Block ice beats cubes for beach coolers

Block ice. That’s the short answer.

Cubes melt fast because they have more surface area. A solid block of ice (or two) will last hours longer. Make your own by freezing water in milk cartons or Tupperware. Or buy bags of block ice at the grocery store.

Next trick: pre-chill the cooler. Toss a bag of ice in there the night before, let it get cold, then dump it and add your real ice and drinks. If the cooler itself is hot, your ice is fighting that thermal mass.

Other things that help: keep the cooler in the shade, put a towel over it, and don’t drain the cold water as the ice melts — that water is still cold insulation. And pack drinks as cold as possible before putting them in.

You can also freeze some of your own drinks and use them as ice packs that later become drinkable.

Your beer will thank you.