Cooler size calculator
- Contents: about 15 qt of food and 16 qt of drinks (36 cans)
- Ice at 1.5:1 to contents: about 47 qt, roughly 56 lb of cubed ice (6 ten-pound bags)
- Two coolers: the drinks cooler gets opened constantly, so keeping it separate protects the food ice
- Total space needed: 78 qt. Quart ratings are interior volume; real usable space is a little less once the lid and drain are clear
Matches for this answer
Coolers from budget to rotomolded
Every budget band below comes from the Amazon listing price when this page was built; the link shows the current price.
Coleman Chiller 30-Quart Portable CoolerUnder $50Check priceSpec sheet
Coleman Classic Series Insulated Rolling CoolerUnder $100Check price
Igloo Marine Ultra 90 QT CoolerUnder $250Check priceSpec sheet
Flex 'N Go 62-Quart Wheeled CoolerUnder $250Check priceSpec sheet
RTIC 45 QT Ultra-Tough Hard CoolerUnder $250Check priceSpec sheet
RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light Wheeled Hard CoolerUnder $500Check price
Ninja FrostVault 65qt Cooler with WheelsUnder $500Check price
YETI Roadie Wheel CoolerUnder $500Check priceSpec sheet
How does this calculator work?
Food takes about 1.25 quarts of cooler space per person per day once it is in containers and zip bags: breakfast, lunch makings and a dinner protein. A 12 oz can takes 0.375 qt of liquid but about 0.45 qt of space once you allow for the gaps a round can leaves.
Ice is added as a ratio of the contents by volume. One night can get away with 1:1. Two to three days wants 1.5:1, and four days or more wants the 2:1 that rotomolded cooler makers recommend, because ice is the thing that is actually keeping everything cold.
When the total runs past about 70 quarts and a meaningful part of it is drinks, the calculator splits the answer into two coolers. The drinks cooler is opened dozens of times a day and loses its ice fast; the food cooler is opened at meals and keeps its ice far longer.
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Frequently asked questions
How big of a cooler do I need?
Multiply people by days by about 1.25 qt for food, add 0.45 qt per canned drink, then add ice at 1:1 for one night, 1.5:1 for a weekend or 2:1 for four days or more. Two people for a weekend land around 35 to 45 qt; a family of four for three days needs about 78 qt of total space, usually as two coolers. Cooler dimensions by quart size are on the cooler sizes chart.
What size cooler for a family of 5?
For a 3-day trip with three canned drinks per person per day, about 98 quarts of total space: roughly a 48 qt food cooler plus a 52 qt drinks cooler, with about 70 lb of cubed ice at 1.5:1. For an overnight, one 52 to 65 qt cooler is usually enough. Enter your own days and drinks in the calculator for the exact split.
What are common cooler sizes and capacity?
Coolers are rated in quarts of interior volume. Roughly: 20 to 28 qt for a day trip or two people overnight, 45 to 52 qt for a weekend for two, 65 to 75 qt for a family weekend, and 100 qt and up, or two coolers, for a week or a big group. Usable space is a little less than the rating once the lid, drain and ice are in.
What size cooler do I need for a weekend camping trip?
For two people over a 2 to 3 day weekend, a 45 to 52 quart cooler covers food, a reasonable drink supply and ice at about 1.5:1. A family of four on the same weekend needs about 75 to 80 quarts of total space, which is usually easier as two coolers: a 45 qt for food and a smaller one for drinks.
How many cans fit in a 52 quart cooler?
Manufacturers usually rate a 52 quart cooler at around 80 cans, but that is with no ice at all. With ice at a 1:1 ratio you realistically fit about 40 cans, and at 2:1 for a longer trip closer to 25. Can counts on the box are a volume measure, not a packing plan.
Is a bigger cooler always better?
No. Empty air space melts ice faster, so an oversized, half-full cooler performs worse than a correctly sized full one. If you own a big cooler, fill the gaps with extra ice or frozen water bottles. A larger cooler also becomes very heavy when loaded: a full 65 quart roto cooler can weigh over 80 lb.
How much ice do I need for a cooler?
Use about 1.2 lb of cubed ice per quart of ice space. At the 2:1 ice to contents ratio recommended for longer trips, a 65 quart cooler takes roughly 43 quarts of ice, about 52 lb, or five to six ten-pound bags. Block ice lasts longer than cubes, so a block on the bottom with cubes around the food is a common compromise.
Sources
- Ice-to-contents ratio of 2:1 for multi-day trips: packing guidance published by rotomolded cooler makers.
- Can volume (12 fl oz = 0.375 qt) and cubed ice density (about 1.2 lb per quart): standard unit conversions.
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