5 Tips for Packing Ice in a 50-Quart Cooler

Start with two 7-pound bags of ice That’s 14 pounds total, which is the sweet spot for a full day at the beach without overdoing it.

Use a 2:1 ratio of ice to food If you’re keeping drinks cold and opening the cooler often, 14 pounds of ice fills that gap.

Pre-chill everything the night before Warm cans will melt your ice in two hours, so put drinks and food in the fridge or freezer first.

Drain water as it melts Removing melted water keeps the remaining ice from dissolving faster, so you’ll still have ice at sunset.

Avoid one bag or three bags One bag is optimistic and won’t last. Three is overkill. Two is the Goldilocks number for a day trip.