Coolers are mostly used by individuals when they plan to go on treks or some trip with their friends or family. These coolers help one in storing ice for their drinks which individuals will have on their way to the destination. Several methods can be implemented to make the ice last longer in the cooler. Let’s see how one can prepare for a trip and make ice last longer in the cooler.
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Methods To Make Ice Last Longer In Cooler
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Pre-Chilling
Well, always pre-chill the cooler before putting the ice into it. It will help the ice to last long during the duration of the trip. One can put a few cubes of ice in the box three to four hours prior to adding fresh ice to pre-chill the cooler. One can also add chilled bottles of water to the cooler so that the ice can last longer due to the cooler being chill.
Use separate coolers if there are big families or several friends. This will help you carry more ice which will be sufficient for everybody. Also, keep it organized that is keep the ice in a way so that it acquires less area and more and more space can be acquired by it. The cubes should be cut in a specific shape in order to keep them organized.
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Give Priority To Perishables
In the cooler, the priority should be given to the perishables that require a temperature less than room temperature to stay fresh. These perishables are responsible to keep one full of energy and nutrients during their camp or any trek or any other such activity for which the individual is carrying an ice cooler.
Use a lid barrier for keeping things separate inside the cooler. This separation will help to keep the drinks and food separate. In terms of food as well one can do separation that is packed food and some other stuff.
Add the ice to the cooler. If one wants the cooler to stay chilled then one needs to check that the ice is regularly added to the cooler once the ice already present in the cooler starts melting. The water should be dropped out of the cooler as it is now not that chilled and will not be beneficial. Regularly adding ice to the box will make sure that the products present in the cooler stay fresh.
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Use Frozen Water Bottles
Frozen water bottles are sometimes better than ice because they tend to last longer than ice kept openly and keeps the cooler chilled for a longer period. Also one need not worry about the surface area in contact. One can also use a combination of ice and frozen water bottle. If combined they will help each other in keeping the cooler chilled for a longer time.
Make sure to fill the bottle up and not leave any dead air in it as the dead air might reduce the period of the bottle staying frozen in the cooler. It should be noted that the lid should be properly closed and hot air cannot flow in the cooler and ice can last long.
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Insulating The Inner Portion With Aluminum Foil
Before one places ice in the cooler, the inner portion of the cooler can be insulated with aluminum foil. This will help to keep the ice cooler chilled for a longer duration of time. The aluminum foil will reflect the heat that is responsible to melt the ice present in the ice cooler. The layer of foil can also be wrapped around the outer portion of the lid. This will help in reflecting the UV rays which makes ice last longer.
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Using Dry Ice In The Cooler
One can also use dry ice to keep things frozen in the ice cooler. Dry ice can work as an alternative to cube or blocked ice.
Dry ice holds few advantages over a cube or block ice. The advantages are :
A large piece or block can last for about twenty-four hours in a well-insulated cooler.
Due to extremely low temperatures, it can keep packaged food frozen for a long period of time.
Solid ice liquefies as it melts but dry ice evaporates(sublimation process) and hence there are fewer chances of cooler leakage.
Food items inside the cooler remain dry.
Ways To Keep Cooler Chilled While Traveling
A variety of things should be ensured for the sake of keeping the cooler chilled while traveling. Some of them are listed below:
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While you’re on the road, keep the sun and heat in the cooler so that direct sunlight does not hit the cooler while you are traveling.
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Keep the lid shut to maintain the chilliness of the cooler.
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Put food back quickly so that the lid is not open for very long which will make the ice last longer.
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Don’t drain cold water from the cooler after the ice melts.
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Adding more ice at regular intervals is also necessary to maintain the temperature of the cooler.
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Using a smart thermometer can help one ensure that the temperature of the cooler is maintained.
Maintaining An Ice Cooler When It Is Not In Use
Once you are done with traveling, it is time to store the cooler in such a way that its quality is maintained. The cooler needs some maintenance before it is kept away until next time. Well, melted ice means that now it will not keep the food safe but destroy it in some or the other way. An immense amount of moisture can degrade the food whether it is packed or not. So the food must be taken out of the cooler and kept away.
When a group goes on a trip and carries an ice cooler, individuals tend to keep the empty bags and wrappers of eatables back in the cooler which gives a foul smell and can spoil the cooler. So one must ensure that the cooler is free from any such wrappers.
As soon as you are back from the trip you must ensure to use a mild detergent with some water to clean the cooler from the inside as well as outside. The aluminum foil used for insulation should be removed from the cooler’s surface. Once gentle scrubbing of the cooler is done using the detergent, wipe the cooler with a cloth or a towel to make it clean and free from any sort of germs.
After the cleaning process is done, leave the cooler open in sunlight to let it be completely dry else fungus might reserve its place in the cooler due to the light moisture present in it. After the cooler is completely dry, roll it in a cloth and store it in a cool place.
Block Ice Vs Cubed Ice
There are many differences between the block and the cubed ice:
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Cubed ice is readily available in the market, and blocks ice is comparatively not that easily available.
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The cubed ice gets melted sooner when compared to the time period of the block ice due to the greater surface area connection of the cubed ice.
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Block ice lasts longer than cubed ice but the block ice does not reduce the temperature of the cooler to the extent cube ice does. This is because the block ice has less surface area attached to the cooler. As the surface area connected is less hence it cannot cool as much as the cube ice.
Conclusion
Ice coolers can be utilized very well in a family or a group of friends while traveling from one place to another. Whether it is a picnic or a family trip it doesn’t matter. The ice cooler will make sure that your food essentials are safe and fresh.
The ice coolers require very less maintenance and in return provide you with fresh food, and chilled drinks. Such products can be long-lasting if used properly and maintained according to the instructions. One can invest in any good quality ice cooler and it can be used for years during travel time.
Storing the ice cooler back after it is used plays a prime role in its maintenance. One must ensure that not just during its use but once it has been used it should be stored as instructed. If not stored wisely, it will no longer be useful for upcoming trips which no one wants. Purchase high-grade quality ice coolers for keeping the food safe.
