TIPS FOR USING YOUR MAMMOTH COOLER
Mammoth Coolers are extremely well insulated with premium foam sandwiched between heavy-duty roto-molded plastic. Combined with a thick rubber lid gasket, Mammoth Coolers consistently demonstrate industry-leading ice retention qualities.
Ice Retention Tips
We have identified a few tricks that will help you get the most out of your Mammoth. Use the information below to maximize your Mammoth Cooler’s performance. There are many variables that affect ice retention, such as the outside environmental conditions, placement in direct sunlight/shade, frequency of lid openings, etc. Careful attention to these simple details can significantly extend ice retention.
1. Pre-Chill (or Pre-Heat) Your Mammoth
The Mammoth is built to maintain a temperature. The cooler is very well insulated meaning, it will maintain the amount of heat energy (or lack of it) inside the cooler. If your cooler starts out with excessive heat absorbed into the walls from being in the sun or from being stored in a hot area, it will cause excessive ice melt while the cooler walls cool to equalize the temperature of the ice. In order to maximize the cold retention ability of your Mammoth, we recommend that you keep your Mammoth in a cool place before use (even a frozen environment is ok), or pre-chill it with ice or dry ice. The goal is to decrease the internal temperature of the cooler prior to adding your contents. The colder the inside walls of the cooler, the better. Starting off with a pre-chilled cooler will greatly help to extend the life of your ice. Believe it or not, some Mammoth users creatively use their Mammoth to maintain food warmth during a Bar-B-Q sessions or a tailgate party! In this case, pre-heating will give similar, positive results.
2. Pre-Chill the Contents
The colder the contents are going in, the longer they will stay cool. Chilling or freezing the contents before they go into the Mammoth will lead to much longer ice retention.
3. Use the Coldest Ice Possible
Ice temperature can vary greatly depending on the source and type of ice. Water becomes ice at 32°F, but ice can get much colder. Block ice is typically the coldest type of ice that is readily available. We recommend using multiple types of ice for best results. Cover the bottom of the Mammoth with block ice, then pack the contents onto the blocks, and cover with cubed ice to fill empty spaces.
4. Air is the Enemy
Air will make your ice melt quickly. In order to keep air to minimum inside the Mammoth, we recommend that you fill it with as much contents or ice as possible. Large areas of air will cause ice to melt faster. Cold water is a solution to displace air, if your situation allows for that.
5. Keep the Lid Shut and Latched
Mammoth Coolers are installed with a rubber gasket seal on the lid. The main purpose is to keep outside air out. (See #4 above) This seal is only beneficial when the lid is completely and securely latched down. Furthermore, frequent openings of the lid will decrease ice retention.
6. Use Dry Ice
Keep scrolling to get even more tips about using dry ice.
TIPS FOR USING DRY ICE
What is dry ice?
Mammoth Coolers are 100% dry ice compatible. Dry ice is a safe, albeit more powerful, alternative to traditional ice cubes to chill your cooler’s contents. Typically, dry ice temperatures hover around -110° Fahrenheit in a cooler. That’s cold! Perhaps the best benefit to using dry ice; it will not liquefy in your cooler. It simply becomes a gas when it “melts” (sublimes). Eliminating ice/water and using dry ice will therefore keep contents in your cooler dry! However, you should know ahead of time that there are specific ways to use and handle dry ice. Please use caution and always use appropriate handling methods when working with dry ice.
How to use dry ice in my Mammoth Cooler?
Dry ice is best used for freezing, since -110° Fahrenheit is well below the freezing mark. Items will stay cooler, for a longer time by putting dry ice on top of them, instead of on the bottom. You should always wear gloves, preferably leather ones, on your hands to protect your skin from contact with the extreme temperatures. Freezing cold burns can be very painful, so use extreme caution when handling dry ice. Use 10 to 20 lbs of dry ice every 24-hour period. This will vary depending on the size of cooler. Leave the drain plug open slightly on your cooler when using dry ice. The gas needs a place to escape. It will pop the lid on your cooler if it does not have a way to escape. Dry ice works best when your cooler is full! You can use newspaper or other material if you do not have enough contents to fill the majority of the space in your cooler.