What are the secrets of proper Styrofoam cooler packing? Today, we’ll look at some tips for making sure your Styrofoam cooler is in great shape before you take it out on your next great adventure.
Step One: Preparing Your Styrofoam Cooler
First, make sure the cooler is prepared for storage by cleaning and pre-chilling it. These steps will help ensure that the cooler is ready to perform.
Cleaning a Styrofoam cooler is a little different than cleaning a plastic cooler. Using a bucket of dish soap and warm water, scrub the cooler gently and then place it in direct sunlight for two to three hours to dry. Don’t use any cleaner harsher than regular dish soap, as other cleaners can damage Styrofoam.
For the best results, pre-chill the cooler before the trip to get its core temperature as low as possible. At least a day before the trip, bring the cooler to a cool and temperature-controlled space and fill it with several bags of ice or reusable freezer gel packs to bring its core temperature down.
Step Two: Preparing the Food
Preparing food for cooler storage is just as important as preparing the cooler itself. You want your food to be as well-protected as possible before it goes in the cooler, and you want it to be as space-efficient as possible.
Don’t leave items in their original store packaging unless that packaging is extremely durable. Assume that everything in the cooler will get wet eventually. Instead, use leakproof plastic Tupperware or glass containers for packing food in a cooler.
You can often save space by preparing and pre-portioning ingredients. Fill up some small containers with any condiments you want to bring, and pre-chop ingredients such as vegetables before placing them in Tupperware. Not only will you conserve space, but you’ll also make it faster and easier to prepare meals.
Perishable food that won’t be eaten within a day or two should be frozen. Meat, vegetables and water bottles are all good candidates for freezing, and they can stay frozen for several days in a properly-packed cooler. Remember to obey the USDA’s safe thawing guidelines when thawing frozen food.
Step Three: Adding Cooling Materials
When packing a Styrofoam cooler, remember that the cooler itself doesn’t do very much cooling—it’s really an insulator. For cooling, you have to rely either on ice or one of the many alternative cooling materials.
If you’re going to use ice, pack the bottom with large ice blocks to provide a base layer of cooling for everything else. Then, place smaller ice cubes in between the ice blocks and in between food and beverage items. Layering ice helps maintain a consistent cool temperature throughout the cooler.
Dry ice, while a powerful coolant, isn’t recommended for cooler use because it can cause injuries if mishandled. Reusable refrigerant gel packs from Air Sea Containers are a better option than dry ice because they’re completely non-toxic and safe to handle, and they can be used again and again for more sustainable cooling. These gel packs can also be combined with ice for an all-around cooling solution.
Step Four: Packing Your Styrofoam Cooler
Now it’s time to get down to business. Keep these tips in mind when packing a Styrofoam cooler:
- Pack food in layers and divide food into meal categories so that you don’t have to hunt for it in the cooler. The less you have to disturb your organized food and beverages, the better!
- Place a thin, waterproof sheet, such as a layer of plastic, over the ice blocks or gel packs at the bottom to prevent food from falling between them.
- Liquids should always be placed upright and vertically to keep spills to a minimum in case of a leak.
- If you’re bringing beer, consider packing a separate cooler for it, as beer takes up a lot of space.
- Fill all empty spaces with ice or gel packs to eliminate the air gaps that make ice melt faster.
To keep your food and beverages cold for as long as possible, try to make packing the cooler one of the last things you do before leaving. Once your Styrofoam cooler is ready to go, open it as little as possible to keep cold air in.
Air Sea Containers is here to help you keep it cool with our line of Styrofoam coolers and reusable refrigerant gel packs. For more information on our temperature-controlled packaging solutions, just call us at (866) 596-9448 or contact us online.
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