Keep Food & Drinks Cold for Camping and Picnics (May 27, 2001):

It’s the time of year for camping and picnics. How come the food and drinks you pack in the cooler don't stay cool? The biggest mistake we make is putting our food and drinks in a warm cooler. This pulls the cold out of the items we put in, and cools the cooler down. Take a 1/2-gallon milk jug, fill it water, and put it in the freezer (it’s not a bad idea to keep a couple of these frozen all the time). Then, 12 to 24 hours before you plan on using your cooler put one of the 1/2-gallon frozen jugs in your cooler to cool it down. This will make a big difference. It’s also a good idea to plan your meals if you are camping, and anything you are not going to eat the first day put it into the cooler frozen. Make sure anything you put in the cooler is cold, especially your drinks. Don't expect the ice to cool them down; all it will do is melt the ice faster. A bag of ice should last 3 or 4 days in a properly packed cooler. You can also use a frozen jug of water to keep things cold. When it melts it stays in the jug not all over your food in the cooler. It is also important that you keep the lid closed and keep kids out. They don't need to waste the ice by opening it and looking in. Keep food in one and drinks in another. It also helps to keep the coolers in a shady area. Don't let them sit in the hot sun. If you keep several jugs filled with water in your freezer, you will always have fresh water in case there are problems with your drinking water. And in the case of a power outage these will help keep your freezer cold till the power comes back on. If you have a bunch of empty space in your freezer fill that area with bottles of water, it is more efficient to run a full freezer than an empty one. Have a great summer and enjoy a great family picnic!