When you’re out camping without a refrigerator, it’s still important to be able to keep your perishable items cold unless you’re planning on living off of trail mix, beef jerky, and smores your entire trip (which is an option, just not one most prefer while camping).

And while many campers do have small refrigerators, tents certainly do no, so you’ll need to take a cooler, and if you’re going to be out camping for several days then a good cooler is critical to keep your food cold.

1) Get The Best Rated Cooler You Can

My first piece of advice for keeping your food (or beer) cold is to get a cooler with the most insulation you can so it can keep your food cold for several days. One example would be the Coleman Ultimate Xtreme coolers which can keep ice frozen for six days in 90 degree weather.

2) Use Large Chunks Of Ice

Next, remember that large chunks of ice are going to last longer than small ice cubes. While small ice cubes are better at cooling off your food and beverages more quickly, using big blocks of ice lasts longer since there is less surface area in a large chunk of ice. In practical terms, what I usually do is take a gallon jug or two (ones that stored water are preferable to ones used for milk or orange juice) and stick them in the freezer for a few days before my trip is planned. They will last for a long time in a cooler even during hot weather.

3) Start Your Food And Beverages Cold

The last piece of advice I have for you is to make sure everything you put in your cooler is already cold. That means don’t fill up your cooler with a couple cases of warm beer unless you want to be out of ice before you even get to the campsite.

Follow these few tips and you should have no problems keeping everything cold on your next camping trip, but if you do run out of ice, nearly all campgrounds sell ice and will be able to hook you up with a bag or two so you can enjoy a nice frosty beverage while sitting around the campfire.