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Post by iamkristinl16 on Jun 9, 2017 23:10:02 GMT
We have baseball tournaments tomorrow and it is going to be 95 and humid. I can never seem to keep things cold in the cooler so thought I would ask for tips. What kind of ice (real or plastic blocks)? Any other suggestions? I did get a new cooler so hopefully that will help.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Jun 9, 2017 23:16:50 GMT
I use some of the frozen plastic things.... I have placed ice in containers, sort of like cereal ones, that gives you fresh water as it melts. Put ice in the cooler tonight to get it cold. What you are carrying make a difference. Place ice on the top. Also place something on top of the cooler to keep it from getting as hot on the outside. If you have an extra one of the car window shields, that works. Water bottles can be frozen.
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Post by padresfan619 on Jun 9, 2017 23:19:50 GMT
Freeze water bottles/gatorades and use them as ice along with ice packs and ice cubes. Keep the cooler inside the house, not the hot garage for at least 24 hours before you pack it. Layer the frozen stuff so it all stays cold throughout and try not to open it constantly, if there's shade keep it in the shade, not in the direct sunlight. Even when the ice melts the melted water will stay cold, so don't be discouraged if it melts, but still try to overpack the ice.
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IAmUnoriginal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,894
Jun 25, 2014 23:27:45 GMT
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Post by IAmUnoriginal on Jun 9, 2017 23:21:19 GMT
Hot air rises, cold air falls. Based on this, put a small layer of ice, then your items into the cooler first and place the ice on top, letting it fill in around your items. The bigger your chunks of ice, the slower they will melt. Lots of little bits of ice = lots of surface area to be exposed to warmer air. Big hunks melt much slower. Anything you're putting into the cooler tomorrow should be in the fridge or freezer tonight. Using your ice to chill room temperature bottles of water or soda or whatever will cause your ice to melt faster. It's easier for the ice to keep cold items cold. Freeze a few of the water bottles and put those in toward the bottom and outsides of the cooler. By the end of the day, they will be thawed but still cold.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Jun 9, 2017 23:35:39 GMT
Great suggestions! Thanks!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 19, 2024 8:32:51 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2017 23:58:02 GMT
Get your contents cold in the fridge before packing them in the cooler.. yes, that means making room for the six packs of drinks in the fridge for a day or two before you need them. EVERYTHING should be as cold as possible before you pack it. And don't store the cooler somewhere hot like a garage. I prefer actual ice to the frozen plastic blocks. The ice can get down between items and keep the cold.
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Post by zztop11 on Jun 9, 2017 23:58:47 GMT
When I have room, I place an old thick towel on top of the ice. Adds another layer of insulation so the cold air can't escape. Works great.
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Post by mlynn on Jun 10, 2017 2:59:17 GMT
Ice + water keeps things colder than just ice. So fill the cooler with ice and beverages. Than put in some water. Let it fill in the spaces around the ice and beverages.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Jun 10, 2017 3:24:14 GMT
When I have room, I place an old thick towel on top of the ice. Adds another layer of insulation so the cold air can't escape. Works great. That's a good one..... or even a heavy layer of aluminum foil... |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jun 10, 2017 3:35:31 GMT
The kind of cooler you use makes a difference too. We always just used regular Coleman coolers and just dealt with everything getting warm or always needing to dump water and add ice. My friend has something called a five day cooler that we've taken on road trips and even going in and out of it and being inside the hot car, there is still ice in there five days later.
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Post by atomicdog on Jun 10, 2017 10:36:32 GMT
I also recommend the towel on top - works really, really well to insulate. I see a huge difference when I use one and when I don't.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jun 10, 2017 10:56:11 GMT
The kind of cooler you use makes a difference too. I never believed the hype until we got a Yeti cooler and, by gosh, those really are superior. Even on the beach in the hot sun, the Yeti does a really good job of keeping everything frozen/cold. I had never heard the towel trick! I can see where that would work. |
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Post by digirlwiz on Jun 10, 2017 11:19:47 GMT
I am excited for tournament softball season-- multiple games Friday evening right thru to Sunday! We have so much fun and packing coolers effectively is a must! We often leave the house at 7am and get home at 7pm! All the tips given are great. I tend to use the freezer blocks on the bottom and put ice in the top. Freezing some bottles of water and gatoraid helps a lot. I also stick a ziplock bag of ice and some water with a few of the cooling scarfs in the cooler. I am not sure how great the scarves work with just water- but after sitting in an icebath- the scarves are so freshening. And they go back in the bag to get cool again when needed. And a tip from my super sweaty catcher niece....put a stick of gel deodorant in a baggie then in the cooler- the cold gel application between games helps her a lot! I am so impressed how she handles the heat with all her gear on-- she is amazing! oh- do not forget sunblock and lip sunblock! Have fun and good luck to your team iamkristinl16
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SweetieBsMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,612 
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Jun 10, 2017 12:43:32 GMT
I'll echo what everyone else has said. I have a MaxCold cooler which keeps everything very cold even if it's sitting in the sun all day. I think I got it at Costco a couple of years ago. Love that cooler.
Put a little ice at the bottom, then all your drinks which should be cold/frozen (I can't do frozen in my cooler because they stay frozen). Layer drinks and ice and end with a layer of ice. At the top I have a couple of flat serving trays from the dollar store that I put in then put a towel or two on top. The serving trays keep my towels from getting wet and I've notice keep things cooler longer.
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