Coolers & Kitchen Storage

One of the biggest advantages of getting outside in nature is that you get to see how little you need to get by. Life is simpler, more peaceful, when you’re roughing it in the wilderness. By having less, even just for a short period of time, you can get a fresh perspective on things. 

But, here’s the thing. Without a bit of organisation, your camp kitchen (and maybe even all your camping gear) can become a cluttered, messy disaster zone. There’s nothing very peaceful about scrambling to find something you’ve misplaced, or realising you’ve forgotten an essential item.  

If that’s sounding a bit too close to home, then it might be time to organise your camp kitchen. 

Here’s our advice: 

Take stock of your gear.

Get all of your camp cookware supplies together in one place. Are you missing anything? Is there anything you never use? If you have a lot of stuff, consider sorting this into a few logical categories. Think about what you use together and what you might want to access at the same time.

Use a camping storage box (or three).

Using a dedicated camping storage box for your camping kitchen supplies can save you a lot of time when packing for an adventure – which means more time out enjoying yourself, instead of stressing about where that spork got to. 

Use labels and lists to your advantage. 

Now you know what you’re working with and where everything is, write out a list of all the camping cookware and dinnerware you have and/or need for hiking trips. Think of this as your master list – it will be what you refer to before every camping trip now and will serve as your reminder for what you need to take. If your gear is sorted into multiple boxes, consider labelling each box or breaking your list down by box, so you can quickly see what each camping storage box has inside. 

Test, refine and test again.

As with any new organisation system, it can take a while to get your camp kitchen organised just right. Any time you go camping, intentionally consider what things are working and ask yourself what could be better. You might even take a notebook so you can jot down any ideas or notes for next time. Do that and you’ll have a seamless camp kitchen setup in no time. 

Put effort into your pack up process.

Last but not least, you need to put effort into your pack up process. Yes, we know you’re tired after your big adventure, but if you don’t take proper care of your camping cookware and then return it to its designated place, you’ll be right back where you started. 

Alright, that’s our advice on how to organise your camp kitchen. Remember, the key is to find a system that works for you. It doesn’t have to be an Instagram-perfect camp kitchen,  just a practical and intuitive setup that allows you to access your camping gear when and where you need it.

Our Base Camp Cooler Box has been designed to handle hot outdoor conditions and keep ice frozen for up to five days. 

However, the exact length of time any cooler box will stay cold depends on a lot of factors, including the quality of the cooler itself, how full it is, the external temperature where it’s stored, how often you open it and more.

Here’s some tips to maximise the performance of your cooler box or camping esky: 

1. Pre-chill your cooler box. This reduces the initial temperature of the cooler, helping it to keep the food cold for longer. You can do this by placing ice or cold packs inside it for a few hours before use. When you’re ready to pack, remove the cold packs or ice and refreeze them for next time. 
2. Pre-chill your food and drinks as well. Along with pre-chilling the cooler box itself, it helps to make sure the food and drinks you're placing in your camping esky are already frosty, too. To do this, refrigerate or even partially freeze your food before you pack it. This reduces the amount of work the cooler has to do to keep the items cold. 
3. Use ice packs or block ice. Use ice packs or block ice instead of cubed or crushed ice as the main source of ‘freeze power’ in your camping esky. These melt slower and can keep the food cold for a longer period. 
4. Pack items tightly in the cooler. This reduces the amount of air inside, which can warm up and melt the ice faster. 
5. Add some crushed ice over top. Now you’ve got everything packed tightly around the ice blocks, you can add in some crushed ice to all the remaining gaps. Just make sure you don’t over pack your cooler box because you need the lid to seal shut completely.
6. Use some extra insulation around your cooler box. Adding extra insulation, such as by putting a blanket or towel over top or covering it with a reflective foil window cover from your vehicle can help to maintain the low temperature inside the cooler for even longer. 
7. Keep it in the shade. Keep the cooler box in the shade whenever possible. Fairly self-explanatory, but worth mentioning, anyway.
8. Minimise how often you open your cooler box. Every time you open your cooler box, you’re letting warm air inside and causing cold air to escape. While it is inevitable, try to avoid opening your camping esky more often than you need to.

There you have it! You can use some or all of these tips to maximise the performance of your cooler box. Stay cool out there!

Here at Alton, we’ve earned a reputation as the outdoor store Australia goes to for high-quality, ultra-durable hiking gear at a fair price. We are committed to going further, sourcing the very best materials and implementing industry-leading quality standards across every area of our business. 

As a part of that commitment, we back absolutely everything we make with our All Good Guarantee. This is a Lifetime Warranty* that protects your Alton gear for as long as you own it. If something isn’t up to our meticulous manufacturing standards, we’ll repair or replace it for you. 

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