How to Pack an Esky Properly (and How Much Ice You Need)

By CHLAX, Reusable Ice · Updated October 2026 · 6 min read

Short answer: To pack an esky properly, pre-chill the esky and everything going into it, put a solid layer of ice on the bottom, add heavy perishables like meat and seafood next, pack more ice around them, put delicate food on top and fill every gap. Ice should take up about a third to half of the esky: roughly 2kg for a small esky (up to 25L), 5kg for a medium esky (30–50L) and 7–10kg for a large esky (55–75L).

Key takeaways

• Your esky keeps food cold. It can't make warm food cold, so chill everything first.
• Pack in layers: ice, heavy perishables, more ice, delicate food, then fill the gaps.
• Use enough ice: about a third to half of the esky's space.
• Big ice blocks last longer, and small cubes fill gaps. Mix both for long trips.
• A full esky in the shade with the lid shut stays cold longest.
• Use a separate drinks esky so the food esky stays shut.

There's an art to packing an esky. Get it right and you're cracking cold drinks on day two of the camping trip. Get it wrong and you're fishing a soggy sausage roll out of a pool of warm water by lunchtime. Here's exactly how to do it, step by step.

How do you pack an esky step by step?

1. Pre-chill the esky the night before.
2. Chill or freeze everything before it goes in.
3. Put ice on the bottom, a solid layer.
4. Add the heaviest and coldest items next: meat, seafood and frozen food.
5. Pack more ice around and between items.
6. Put lighter, delicate food on top: dairy, salads and fruit.
7. Fill the gaps, because air space is warm space.
8. Keep the lid shut and the esky in the shade.

Step 1: Pre-chill your esky

A warm esky straight out of a hot shed or car boot will use up your first lot of ice just cooling itself down. The night before, bring it inside and put in a few frozen water bottles or a spare bag of reusable ice. Take them out before you pack properly in the morning.

Step 2: Chill (or freeze) everything first

An esky is designed to keep food cold, not to cool warm food down. The Food Safety Information Council advises keeping cold food at or below 5°C and not packing food while it's still warm. So:

• Refrigerate drinks the day before.
• Freeze meat you won't need until day two or three. It acts as extra ice and thaws on the way.
• Freeze a couple of water bottles. They're ice now and drinking water later.

Step 3: Put ice on the bottom

Start with a solid, even layer of ice across the base, so your heaviest and most perishable food sits on cold. You'll add more ice higher up as you go.

With bagged ice, this is where melt water starts pooling. CHLAX Reusable Ice Cubes are filled with purified water and sealed, so no melt water collects at the bottom of the esky to soak your food.

Step 4: Add the heaviest and coldest items next

Raw meat, chicken, seafood and anything frozen go directly on that first ice layer. These items most need to stay cold, and they're heavy enough to squash anything underneath them.

Tip: keep raw meat and seafood in sealed containers or zip-lock bags so nothing leaks onto other food.

Step 5: Pack more ice around and between items

Tuck ice down the sides and between items rather than just tipping it on top. Smaller cubes, like our Regular 2.5cm cubes, fit neatly into the gaps.

Step 6: Put lighter, delicate food on top

Dairy, dips, salads, fruit, bread rolls and anything that bruises or squashes goes on the top layer, where it's easy to reach and won't get crushed.

Step 7: Fill the gaps

Empty air space warms up fast. Fill gaps with more ice, a folded tea towel or extra drinks. A full esky stays cold longer than a half-empty one.

Step 8: Keep the lid shut and the esky in the shade

Every time the lid opens, cold air spills out. A few habits make a big difference:

• Keep the esky in the shade, never in the boot or direct sun.
• Put a towel or blanket over it for extra insulation.
• Know what you're grabbing before you open the lid.
• Use a second esky just for drinks (more on that below).

How much ice do you need for an esky?

As a rule of thumb, ice should take up about a third to half of your esky's space. Use more for longer trips, hotter weather or an esky that will be opened often.

Want a personalised answer? Every CHLAX product page has an ice calculator that recommends how many bags you need based on your esky size and trip length.

Is block ice or cube ice better for an esky?

• Big blocks have less surface area for their size, so they stay cold longer. They're best for the base layer and long trips. Try our Big Block 4.8cm cubes.
• Small cubes pack tightly around food and drinks and chill them faster. They're best for filling gaps and for drinks.

For a weekend or longer, a base of big blocks with smaller cubes packed around your food is hard to beat.

Should you use a separate esky for drinks?

Yes, if you can. A drinks esky gets opened constantly, but a food esky doesn't need to be. Splitting them keeps your food esky shut most of the day so it holds its cold far longer. If you only have one esky, put drinks on top so you're not digging past the food every time someone wants a cold one.

What are the most common esky packing mistakes?

• Packing warm food or drinks, which drains your ice fast.
• Not using enough ice. A few cubes on top won't cut it in Aussie summer.
• Leaving the esky in the sun or the car boot.
• Opening the lid constantly. This is the main reason to have a separate drinks esky.
• Letting food sit in melt water. With bagged ice, drain it regularly, or avoid the problem altogether with sealed reusable ice.

What is reusable ice, and how does it work in an esky?

Reusable ice cubes are sealed plastic cubes filled with water. You freeze them, use them like normal ice, then rinse and refreeze them. CHLAX is a proudly Australian-owned brand of reusable ice cubes filled with purified water and made from BPA-free, food-safe plastic. They keep an esky cold for up to 48 hours, depending on the esky and conditions, and they never melt into the esky. That means no melt water, no soggy food and no trips to the servo for bagged ice.

Freezing tip: spread the cubes on a tray and they freeze in about 8 hours. Frozen in the bag, they can take up to 48 hours. See our freezing guide.

• Regular 2.5cm cubes, 2kg bag: small eskies and day trips
• Regular 2.5cm cubes, 5kg bag: medium eskies and full days out
• Big Block 4.8cm cubes, 5kg bag: long trips and big eskies

Free shipping on Australian orders over $100.

More tips: How to Keep Your Esky Cold All Day Without Buying Ice · How to Keep Fish Fresh on a Fishing Trip · The Camper's Guide to Keeping Food and Drinks Cold

Esky packing FAQs

Should ice go on the top or bottom of an esky?

Both. Put a solid layer of ice on the bottom for meat and perishables to sit on, then pack more ice around and between items. Because cold air sinks, ice higher up also cools everything below it.

How much ice do I need for a 50L esky?

About 5kg of ice suits a 50L esky for a full day or an overnight trip. For a weekend or hot weather, use 7kg or more, ideally mixing big blocks with smaller cubes.

How long does ice last in an esky?

It depends on the esky's quality, how much ice you use, how full the esky is, the outside temperature and how often it's opened. A pre-chilled, full esky kept in the shade lasts far longer than a half-empty one in the sun. CHLAX reusable ice keeps an esky cold for up to 48 hours, depending on the esky and conditions.

Should I drain the water from my esky?

With bagged ice, yes. Melt water warms up and soaks your food, so drain it regularly. Sealed reusable ice like CHLAX doesn't produce melt water, so there's nothing to drain.

What temperature should food be kept at in an esky?

Keep cold food at or below 5°C, as advised by the Food Safety Information Council. Pack plenty of ice around perishables and keep the esky closed and in the shade.

Can I put reusable ice cubes directly in drinks?

Yes. CHLAX cubes are BPA-free and food-safe, so they can go straight into drinks without watering them down. Rinse them before and after use.