Camping Cooler FAQ: Choosing the Best Options for Bear Country
- Eric Beuning
- Apr 3
- 7 min read
Updated: Apr 12
A quality camping cooler that's bear resistant is an absolute must if you plan to visit national parks like Yellowstone, Glacier, Zion, and the Grand Tetons and want to camp for multiple days. Unfortunately, the typical beach cooler isn’t really set up to handle multiple days of primitive or back country camping without needing multiple fresh bags of ice.
As a veteran of dozens of wilderness retreats and droves of off-grid camping trips in bear country, I thought I’d answer some frequently asked camping cooler questions. You’ll find some of my top recommendations for the best camping coolers in bear country at the bottom of the article.
What Should I Look for in a Camping Cooler?
When choosing the best camping cooler for multi-day trips, you need to prioritize models with thick insulation and an air-tight lid that seals. This reduces the thermal exchange with the outside world while also reducing the amount of food odor that might attract wild animals.
Key features to look for include:
Rotomolded construction
Thick insulation (2-3 inches of foam).
A secure, airtight lid with a gasket seal
Heavy-duty latches and hinges to withstand rough terrain
Non-slip, sturdy handles or wheels for easier transport
Bear-resistant locks
Strong handles for a bear hang
What size cooler do I need for a multi-day camping trip?
Camping cooler capacity is measured in quarts, and you general need 20 to 25 quarts of space to support one person for two days.
Solo or 2-person trip (2-3 days): 25-45 quarts
A Small family (3-4 people, 3-5 days): 45-65 quarts
Larger groups or weeklong trips: 70-100+ quarts
Pro Tip: Using two coolers, with one for frequently accessed drinks and another for perishable food, will extend the life of the ice in your main cooler.
Is It Better to Use Ice Cubes or Blocks?
A quality camping cooler will last longer if you use ice blocks rather than ice cubes. In some cases, ice blocks will last up to three times longer than the same weight of ice cubes.
I will even make the blocks myself by freezing water for 2-3 days in dollar-store Tupperware containers. This saves money, so long as I have freezer space in advance.
Can I Freeze Water Bottles?
My favorite camping cooler hack is to rinse out old sports drink bottles and fill them 75% of the way with water. Then, I freeze them for 2+ days, top them off with a little fresh water, and use them to keep my camping cooler cold. When I need drinking water, I take one out and let it thaw. This technique gives me cold drinking water while keeping my cooler colder and cleaner for longer!
How Do I Use Dry Ice in a Camping Cooler?
Using dry ice to chill your camping cooler starts with wrapping it in newspaper or cardboard to prevent direct physical contact with other foods, glass, and plastic containers. Be sure to handle with tongs or thick gloves.
Place the wrapped dry dice in the center of the cooler and pack frozen foods around it. This will maximize the cold potential in the cooler.
Don’t keep the cooler sealed all the time. Dry ice releases carbon dioxide and needs to be “Burped” every few hours.
How long should a high-quality cooler keep ice?
Premium coolers, such as rotomolded models like the Yeti 45 can keep ice for 4-10 days depending on the outside temperatures and how often they are opened. Cheaper “Beach Coolers” may only retain ice for 1-2 days.
Does opening the lid affect a cooler’s cold retention?
If you frequently open your camping cooler’s lid to get drinks and food out, it will dramatically reduce the cold potential. What I do is keep one large primary cooler with dry ice or block ice and the main food supply.
Then I have a day use “Pony Cooler” with frozen water bottles in it. Each morning, when the outside temperatures are cool, I will pull out the drinks and food items I need for that day out of the primary cooler and put them in the pony cooler. Then I’ll stash the primary cooler out of the sun.
Where should I keep my camping cooler?
Ideally, you want to keep your camping cooler out of direct sunlight and away from heat. If you’re using a two-cooler strategy like I mentioned earlier, the primary cooler shouldn’t be kept in a closed car.
What I do is put the primary cooler under a shady tree, and then I’ll cover it with a white towel or an old blanket. This gives an added layer of insulation as the heat of the day rises.
