Four half-gallons of ice cream stored with 5 pounds of regular ice in a midsize cooler were soupy after 3 hours, while a similarly packed container kept cold with dry ice took 9 hours to reach the same state. Add icepacks in the box, but don't let them touch the cake. Sometimes a styrofoam cooler turned upside down works, just make sure it is secure. I would try filling up the cooler with ice, then putting salt on the ice, then surrounding your ice cream container with the ice/salt mix. Avoid having the ice chest directly on hot ground if you can. By packing the frozen ice cream loosely into the container, you create insulating pockets of cold air that will result in slower natural melting time. How to Use Dry Ice and Dry Ice Coolers. Dry Ice is Best (Hard Coolers and Ice Buckets Only) The Tundra® and Roadie® Hard Coolers and YETI TANK® Ice Buckets are all dry ice compatible, however, Hopper® Soft Coolers are not. When you need to get the food or drinks, simply open the cooler and remove the items. Poke holes in the top and sides of an insulated cooler by hammering a screwdriver through the material. Step 1. My husband was determined to find a solution that would keep ice cream frozen in the 80°+ heat for several hours for an upcoming party, and he found the perfect fix. Then put it in a box if you can't find a ice cooler big enough. Dry ice emits carbon … In the cases where people did get killed, they were travelling in closed cabins with much more dry ice than you'd ever use to transport one or a few packages of ice cream. Dry Ice normally comes in 10-inch squares, 2 inches thick weighing about 10 pounds each square. For those looking for an extra bit of cooling performance for your next camping or fishing trip, you might consider using dry ice in replacement of conventional ice if you have a dry ice cooler. It is frozen carbon dioxide gas at a temperature of -109.3°F or -78.5° C or colder, compared with water ice at 32°F or 0° C or colder. 9. I think the very best way to keep it frozen … Raise it to encourage airflow underneath or bury it into the sand at the beach (where it's cooler). However, you should put this cooler where the kids will have to be served by an adult. Dry ice is at least -109 degrees Fahrenheit and can keep your keep your ice cream frozen solid for up to 24 hours with proper packaging. 3. That is until last summer. If you had an ice cream churn you could let the ice cream thaw in the fridge and then re churn it in the morning. If you want to be able to access the food and drinks frequently or easily, place the wrapped dry ice on the bottom of the cooler. You can safely transport ice cream in a commercial cooler without any danger of it melting if you pack it correctly and use dry ice to keep it frozen. Line the bottom of a large cooler with a towel. This will work out to 2 squares (20 pounds) for an average 40-quart cooler. THE RESULTS. Protect your hands with oven mitts or leather gloves before handling or packing the dry ice into a plastic non-airtight beach cooler or ice chest. I also put those Ice pack sheets (the ones with the little square pillows) under the cake with a towel in between. As others have suggested, the dry ice will probably work well also, but be sure to keep the ice cream insulated from the dry ice or the emphasis will be very much on the "ice" portion of ice cream.

If you have to keep your ice solid and don't have a cooler, you can make your own using a cardboard box using aluminum foil, an insulator like cloth and some glue. Ice can be essential to enjoying a hot summer day, long trip or outdoor party. Bury your Ice Chest or Raise It. The other obvious way to keep your ice frozen is to open your ice chest as little as possible.