Packing a Cooler for a Road Trip

Packing a Cooler for a Road Trip is a great way to save money. It also allows healthier options and you can satisfy all the picky eaters in your group. But what is the best way to pack a cooler for a road trip? Well read on and I’ll give you some helpful hints.

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Coolers

Cooler technology has come a long way, but no one has a corner on the market. There are coolers that plugin, coolers that lock, coolers with wheels, and on and on it goes. Just because it’s the “latest thing” that doesn’t mean it’s the best option. A standard cooler will be fine for a road trip, don’t get caught up with bells and whistles, it’s really about efficiency and what works best for you.

For a road trip I recommend a large ” rel=”nofollow”>smaller for beverages. Bottles and cans take space and if you use a separate cooler for beverages then you will have room in the other cooler for food and ice.

From the Bottom Up

The bottom layer of your cooler should be ice. A good ice layer is essential to keeping food cold. There are several types of ice you can use.

Types of Ice

Reuseable-these are typically blue and rectangle. These are nice because you can reuse them and no need to keep filling them with water.

Ice Blocks-make your own ice blocks! A gallon zip bag filled with water and frozen flat. These are great because they cover a large area and just like the reuseable ice packs these can be refrozen and used again. You could also freeze water in bottles and use the bottles as your bottom layer, but in my opinion, bottles take up more space and don’t give you that even bottom layer.

Loose Ice-tried and true old-school method. Loose ice is great to fill in empty spaces and can be used as your bottom layer. I prefer the other ice types for the bottom layer, but loose ice is still a good ice base for your cooler.

Once you have your preferred ice layer it’s time to pack the food!

Packing Food in your Cooler

You have your ice layer, now it’s time to build on that.

When you pack your food in your cooler think layers. The middle layer is where the lunch meat, deli items, cheeses, and other items that aren’t delicate or fragile go. Condiments also go on this layer. If you have individual packets of ketchup or mayo this is a good time to bring those along!

It’s a good idea to keep your food in containers that have a tight seal. Waterlogged food is GROSS, and containers and packaging that food is sold in are not always cooler ready. Rubbermaid containers are great for this! I like the square ones, but any will do.

The top layer is saved for fragile foods, like fruit, and for easy-to-grab snacks, veggies, and dip, protein snack packs, etc..things you want to protect or grab easily.

In a second cooler pack water, soda, or your beverage of choice. Add some loose ice and they will be nice and cold when you need a beverage to sip. Also in a bag pack plastic silverware, napkins, bowls, paper plates, and anything else you need that doesn’t need to be kept cold.

Enjoy the Trip

Packing a Cooler for a Road Trip isn’t hard, and once you have your cooler packed you can sit back and enjoy the ride! When you’re hungry find a nice picnic table and enjoy your lunch!