To hold the water or to drain.

I always left it in because I figure that water that's cold already will stay cold better than air. Never gave it very much thought though.

1. Do you pre-chill your yeti knockoff in a large freezer before using it? The OB needs to know.

2. I would assume the water is warmer than the ice since it is melted ice. However, I think it helps the transfer of temperature from whatever is in your cooler, i.e. makes your drinks cool quicker since it will be cooled with more conduction rather than convection since there would be more contact with the water that simply ice chucks. So, while it wouldn't be as cold, it would get colder quicker.

Then of course the act of draining your cooler will introduce warmer air into the ice causing more to melt. And it would take more heat to increase the temperature of the larger mass of an ice chest full of ice and water than if it just had ice in it.

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Do you regularly drain your ice chest or leave the water in hopes of keeping your ice longer?

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Just a quick search shows these tips:
Pre cool foods for storage
Pre cool ice chest
Use block ice
Use rock salt
Elevate cooler
And finally…
Do not drain

Some of yall overthink way too much.

My YETI actually makes ice.

The only time I drain is if I have food that I don't want in slushy water. I'll drain and add more ice

I drain, but have never tested. Remember when Yetis first and the claim was the cooler would keep ice for a week? Such BS, at least in the summer in Jxn, MS (even under a covered back patio).

I only drain if I'm adding more ice and need the room or if I'm cooling something that needs to stay dry.

I will also put water in with the first bag of ice to cool drinks down faster. More surface area drawing heat out of drinks the faster they cool.

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will also put water in with the first bag of ice to cool drinks down faster.

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Put some salt in there too.

Draining the water will maintain the ice longer. We did this thread awhile back, and there are YouTube videos proving it.

Water is a conductor, air is an insulator. You want the conductor away from the ice. Think about thawing something in water versus air.