Try This Unexpected Sand Beach Hack To Keep Your Cooler Cold For Long Days In The Sun
Picture this: You're lounging in the sand by the water in the heat of summer and reach over to grab an ice-cold water from your cooler. Only then do you discover that your cooler is now tepid at best. If only you had partly buried that cooler in the sand to keep the heat from getting in so quickly.
Beyond the ways you can extend your cooler's, well, coolness factor is to invest in a well-made product. Independent product reviews have discovered that higher-quality coolers from companies like Yeti and Pelican keep things colder longer than cheaper ones. For instance, in their cold holding experiment, AL.com discovered that the Pelican ProGear Elite 45 could maintain an inner temperature under 40 degrees for over 82 hours — that's three whole days! Not to mention that the coolers tested were left outside on concrete when daily highs were in the 90s. High-quality coolers are high on the list of essential camping gear.
It's worth noting how coolers react to heat when sitting on top of a surface since surface temperatures are often higher than the air. That's especially true of a sandy beach because sand can't distribute heat effectively, giving the surface a much hotter feel. So it only makes sense that digging into the sand may provide some respite for your cooler from the blistering heat on top.
Partially burying cooler keeps it colder
Have you ever dug into hot sand on a beach day only to discover the sand a few handfuls beneath is much cooler to the touch? That's exactly why it's recommended you partially bury your cooler in it. This hack works even better at a beach like this stunning one in Florida where the sand is cool all year round.
Being surrounded by sand will help keep it insulated, giving you more time to enjoy a chilled beverage or keep your perishables at a safe temperature. You can also place blankets or towels over the top of the cooler and keep it under the shade of an umbrella to assist in keeping it cool. Be sure to pack this unexpected item for your next beach trip to help get that pesky sand off when you're done digging!
You could hand dig the hole but, depending on the size of the cooler, it might not be an efficient process. You'll be better off using even a small sand castle shovel to get you done faster or bring a larger shovel to make light work of it. After all, the less time it takes to get your cooler settled, the more time you have to actually enjoy the beach.
Other tricks to keep your cooler cold
One of the easiest ways to keep a cooler colder longer is to think twice about placing it in the trunk when you're driving somewhere. If you put it in the car, especially if you're using air conditioning, it will keep the entire cooler from heating up on the drive. It's also advisable to bring two coolers if you're bringing both food and beverages. That way you are opening the food cooler less frequently, keeping the hot air out as much as possible.
Another way to keep the cold locked in is to only bring a full cooler. If you aren't filling it completely with food or drink options, pack it well with ice or ice packs instead. That way, the dead space is filled with more cold air, helping the cooler maintain safe (and cool) temperatures as long as you need it to.
Keep where you store your cooler in mind. If it is in your stifling hot shed, be sure to put it somewhere cooler before you have to pack it. Allowing the cooler to come down in temperature will undoubtedly make it easier to maintain a cold temperature once it's packed. A good idea is to bring it somewhere air-conditioned or at least colder than where it may be stored.