Get a 65-quart cooler for a weekend with four people.

Yes, that’s the size you want. Anything smaller and you’ll be playing Tetris while your beer sweats. 48-quart models are too tight for three days of food and drinks plus ice.

A 65-quart cooler gives you room for a big bag of ice (the 10-pound block plus cubes), raw meat, veggies, and enough drinks to feel civilized. You also get headroom for the inevitable “I brought extra hot dogs” moment. In my experience, you can pack two days of food and drinks without sweating, and stretch it to three if you’re smart about ice management.

If you’re car camping, rotomolded coolers keep ice longer but weigh a ton. A standard cheap cooler works fine if you pre-chill everything and keep it in the shade. Just don’t go smaller than 65 quarts unless you plan to eat out every meal.

Future you will appreciate not running out of ice on Saturday afternoon.