If you are one of those people who loves camping, and trekking then it’s essential to pick the right gear when you’re out exploring the great outdoors. And if you like camping in the summer or trekking when you are going camping, having a cool drink of water at the campsite seems almost non-negotiable, and that’s why you should always take the best camping cooler with you o a camping trip.
Here’s a handy guide to the world of portable cold storage, which has become almost essential to take along to a camping trip:
Types of outdoor coolers
Though there are lots of options available when you think of portable coolers, we are going to stick to the ones that will be the post helpful when you are amidst nature. Here are the outdoor coolers that are the best for storing food and drinks at a campsite.
Basic hard coolers
These are the most traditional coolers that have been around since generations and used for family picnics. They have minimal insulation, and only seal around the lid, and are relatively inexpensive. A basic cooler is made of plastic and foam with a hinged lid and a drain in the end.
They have a high potential for getting your ice to last several days.
Hard camping coolers
These coolers are the basic hard coolers that have sheets of ice to preserve your food. These are other type of basic coolers that have a high potential for getting your ice to last several days, and helping you beat the summer heat. They can also make handy seats, tables, or step stools, depending on which model you use. Though they are more cost effective as compared to soft-sided coolers and heavy-duty power coolers, they are not very easy to lug around.
Soft-sided coolers
They are more specialized for weight and space conscious consumers–they come with a slightly higher price tag, but aren’t that good for insulation. These coolers switch out a box for a bag, making them extremely portable and use flexible insulation, and adding waterproof zippers to see the ice melt. These coolers can fulfill all your basic camping needs including long-term food storage, protection from wildlife of your food.
These are excellent because they are really excel at carrying features like messenger bag style straps, hip friendly shapes, and other designs that make them camper friendly. They are small and cater to less than 5 people for a single day’s use.
They are semi-compressible when they are not full, and roll up for easy storage.
You’ve made the best use for them when you are hiking alone for a day, bringing snacks to a friends barbeque, or storing beers for a one day camping trip.
Heavy-duty coolers:
Heavy-duty coolers have thick insulation, locking lids and tight seals that make them ideal for longer camping experiences, and can withstand harsh conditions. But they weigh and cost a lot more. These powered models are almost similar to a fridge as compared to a traditional model, and a few of them might not require ice atall, and keep your road trip meals perfectly chilled. However, some of them might be dependent on electricity to store your food, so figure out if you will have a handy powerport to plug it in when you go camping.
How to maximize insulation efficiency
Here’s how to make sure your food stays fresh you are out:
Pre-chill your cooler
When you are going camping, pre-chill your cooler the night before with a bag of ice just before you head out on your trip. That’s when you will exchange the bag of ice with the food you want to store in the cooler.
Pre-chill your food
Side by side, refrigerate the food you are going to store in your fridge overnight. If you are going for more than an overnight trip, consider freezing whatever food you want to take along with you.
Pack a 2:1 ice to food ratio
Fill the chest with ice to make it last, especially if you’re using only regular ice cubes. But if you are using ice substitutes, you can cut down your ratio.
Keep it in the shade
- Make sure you keep your cooler in the shade whenever you are going camping. This sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget once you are out.
- Make sure the box is open for a minimal time:
- Make sure you don’t leave the cooler lid open unnecessarily, unless it will affect the cooling in your cooler box.
Conclusion: Even if you are only camping a few times a year, or only overnight a camping cooler is a must to keep your food fresh, and a few chilled drinks for you to have. This handy guide will help identify your camping needs and which cooler can cater to them the best.