5 Ways to Make a Cheap Cooler Hold Ice All Day

Pre-chill the cooler Put a bag of ice in the cooler the night before, dump it out in the morning, then load it with cold drinks. This alone doubles ice life.

Start with cold contents Room-temperature drinks melt ice in about two hours. Always load already-cold drinks and food.

Fill every gap A half-empty cooler loses cold fast. Use frozen water bottles as both ice and drinking water, and stuff a towel on top to fill empty space.

Keep it closed Every time you open the lid, cold air escapes. Open it only when necessary.

Put it in the shade Direct sun heats the cooler quickly. Keep it in the shade for the best performance.