As many of us on the East Coast are preparing for power outages due to Hurricane Irene’s wrath, we thought this tip might come in handy. Thank you to our friend Tammy R. of Culpeper, VA, who shared it with us many years ago as a way to keep beverages super cold on the beach.

Supplies you’ll need:
A cooler
Ice
Rock salt

Add ice to cooler. Sprinkle a light amount of rock salt on top – it doesn’t take much. It will make the ice “colder” and extend the life.

Add food and beverages. The less you open the top, the longer it will last. We’ve had the ice last for days. You can add more rock salt as needed but if you use too much it will freeze everything (think ice cream).

Please leave comments below and share your storm preparation tips.