Pick up the dry ice as close to the time it is needed as possible.
Plan using 10 to 20 lbs of dry ice for every 24-hour period. This varies on the size of the ice chest.
Place only frozen foods in the cooler until the dry ice is gone. Then place non-frozen goods in a separate ice chest on regular ice.
Place the dry ice on top of the food as cold air sinks and will keep your food items colder.
Fill the empty space with wadded newspaper or other filler when packing items in the container. Any dead air space will cause the dry ice to sublimate faster.
Leave the water drain on your cooler open. The gas needs to escape and will pop the lid on your cooler if it does not have a way to escape.
