Choosing a cooler bag for your next camping trip requires a lot of tact and attention to detail on your path. If you get it right, you will have access to fresh and cold food and drinks throughout your stay in camp.
Get it wrong, and you will be in for a tough time for as long as you remain in the camp, which may become an unpleasant experience for you and your co-campers. In this article, we will show you how to use a cooler bag appropriately.
What are cooler bags used for?
Cooler bags are used for conserving the temperature of food and drinks to ensure that they remain cold for an extended period of time. If you don’t want to carry something bulky like an ice cooler, cooler bags are preferable because they are lighter but equally effective.
Getting the best out of your cooler bag
Although cooler bags have natural insulation properties, they still need to be used rightly if you want to get the best out of them. Here are some steps to take to get the best out of your cooler bag
Place a cold item in the bag
Before you place anything in the cooler bag, consider placing a cold item in the bag. The cold item may be an ice pack or a bottle filled with frozen water. This move will keep the cooler bag chilled for an extended period.
Note: if you want to place warm food into the cooler bag, you can substitute that for something hot.
Ice or heat the food
For cold items, ice the food or drink you want to place in the bag. You can do this a few days before the day. Then on the day of your trip, place the food into the bag. In the case of warm food items, reheat in an oven before placing them in the bag.
Wrap in aluminum foil and don’t open
With your food or drinks already set, wrap them in aluminum foil before placing them in the cooler bag, and don’t open it until you are ready to consume the content.
Separate hot and chilled items
If you are going to have hot and chilled items, we recommend using different cooler bags for both. However, if you only have one bag, make sure you separate them rather than muddle them together.
How to pack items in a cooler bag
Find below the ways to pack items in a cooler bag.
- Use ice blocks as they last longer
- Pack items in layers and place blocks on each layer
- Add extra insulation at the top and bottom of the cooler bag
- Keep the bag closed at all times to prevent vapor escape
