Roto molded coolers - thoughts

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi all,

I still have our old Coleman that we got as a wedding gift in 1983! Works fine for us, but will need to upgrade when we begin traveling more.

I have read and heard many good things about Cabela's brand that competes against the Yeti. Just as good but less expensive.

Take care,

Dean

[stude]

Originally Posted by Scamp-

Mike

I am checking into Artic and hoping that it won't water down the food for a 5 day excursion.

That is the hope. I wanted to know what type of coolers that fellow FGRV's have experience with.

hy not use dry ice, wrap it in plastic so u don't burn your skin but it will last the 5 days and more.
Stude

[Jack L]

Originally Posted by stude

hy not use dry ice, wrap it in plastic so u don't burn your skin but it will last the 5 days and more.
Stude

Just do not use it in your trailer or anywhere else where people or animals are breathing. The gas given off by dry ice is heavier than air so you wont have any oxygen. Dry ice is not allowed on commercial aircraft for this reason.

[LindaandPat]

v

Originally Posted by stude

hy not use dry ice, wrap it in plastic so u don't burn your skin but it will last the 5 days and more.
Stude

Also dry ice is so cold it could crack the cheap materials used that are not extreme coolers . There is a reason they are expensive . We have had them all and still do igloos , coleman's . But the extreme coolers are really well built and in our opinion worth the cost . Pat

[floyd]

This new market for grossly overpriced, good quality coolers seems to have been a response to the cheap absolutely useless coolers which have flooded the market in recent years.
I had Igloo coolers back in the seventies which were very good quality at reasonable prices. I have at least a half a dozen practically new coolers on my shelf right now which can only be called "picnic" coolers. Barely good for a day trip.
I suspect that some have no insulation at all except for airspace.
I have one dense styrofoam shipping box which is better.
Of course these "picnic" coolers only cost about $15.
For my money, something more than half as good as the Yeti for around $50 would fit my needs quite well, and likely the needs of most buyers.

[LindaandPat]

Originally Posted by floyd

This new market for grossly overpriced, good quality coolers seems to have been a response to the cheap absolutely useless coolers which have flooded the market in recent years.
I had Igloo coolers back in the seventies which were very good quality at reasonable prices. I have at least a half a dozen practically new coolers on my shelf right now which can only be called "picnic" coolers. Barely good for a day trip.
I suspect that some have no insulation at all except for airspace.
I have one dense styrofoam shipping box which is better.
Of course these "picnic" coolers only cost about $15.
For my money, something more than half as good as the Yeti for around $50 would fit my needs quite well, and likely the needs of most buyers.

You said it . That is the problem most are junk . The older coolers we had were thicker walls and really worked well . The sad truth if you want a good cooler it is going to cost you . If We are going on a lengthy trip in the heat ,and need to keep things that need to be kept cold we have a great cooler . If I just wanted to keep drinks other then milk etc. the 50 dollar is fine and we have that too. Pat

[Raz]

Floyd and I agree

I have a 36 quart made in the U.S. Coleman Extreme. I paid less than $40 for it about 15 years ago. It will keep a 10 lb block of ice for 5 days, if everything that goes in is cold or frozen, nothing new is added, and you don't drain the water. The ice melts faster if you add room temperature items (soda, beer, etc.), drain the water, or use ice cubes. Ever notice that it's not even cubes anymore but ice shavings. Had to replace the hinges a few years back, $4.

$300 and up for a cooler. Now I understand why folks worry about theft. I thought it was just beer thieves.

[LindaandPat]

Originally Posted by Raz

Floyd and I agree

I have a 36 quart made in the U.S. Coleman Extreme. I paid less than $40 for it about 15 years ago. It will keep a 10 lb block of ice for 5 days, if everything that goes in is cold or frozen, nothing new is added, and you don't drain the water. The ice melts faster if you add room temperature items (soda, beer, etc.), drain the water, or use ice cubes. Ever notice that it's not even cubes anymore but ice shavings. Had to replace the hinges a few years back, $4.

$300 and up for a cooler. Now I understand why folks worry about theft. I thought it was just beer thieves.

Hi Raz . Got our Penquin for 200. On Amazon . We save cartons from lemonade , juice . Make our own solid ice in the carton's .

