Here are some cooler management tricks. Surely if we use these tricks on multiday river trips, they will work for you.
  • Freeze as much ahead as you can, and double bag anything that has potential for leakage when it defrosts.
  • Use block ice. Commerically made lasts longer. Ice should be 1/3 to 1/2 the total amount of stuff in your cooler.
  • Keep cooler closed, as in open it minimally.Make it is latched!! We usually take two: one for drinks and lunch, and one that only gets opened once possible twice a day.
  • From above, we don't let kids mess with coolers. They open them wide open, spend way too much rooting around in them, mess everything up, and don't close them tight.
  • Cars can be very hot. Store cooler in deep shade, and cover with a car reflector. Or, use wet towels laid over the cooler for a swamp cooler effect.
  • The drain/not to drain issue is still up for discussion
  • Pre Chill everything.