By Cheri Sicard
I wish I had found this cooler hacks video before my RV fridge stopped working after I had completed a large shopping trip to Costco. I had to move everything into coolers, eat as much as I could (what diet?), and spend a fortune on ice during the eight days I had to wait for a mobile RV repair to come and fix it. (For the record, the fridge is now fixed, thanks to Tim at Butler Mobile Repair. Highly recommended if you need repairs while in California’s gold country.)
In the video, Florida real estate agent Yak Motley shares his favorite tips to make your ice last longer when using a cooler.
No, it does not involve buying an expensive Yeti cooler—Yak talks about how to maximize the potential of a regular cooler. The one he uses to demo in the video cost him $16.
So, what does Yak recommend:
Cooler hack #1: Bury it or cover it: If you are at the beach, dig a hole in the sand and bury the cooler up to the lid. The sand is going to insulate the cooler and help the ice last far longer. Cover the top with a towel or a reflective blanket that will deflect sunlight. If you can’t bury it, covering it is the next best thing. The aim is to avoid direct sunlight on the cooler as much as possible.
Cooler hack #2: Reusable PVC ice molds: This is a quick, inexpensive, and easy DIY project. In the video, Yak shows you how to make them and fill them with salt water, which will lower the freezing point.
Cooler hack #3: Adding insulation: We did an earlier video on how to make a DIY Yeti-type cooler. Yak’s method, while not as good, is also not nearly as involved. Watch to see how he fills the lid and the bottom with spray foam.
Yak also shares the bonus tip of freezing plastic water bottles. Large blocks of ice, whenever you can make or get them, definitely last far longer than cubes.
Do you have other cooler hacks? Please share them in the comments below!
##RVT1163
We moved a 1/4 cow that we purchased from a farmer friend in NYS to middle TN frozen. In 7 coolers (Yeti wasn’t even on the shelves yet) we placed the frozen meat and over top of that were several layers of newspaper. The farmer’s mom who was 86 at the time told us it will work. In the 13 hours we had very little thaw on the top layer. Go figure
Reminds me of one summer visiting my mother’s brother on the farm in South Dakota. We butchered and dressed dozens of chickens right on the farm and took them into the local butcher to have them flash frozen. My dad and uncle lined the front trunk of our 1963 VW bug with a tarp and stuffed the trunk full, with chickens and dry ice and laid the tarp back over them. We drove back to Illinois with enough chicken to last us, I don’t know how long.
When using a cooler, why chill the air inside the cooler? I lay a garbage bag over the top of the contents inside the cooler and my ice will last a long time, even when opening the lid to get drinks. Always remember that air is your enemy when it comes to ice coolers.
If you are going with the spray foam, make sure you get the minimal expanding type. The regular stuff will actually deform the cooler as it expands.
We carry our ice chest in pickup bed near tailgate. We open ice chest spout, add a small hose for it to keep water drained out and just add ice every 2-3 days. It works like a charm. As long as you keep the water draining off, your ice will last longer. I do like the newspaper idea also and ice cream freezer salt is awesome for fast cooling.
He might have good ideas, but he talks too much. I lose the train of thought before he got to the point. Just not my style of communication I guess.
What do you expect… his name is YAK
Actually the hack regarding spray foam in the lid as been tested exhaustively and it has been shown that filling your cooler lid w foam makes the insulation properties of your cooler worse . Foam carries the heat into the cooler . The dead air in the lid actually blocks the heat better . There are numerous videos on You Tube showing comparisons done with identical coolers where a lid was filled and one was not. More heads up. PELICAN makes a better cooler than YETI. Better latches , Better insulation and a better PRICE!
I have so-called 5-day coolers. I extended the life of my ice by wrapping the cooler in Reflectix and joining the ends with metallic HVAC tape. Also made a cap to fit over the top. Works wonders!
Thank you, Cheri! 🙂 Good advice, and mostly news to me; thank you! 🙂 Have a great week and safe travels! 🙂