Why does a cooler keep things cold

Packaged ice melts faster. It is simple- less exposed surface means lesser heat transfer. As mentioned above, while describing the products, ice chest construction matters in retaining ice. For instance, the construction technique of a hard cooler differs from a simple Styrofoam icebox.

While the former can keep your ice from melting for days, the latter keeps ice for 24 hours maximum. Remember, no cooler has perfect insulation, and one cannot be at odds with Mother Nature. Despite having a fancy cooler, the ice can melt fast if stored near fire or under direct sunlight.

You can, however, prevent this by keeping the icebox somewhere cooler, like under a tree. Keep ice from melting quicker than usual by tossing in pre-chilled things like food or drinks.

Even better, you can also chill your ice chest a few hours before packing things for your trip. You cannot be opening the lid of the icebox frequently. That would mean releasing the trapped cold air and letting the hot air inside the chest. The insulation can only work at its best when the chest is sealed tightly when not in use. Here is what you can do to ensure an extended life for ice in your cooler:. They are colder and turn into gas as they warm up.

Fill the air pockets in the cooler with newspaper and place water ice below dry. Filling the dead spaces can also help in this case. Salt lowers the freezing temperature, making ice colder than usual. Shut the draining plug even if the ice has melted. Packing the contents in waterproof bags can prevent them from becoming soggy.

We are here to inspire and empower more people to join, enjoy, capture and share the fun of exciting outdoor sports. Action Camera. EK Series. V50 Series. Brave Series. Brave 4 Pro New. Empty air space in your cooler is the enemy of keeping things cold. I discovered this when doing my research for the best coolers for ice retention.

Wrapping your drinks or food in towels will insulate it further from the free air space in your cooler and using extra towels to fill in whatever air space is left in your cooler also helps. You'd be surprised how much longer this can help your items stay cold when you're not using ice.

Coolers aren't perfect and some heat still gets through so you want to keep your cooler in a cool shady spot and out of direct sunlight as much as possible.

If this isn't possible then placing a towel on top of your cooler can insulate it a bit against the heat of the sun and help your cooler stay cold for longer. If you're at the beach or camping and have the luxury of digging a hole then placing your cooler partially in the ground can keep it cold for a lot longer.

This is why in places like Coober Pedy in Australia people actually build their houses underground or partially underground. Every time you open and close the lid of your cooler you're letting in warm air from the outside and losing the cold air from inside your cooler. So leave your cooler lid closed as much as possible and only open it when you absolutely need to grab something. When you open it grab what you need quickly and then shut it. Don't leave it open for extended periods of time.

While aluminum is usually something I suggest in order to keep food hot on the go a lot of people don't realize it also works to keep food cold. While coolers are great a keeping out heat through convection and conduction they aren't designed to keep out heat radiation. Heat radiation can get through the walls of your cooler and heat up your stuff. Aluminum is great at reflecting heat radiation. So adding a layer or two of aluminum to the inside of your cooler will reflect more heat and keep your cooler cold for longer.

More on aluminum as a great insulator. If you don't have ice it isn't the end of the world. Fill the carton with water make sure to leave room for it to expand and freeze. Once frozen, remove the carton and place in your cooler. Though they are bulky, they will last much longer and work more effectively.

Use a light-colored wet towel to wrap the cooler and keep it under the shade. As wind passes over the towel, the water will begin to evaporate. As the water turns to vapor, it will make the towel colder. This will help keep the cooler's temperature down and making your ice last even longer.

As you open and close the lid to your cooler, warm air will enter, melting the ice quicker. Organize your cooler with items that you will more frequently need to one side in order to lessen the amount of time the lid remains open.

Instead of having to dig around to find what you need, strategically organize your cooler to make each opening as efficient as possible. Dry ice, the solid form of carbon dioxide, has a much lower temperature than ordinary water ice Place the dry ice at the bottom of your cooler and then layer with regular ice overtop.

The dry ice will help cool down the regular ice and will turn into gas as it melts, leaving no unwanted messes or excess water to clean up after. If you're camping for a few days, you may want to consider burying your cooler in the ground. As unconventional as this may sound, the cool soil will help maintain the temperature for a longer period of time. Simply make sure you bury it only three-quarters of the way and choose a shady spot.