The heat around South Louisiana for the past week has been oppressive, to say the least. It's going to be just as hot if not hotter this week. Don't be surprised if the area along and south of I-10 is placed under a heat advisory again today or for almost any day this week.

The National Weather Service Forecast Office is forecasting afternoon high temperatures every day this week to be well above normal. In fact, we could see actual air temperature readings in the triple-digits by this week. In the meantime, the middle to the upper 90-degree range will greet you outside in the afternoons.

Heat Wave
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For a lot of us who work outside staying cool means bringing a cooler. For those of us wanting to enjoy the outdoors a cooler is also a great thing to have if you don't want to face the potentially life-threatening symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Those maladies are real and they are more likely to when temperatures get hot and stay hot as they have done the past few weeks.

While today's modern coolers do a great job of keeping cold things cold, there are some things that you can do that will help them maintain the colder temperatures longer. Granted that's important when it comes to your beverages but it can become a matter of life and death if it's the food you're trying to keep away from high heat and potentially illnesses inspiring bacteria and other gut-busting microbes.

Doogie Labs via YouTube
Doogie Labs via YouTube
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Aluminum Foil Will Help Your Chill Chest Chill Out Longer.

We've mentioned this one a time or two, lining your ice chest or cooler with aluminium foil will add hours of ice time to your plans. The foil acts as yet another heat barrier and helps the inside of the chest maintain its cool.

Size Matters in Choosing an Ice Chest.

When picking out what ice chest to bring, you have to decide between two factors, what will fit and what you can carry. Then pick the ice chest that allows you to put the most in with as little empty space inside the chest as possible. Here's how you do that. Those empty air pockets will rob your cooler of its cooling efficiency. Pack them tight and your items will stay chilled longer.

Jared Pesicka via YouTube
Jared Pesicka via YouTube
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Pre-Chilling an Ice Chest is Just as Important as Pre-Gaming.

Just as you might have a beverage before you go out to have beverages you want to prepare your ice chest for receiving beverages or other items you want to have chilled. You certainly want to bring the ice chest inside from the heat of the outside for several hours. If you can, add some ice to the ice chest so it will already be cold when you add your items. The same can be said for the items you want to put in the ice chest. Chill those things ahead of time too.

Bigger is Better When it Comes to Ice Cubes.

When choosing the ice for your ice chest just know bigger is better even though crushed makes it easier to pack. If you can use large blocks of ice in your ice chest they will last longer. This means your food stays colder and less inundated with melted ice water. You'll have to do some extra planning and packing but this tip can be a game-changer.

Insider via YouTube
Insider via YouTube
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Some Other Tips to Make Your Ice Last Longer

Drain the water from your ice chest from time to time. No, that water doesn't help make your ice chest work any better in fact it hinders the process. Keep your cooler in the shade if you can, every little bit of less sun exposure the better. If Dry Ice is available you can add some of that to your regular ice. Dry Ice has a much lower temperature and will help keep your traditional ice frozen.

Of course, if you're going to keep things frozen, you're eventually going to need to thaw them. So, here's what you need to know regarding the microwave.

Don't Ever Put These Things in the Microwave

 

 

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