[PC Steve]

I have a yeti Roadie 20 and two Pelican 45s. They work as advertised if you keep the lid closed. They are incredibly heavy and I have sometimes used Igloo Extremes to avoid carrying them. Functionally, I don't think there is a significant difference among the premium coolers.

My advice is to match the cooler to the need. For day trips, I use a fabric cooler and throw away leftover ice.

[crowwing]

We have a Pelican purchased at Costco. Works very well. The only thing I don't like is it is heavy! I am guessing the density has a connection with the exceptional insulation.
John

[Kai in Seattle]

I saw an article about using silver foil/bubble wrap insulation to make either a liner or an outside "box" for your cooler, holding it together with silver duct tape.

[Material Guy]

I purchase a Pelican cooler last year for several reasons:
1) Quality
2) Cheaper than Yeti but same quality
3) Bear proof & lockable!!!!
4) Ice retention

I fill my old hydration bladders (3 L) and freeze them, this will last a week camping in over 30 degree heat. This also will not cause the melting water to create any issues with your meat contaminating your other foods.

Heavy yes but the quality is fantastic

[Jim Bennett]

Our cooler is used mostly for beverages, with most food going in the fridge. Nice to have the beer in a cooler where it is handier. We have the Igloo Sportsman STX 54 Cooler. It is reasonably priced, very tough, great handles, good seal and a metal latch. No problem keeping our drinks cold during a long weekend, and this is with restocking with warm drinks.

It would even do food for a long weekend too, all depending on how hot it is out.

If I was needing to rely on a cooler to keep food safe for more than a weekend without adding more ice, I would look at one of the super-insulated ones, but this one is more than adequate.

Click on image for link.

[David and Nancy]

We bought a 120 quart Yeti because of the extreme durability. We go on multi-day whitewater rafting trips every year, tent camping in wilderness areas with bears. There are cheaper coolers that will probably hold ice as long, but won't hold up to the beating we inflict on them. We used to use Gott/Rubbermaid products before rotomolded coolers were invented. I still have one in my garage that was shredded by a grizzly. I had really strong buckle straps on it at the time, so the bear just ripped the side of the cooler open. For car camping, Coleman and Igloo make coolers that are plenty adequate and affordable. I keep those around for less extreme adventures. But I notice that there are a lot of rotomolded coolers on the market recently that cost less than Yeti and might be worth checking out. We saw some in Cabelas recently that appears nearly identical to Yeti.

[ZachO]

That Expedition Portal article goes along with what I had heard a few years back. Yeah, the high end coolers keep ice a bit longer, but the only significant difference between coolers like Yeti and a Coleman Xtreme is the build quality. You can't drop a coleman off a tailgate, and the hinges and other things like that aren't as durable.

But as far as any typical person using a cooler for a weekend...coleman and igloo work 99% as well as coolers that cost over $200. And they're less likely to get stolen. Which is not to say I don't want a Yeti-style cooler some day, but it's a good reality check on what to spend your hard earned money on, if you don't have a lot to spare.

[Escape 15A]

Thanks

I think the Rtic is going to be my cooler of choice.

Scamp-

[Al and Cindy K]

Originally Posted by Scamp-

Thanks

I think the Rtic is going to be my cooler of choice.

Scamp-

There have been several threads on various message boards about Yeti 'winning' their legal battle with Rtic but a quick check on the Rtic site this AM shows all three cooler sizes in stock with ship dates of 3/01/17. Rtic has announced it will be coming out with 'new' products by 5/01/17.

I'm not sure what's actually happening but the only negative I've seen on these folks is their warranty has dropped from seven years when they were introduced (I think Yeti is five years) to thirty days now.

I'd also suggest looking at the Ozark Trail line at your local Walmart. These are priced slightly less than a comparable Rtic and you can inspect the cooler before making a purchase.


Al

[Mike Magee]

This thread has been educational. I never was aware of the different manufacturing process of roto molding, versus injection molding. Having "the best" type of cooler seems appealing, but when I compare the price (3x to 6x as much) and the weight (3x as heavy), the roto molded coolers lose much of that appeal with me. Hopefully my two big coolers' hinges will hold out for many years, saving me from any remaining temptation to own a really "cool" cooler.

[Tom Trostel]

Walmart also has a cooler in the class.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Tra...-Grey/49229404

[michelleapple]

I've seen posting on pintrest where ice, in containers placed under bakers cooling racks. food put on top of racks, to stay out of melted ice...at least things that should swim in the melted ice water.