I’ve also been on a few wilderness retreats where it was OK to dig a hole. So I placed the cooler in a small pit and covered it with a blanket. This got me through a severe heat wave while keeping my drinks and food safely cold.
Are soft coolers or backpack coolers good for multi-day camping?
Soft-sided coolers are lightweight and great for day trips or short hikes but don’t retain ice as long as hard coolers. For a multi-day backcountry camping trip, a hard cooler with high-performance insulation is the better choice.
What I do is use soft-sided coolers like the Maelstrom Soft Sided Cooler Bag or the Coleman Chiller as my daytime or picnic cooler to hold what I’m eating and drinking that day. If I need to pack a serious amount of cold food with me for a one-night hike-in campsite, then I’ll turn to a high-quality backpack cooler to support me while I’m away from base camp.
What’s the best way to store food in a cooler for multiple days?
Strategic packing is key when it comes to keeping food at a safe temperature in a camping cooler for multiple days. Place frozen items at the bottom, where they stay coldest.
To prevent spoilage, it’s best to pack raw meat in vacuum-sealed bags or watertight containers. If it’s been in the freezer for more than a month, I’ll put the vacuum-sealed meat in a larger bag, as ice crystals can make microscopic holes in the plastic.
A layer of ice blocks on top of frozen foods will help pool their cold potential. If I don’t have room for ice blocks, I’ll lay frozen water bottles sideways.
Store drinks and snacks on top for easy access. You don’t want to stir up the bottom contents of the cooler looking for a can of soda. The more you turn it, the faster things will melt.
If you want to use cube ice for drinks, I recommend double-bagging it in zip-top bags. Especially later in the trip when it seems like there’s always water in the bottom of the cooler.
What should I look for in a camping cooler for bear country?
When camping in bear country, a certified bear-proof cooler is essential for food storage. I’ve seen a lot of people wing it over the years with disastrous results. When picking a bearproof cooler, you need to prioritize the following key features:
IGBC Certification – Approved by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee for bear resistance.
Heavy-Duty Latches – Sturdy metal or rubber latches that prevent bears from prying the lid open.
Lockable – Ability to secure with padlocks for extra protection.
Durable, Rotomolded Construction – Thick, high-density plastic for impact resistance.
Ice Retention – High-quality insulation to keep food cold for days.
Tie-Down Points – Secure the cooler to trees or bear-proof hang locations in the backcountry.
What are the best bear-proof coolers for primitive backcountry camping?
Here are some of the best IGBC-certified bear-resistant coolers available on Amazon:
The Yeti Tundra 45 has industry-best insulation, rotomolded design, and bear-proof features. This is the best camping cooler all around, and there’s even a newer version of the Yeti Tundra 45 with wheels.
The ROVR RollR 60 is lockable, IGBC-certified, and easy to use as your primary camping cooler in bear country. It’s durable enough to endure the stresses of a bear hang. The built-in wheels roll nicely over rough terrain, which is something you’ll appreciate for a hike-in campsite!
The Pelican 50 Quart Elite has heavy-duty latches, a bear-resistant design, and superior insulation for excellent ice retention. It’s relatively new to the back country camping scene. The Pelican Elite version with heavy-duty wheels is available with high-capacity storage.
The Grizzly 60 Quart camping cooler is extremely durable, IGBC-certified, and designed for extreme conditions.
The 60-quart capacity makes it a great option if you’re going to spend more than 4 days backcountry camping in bear territory.
This RTIC ultra-light 52-quart cooler is a budget-friendly, bear-resistant camping cooler.
It’s lightweight and IGBC-certified for bear resistance. While the lightness does translate to slightly shorter cold retention, it will easily support you while backcountry camping in bear territory for three days or more.
The RTIC 72 Quart wheeled camping cooler is better suited for more than three days back camping in bear country. It has the higher capacity and heavy-duty wheels to get you in and take care of you without having to pack back out for ice or fresh supplies.
These coolers are perfect for backcountry camping and meeting National Park bear-proof requirements.
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Disclaimer: With nearly two decades of experience as a product tester, reviewer, and promotional product specialist, I bring you my honest, unbiased opinions. If you make a purchase through my site, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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