I see you hanging up your winter coat and looking at pictures from last summer’s beach days…. winter isn’t over yet but that doesn’t mean we can’t dream! Spring is around the corner and that means we can officially start getting excited about warmer weather! Our insulated cooler bags are ready to rock into spring, summer and beyond! Plus, they can do duty year-round as food delivery bags and insulated grocery bags. If you’re lucky enough to live in a mild climate all the time (sigh….), then you can definitely put these hacks to good use now!
COOL IT OFF
That’s right. Think about it, if you start off with a warm bag to begin with, you’ll lose ice just to cool the actual cooler bag! Makes sense, right? So, if you can plan ahead, throw some ice in there a few hours beforehand to cool the cooler.
PACK IT UP
The more ice you can pack in your cooler bag, the better off you’ll be in the long run. Smaller ice cubes that come straight from your ice maker (or the bag at the corner store) will work faster, but will also melt more quickly.
Also, if you’re putting ice into a cooler bag, you’ll want to contain it somehow so it doesn’t melt and soak through the bag (unless yours is waterproof). So make sure you get some good, thick slabs in there too. Speaking of bigger ice…
MAKE YOUR OWN
Ice, that is! One of our favorite tricks is to fill balloons with water and freeze them (yes, this too requires planning ahead) into blocks. We see an epic water balloon fight in your future, but if you’re too cool for that, filling Ziploc bags with water works well for homemade ice blocks. Or freeze some water bottles. Too much work? Keep some reusable ice blocks on hand.
FIND SOME SHADE
Sun is hot. Hot melts ice. Really, this one’s a no-brainer. Find some shade for your cooler bag or make your own by draping a towel, sleeping bag, or blanket over it. This will help keep it cool for longer!
THAT’S A WRAP
If you’re really in a pinch, you didn’t plan ahead, or you don’t have any ice on hand, it’s ok! Wrap a thick stack of newspaper around your food (cold OR hot!) before putting it into your cooler bag. It won’t keep for days, but the newspaper will act as an insulator, blocking out some air and moisture.
What do you think? Do you have an insulated cooler bag hack of your own? Let us know in the comments below! We have the perfect insulated cooler bag for almost any occasion! Bringing lunch to the beach? Snacks to the office? Delivering food to a friend? No matter what you’re looking forward to this summer, we’ve got a bag for you!
I use aluminum foil and a homemade ice pack. It doesn’t exactly keep everything dry, but it definitely keeps things cold
Great idea!!