FOOD NEWS
The Cooler Lid Hack That Will Keep Ice Cold The Whole Day
By Betsy Parks
When you open a cooler's lid, you expose the insides to warm air, ruining your food and drinks. Instead, try adding a second layer of temperature protection.
A homemade second lid keeps the cold air inside when you open the main lid, so you can slide your hand under the pad or open just a corner to get out the things you need.
Any flexible, waterproof, insulating material works well for a cooler pad, especially double-reflective insulation, which you can get at a hardware store for less than $10 a roll.
On a large piece of paper, draw a rectangle that is a ½-inch smaller than each side of your cooler's opening to make a cutting pattern.
Tape the pattern to the insulation and cut it out with a pair of sharp scissors. If your cooler has rounded corners, you can clip them off to make the pad fit.
Once you have your pad cut and ready to go, pack your cooler tightly, making sure that there's no air inside the cooler, and pop the pad on top before you close the lid.
You can even make a double-layer pad with "flaps" by cutting one layer in half along the width and gluing the two pieces to the other layer to make a hinge in the middle.