Packing a cooler for a relaxing, sun-filled day at the beach is like playing Tetris. But no matter how adept you are at puzzles and video games, inevitably you give up on stacking all those multishaped containers neatly, resorting to lugging a poorly organized cooler – along with multiple bags – across the hot sand.
“You don’t want to feel like you’re working a job by the time you get to the beach,” said Nikki Boyd, a professional organizer in North Carolina and the author of “Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home.” “Keep the cooler compact, and make it work for you as efficiently as possible.”
With a little planning and a few expert tips, a day at the beach can actually be relaxing.
Choose the Right Cooler
To master cooler Tetris, choose a cooler with one large insulated interior. Lauren Rivard, founder of the Picnic Collective, a picnic catering company in Costa Mesa, California, recommends avoiding coolers with multiple compartments, like the soft, collapsible coolers with various sleeves and pockets, which only take up valuable space.