The size of your cooler will matter when it comes to packing for the beach. Be sure that you have ice and ice packets frozen and ready as these will be your main cold source for the trip. To pack a cooker, start by putting some ice on the bottom of the cooler. Then pack in your items that need to be cold. Put them in so that they aren't going to tip or spill or get smashed. Once you have everything in it that you want. Add more ice and fill it as full as possible with ice, and then add frozen ice packs on top. Refrain from opening the lid a lot as that will let the cold air out, causing it to unthaw a lot quicker than it normally would.