Don't want to squash the cheese? Seen snags swim in a puddle of water at the bottom? Here's how to get it right. Photo: RNZ
The most efficient cooler is one that is always full, because it's hard to cool open space, explains avid camper Chloe Wright - so make sure your bin isn't too big for your needs.
Chloe Wright knows what she's talking about. She and her husband Jono are the brains behind NZ Fun Camping Adventures.
The couple take their three children camping at least once a month, usually not far from their home in Wellington at Battle Hill Farm Forest Park. They have three different coolers, and always pick one that suits the supplies they will be taking and the length of their trip.
"If you're going one night, don't take the same chilly bin you would take for a week - it just won't work," Jono says.
Once you've got the right box, here's the science behind stacking it.
The ice
The go-to chilling option of a bag of ice cubes from the petrol station or bait shop is not the best choice, Chloe says.
"When you use loose ice, it melts, and it ends up at the bottom. And then next thing you know your half-open packet of bacon is there swimming in water."
The Wrights recommend filling an ice cream container or a 3L juice bottle with water and freezing it at home, stashing this at bottom of the bin.
"The bigger the ice volume, the longer it will last," Chloe says.
"The problem with little ice cubes that you get at the supermarket in a bag is they're all just tiny little blocks of ice, and you watch everybody, they smash them on the ground to break them all up so that the ice cubes fit perfectly.
"What you're doing is you're just now making it a really small bit of ice that's going to thaw really quickly."
Jono adds: "You'll end up with a flood in your chilly bin with floating food."
If you find yourself in a position where bags of cubed ice are the best or only option, Jono suggests storing your food in a plastic container that fits inside the cooler and sprinkling the cubes around that to avoid any soggy situations.
Let science guide your chilly bin packing
"Heat rises and cold drops. So, all of your cold is in the bottom of your chilly bin and stays there, but your delicate foods like cheese and dips and ham sit at the top of your chilly bin because you don't want it crushed. So, you're putting it in the warmest level," Chloe explains.
Once you have a big chunk of cooling ice at the bottom, layer ice blocks in between your supplies.
"Have two or three ice packs on the top of your chilly bin to create cold and it drops down through the food."
A small towel on top of that provides even more thermal efficiency, she says.
"When you open the lid, it creates a bit of suction and pulls cool air out of the chilly bin then it has to work really hard to replace that coolness.
"A towel, or something when you open that lid, you can pull the corner of that towel back and grab the bottle of milk out. And you're not exposing the whole chilly bin to warm air."
This can extend the cooling power of your chilly bin by days.
The go-to chilling option of a bag of ice cubes from the petrol station or bait shop is not the best choice, Chloe says. Photo: RNZ
Jenny Bishop, director of food risk management at New Zealand Food Safety, reminds campers to keep general food safety in mind and keep foods that need the most refrigeration at the bottom of the bin.
"That's where you going to put your raw meat. Foods that require least refrigeration. Maybe fruits could be at the top.
"Think about how you manage those foods at home. So obviously your meats and cheeses and salads are in the fridge all the time. So, they need as much refrigeration, or cool air as possible."
If you have a one bin set up with cooked and uncooked food all together, containers are important.
"Think about the safety before you pack that chilly bin. Make sure the food is in clean, sealed containers, there's no spillage or cross-contamination going on."
Top chilly bin tips:
- Big blocks of ice last longer than bags of cubes, plus they're free if you make them at home
- Pop prepped ice blocks through the bin to keep an even temperature
- Put a towel on top so cold air isn't sucked out when you open the lid
- Have a separate bin for drinks so you're not always opening and closing the lid of your food cooler
- Keep in the shade, drape with a wet towel for further insulation
- Pre-chill the cooler before setting out
- Space is not your friend, keep the bin tightly packed
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