How to Pack a Summer Cooler
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Are you heading out on a road trip? With the Cooler Packing List, you can bypass the seemingly convenient (but usually unhealthy) fast food joints in favor of home-cooked and packed meals.

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How to Pack a Cooler:
Here are a few general tips for packing a cooler:
- Bottom Layer: Pack raw meats, fish, and produce sealed in plastic bags
- Top Layers: Add a layer for produce, dairy, eggs, and perishable condiments.
- Tip 1: Save space by packing just what you think you’ll need.
- Tips 2: Remember to fill the cooler all the way up; the ice will melt faster if it’s full of room-temperature air.
Preparing to Pack a Cooler:
If you store your cooler in a hot garage, bring it inside the night before so you can start with a cooled-off vessel.
Use solid ice or reusable gel-filled ice packs on the bottom, pack food, and then fill in the gaps with bags of cubed ice.
Once it’s packed and ready, stow it in the trunk, away from light, and put a blanket or sleeping bag around it for extra insulation.


These were interesting suggestions. I had never thought about how to pack the cooler, so I will remember the next time. Very helpful.