6 Tips for Keeping Ice Longer in a Beach Cooler

Use block ice instead of cubes Block ice melts slower because it has less surface area. Freeze water in milk cartons or Tupperware, or buy bags of block ice at the store.

Pre-chill the cooler the night before Toss in a bag of ice, let it cool the interior, then dump it before adding your real ice and drinks. A hot cooler forces ice to fight that thermal mass.

Keep the cooler in the shade and cover it Direct sun accelerates melting. A towel on top adds extra insulation.

Don’t drain the cold water as ice melts That water is still cold and helps insulate the remaining ice. Leave it in.

Pack drinks as cold as possible before loading Warm drinks make ice work harder. Chill them in the fridge or freezer first.

Freeze some drinks to use as ice packs Frozen bottles or cans double as ice and later become drinkable as they thaw.