Cool it first. Don't wing it.

No. Hot food goes straight into a cooler? That’s how you get food poisoning and a soggy mess. Cool it first.

The danger zone is 40–140°F. Hot food in a cooler brings the internal temp up, meaning everything in there spends too long in bacteria heaven. Also, that heat will melt the ice fast, and now you’ve got lukewarm chicken sitting in water. Not ideal.

Cool your food to under 100°F before it goes in. A shallow pan in the fridge or an ice bath works. Then transfer to the cooler. Takes an extra 20 minutes, saves you from a ruined camping trip.

Don’t be the person who eats sketchy pasta salad.