You need two coolers, not one giant one

For a family of four on a three-day camping trip, you want two coolers: a 60–80 quart for food, and a separate 30–40 quart for drinks. One giant cooler sounds simpler, but it’s the wrong tool.

The main reason is temperature. A drink cooler gets opened constantly — kids grabbing a soda, someone reaching for a beer, that’s a dozen open-and-shut cycles per day.