How to Pack Liquid Death Cans for Camping and Tailgates

By Liquid Death | Published: 2026-10-14

Category: How-to Guides

A step-by-step guide to packing canned drinks for camping and tailgates, with cooler layering tips, can cooler recommendations, and cold-keeping strategies.

Quick answer

Pack Liquid Death cans by chilling them first, layering ice and cans in a quality cooler, using insulated can coolers for the cans you'll drink first, and keeping the cooler out of direct sun. This keeps canned water cold through a weekend campout or a long tailgate.

Why can shape and material change your cooler strategy

Liquid Death Mountain Water comes in infinitely recyclable aluminum cans, which chill faster than glass or plastic but also warm faster once removed from ice. That means your cooler plan should focus on two things: getting cans cold before you pack them, and limiting how long each can sits outside the ice. If you're packing canned drinks for camping, treat the cooler as the source of cold and the can cooler as the short-term hand-off.

How many cans fit without crushing them

Aluminum cans dent under heavy weight, so don't fill a cooler to the lid and then sit on it. For a standard 50-quart cooler, a single layer of 24 cans plus ice leaves enough headroom to close without pressing down. If you need more cans, use a second cooler rather than stacking them deep enough to crush the bottom row. This matters for tailgate drink cooler tips because a dented can is more likely to leak once it warms.

Pre-chill, then pack with a sacrificial layer

Cans that go into the cooler at room temperature will melt your ice faster and leave you with warm drinks by the second day. Chill them in your fridge overnight, then pack them cold. Put a thin layer of ice on the bottom, add cans, then cover with ice. A sacrificial layer of ice on top absorbs the first wave of heat when you open the lid. For keep canned water cold camping, this one habit adds hours of cold.

Use can coolers for the cans in your hand, not the whole cooler

Insulated can coolers slow the warming process once a can leaves the ice, but they don't replace a cooler. Use them for the cans you're actively drinking, then return the can to the cooler if you're not finishing it. A can cooler also keeps your hand from freezing and stops condensation from soaking your clothes. That's the practical side of liquid death cans travel: the cooler does the heavy lifting, the can cooler handles the last 20 minutes.

Keep the cooler out of the sun and off the ground

Direct sun and hot ground are the two biggest ice killers at a campsite or tailgate. Put the cooler in the shade of a vehicle or a tarp, and set it on a folded blanket or a piece of cardboard instead of bare asphalt or dirt. If you're tailgating on pavement, rotate the cooler so the lid faces away from the sun. These small moves are the difference between ice lasting one day and lasting three.

Packing steps for cold cans all weekend

Chill cans overnight before you pack: Put your Liquid Death cans in the fridge the night before you leave. Cold cans melt less ice and stay cold longer than room-temperature cans. Checkpoint: if a can feels cool but not cold to the touch, give it another hour.
Line the cooler with a bottom layer of ice: Add two to three inches of ice or frozen ice packs to the bottom of the cooler before any cans go in. This creates a cold floor that chills the bottom row. Common mistake: skipping the bottom layer and putting cans directly on the cooler floor.
Stand cans upright in a single layer: Place cans upright, not on their sides, and avoid stacking more than two layers deep. Upright cans are less likely to leak and easier to grab without digging. Checkpoint: the lid should close without pressing down on the cans.
Fill gaps with ice, not air: Pour ice or slide ice packs into the spaces between cans so there are no air pockets. Air warms faster than ice, so gaps cost you cold. Common mistake: leaving a big empty space at one end of the cooler.
Top with a final ice layer and close the lid: Cover the top row completely with ice. This sacrificial layer takes the hit every time you open the cooler. Checkpoint: if you can see cans through the ice, add more.
Keep a few can coolers in the lid or side pocket: Pull out two to four insulated can coolers before you leave. Use them for the cans you're drinking now so you're not opening the cooler every few minutes. Next step: return unfinished cans to the cooler instead of leaving them in the sun.
Park the cooler in shade and off hot ground: Set the cooler on a blanket, cardboard, or a camp chair instead of asphalt or dirt. Keep it out of direct sun and open it as little as possible. Checkpoint: if the outside of the cooler feels hot, move it.

Products that make packing easier

Can Coolers of Death Pack: Set of four insulated can coolers with designs from some of our favorite artists. Now with 29% more death than previous models. Four coolers let you hand out cold cans to a small group without pulling the whole cooler out of the shade, and the insulation buys time before a can warms in your hand.
Mountain Water (Still): Ice cold recyclable cans of Mountain Water come from real American mountain ranges. Infinitely recyclable cans. Aluminum cans chill quickly and are light to carry, so they're a practical choice when you're packing canned drinks for camping and want to keep the load manageable.