idea to layer the bottom of this cooler with frozen water bottles, which will be the coldest part of the cooler, ideal for keeping beverages chilled.

By keeping your perishables and non-perishables separate, you'll be able to better manage the temperature of your food, reducing the risk of food spoilage and ensuring that you have a steady supply of cold drinks throughout your camping trip.

Keep the cooler lid closed as much as possible

Keeping the lid of your cooler closed as much as possible is one of the most important things you can do to keep its contents cold. Every time you open the lid, cold air escapes and the ice has to work harder to bring the temperature back down, which causes it to melt faster. This is true both when you're packing your cooler and during your camping trip.

To avoid opening the lid too often, try to organise its contents before you set off. Label and package or repackage your food into lightweight and sealable containers, such as zip-top bags, reusable silicone bags, or plastic bottles. This will make it easier to find what you're looking for without having to rummage through the cooler and let all the cold air out. It will also save space and cut down on cross-contamination and leaks.

If you're camping with others, consider giving them a quick tutorial on what foods are in the cooler and how they're packed. That way, they won't have to spend time staring into the cooler trying to find what they're looking for.

Finally, when you're not actively using the cooler, make sure to keep it covered and insulated. Throw a blanket over it—the heavier, the better—or use a sleeping pad for extra insulation. And, of course, always keep the cooler out of direct sunlight.

Only put cold items inside

To avoid this, make sure all items are pre-chilled or frozen before placing them in the cooler. This includes not just perishable foods like meat and dairy, but also drinks and any condiments or sauces. It's a good idea to plan your meals in advance so you know exactly what needs to be chilled and can ensure everything is cold before packing.

If you're using ice to keep your cooler cold, consider freezing water bottles to use as ice packs. These will help keep your food cold and provide you with drinking water as they melt. You can also buy ice packs, which stay cold for up to 48 hours and won't create any mess as they don't melt like ice cubes.

Another tip is to use separate coolers for food and drinks. Drinks are likely to be accessed more frequently, which means the cooler they're in will be opened more often, letting out cold air and leading to the ice melting faster. By keeping drinks in a separate cooler, you can avoid constantly letting out cold air from the food cooler and reducing its effectiveness.

Place frozen items at the bottom and fridge items on top

When packing a camper cooler, it's important to consider the placement of frozen and refrigerated items to maximise the preservation of your food. The key principle to keep in mind is that cold air escapes from the cooler whenever the lid is opened, affecting the items on top the most.

Therefore, it is recommended to place frozen items at the bottom of the cooler. This ensures that they remain frozen for longer, as they are less affected by the temperature changes when the lid is opened. By placing these items at the bottom, you create a colder zone that helps maintain the temperature of the cooler for a more extended period. Additionally, frozen items can act as ice packs, helping to keep the cooler cold.

On the other hand, refrigerated items, also known as "fridge items," are those that you would typically store in a refrigerator at home. These items do not need to be kept as cold as frozen items and can be placed on top of the frozen items in the cooler. This way, they are less affected by the temperature fluctuations caused by opening the lid, and you can maintain a suitable temperature for these perishables.

To further enhance the cooling effect and create a barrier between the frozen and refrigerated items, consider adding a layer of insulating material, such as styrofoam, between them. This layer will help to keep the frozen items colder for longer and protect the refrigerated items from direct exposure to the cold, which could cause them to freeze.

Use blocks of ice instead of crushed ice

When preparing a cooler for camping, it is important to consider the type of ice used. While crushed ice is great for filling in air gaps between food containers and drinks, block ice will keep the cooler colder for longer. Block ice has less surface area than crushed ice, which means it will last much longer.

To make your own block ice, you can use any large, reusable container, such as a loaf pan, casserole dish, or large Tupperware. It is important to only fill the container partway to allow for expansion. This process can take some time, so it is recommended to start making the block ice a day or two before your trip.

Using block ice is a simple yet effective way to keep your cooler colder for longer. By freezing water in larger containers, you create a solid mass of ice that will take longer to melt than crushed ice. This is because block ice has less surface area exposed to the warmer air and other items in the cooler.

Additionally, block ice can be easily made at home, whereas finding block ice for sale can be challenging. By making your own block ice, you not only save money but also ensure that you have a reliable source of ice for your camping trip. This is especially useful for longer trips or when camping in remote locations where buying ice may not be an option.

When using block ice, it is important to place it at the bottom of the cooler. This creates a layer of ice that helps keep the contents of the cooler cold. The block ice will slowly melt, but its larger size means it will last longer than crushed ice. This, in turn, will help keep your food and drinks cold for an extended period.

Overall, using block ice instead of crushed ice is a simple yet effective way to improve the performance of your cooler when camping. By creating a solid mass of ice with less surface area, you can significantly increase the time it takes for the ice to melt. This will help keep your food and drinks cold for longer, making your camping trip more enjoyable and reducing the risk of food spoilage.

Frequently asked questions