Cooler Talk! 2024
Scuba Steve reply :
I'm currently awaiting delivery of my first Yeti cooler! Should be here Tuesday. I know the forum rules let's keep the NRA stuff out of it, please.
I have a few other Yeti, RTIC, Ozark, and Pelican products that I have been very happy with. I was able to get the $249 Tundra 35 for $199 thanks to the military/first responder discount program they have, so that was greatly appreciated.
Honestly, I have the income, and didn't want to settle. I didn't mind spending the extra $100 to get the bad arse cooler I've always wanted.
Anybody reading this care to chime in on their favorite cooler and why? Any Yeti Tundra owners out there? What size works best for your fishing needs?
haggard reply :
Yeti. Pricey yes, but quality comes at a price. No regrets. I use my Yeti mugs every day (commuting, at work, at home) - always filled with ice water - and they (and a Yeti cooler) come with me on every trip to camp and every outing on the boat. Their customer service in my experience has been excellent. The 30 oz. rambler is my new favorite. Bigger size means less opening of the soft cooler to replenish with ice and water.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/14/2019 at 11:34 PM, haggard said:Yeti. Pricey yes, but quality comes at a price. No regrets. I use my Yeti mugs every day (commuting, at work, at home) - always filled with ice water - and they (and a Yeti cooler) come with me on every trip to camp and every outing on the boat. Their customer service in my experience has been excellent. The 30 oz. rambler is my new favorite. Bigger size means less opening of the soft cooler to replenish with ice and water.
Completely agree. My original stainless 30 oz has been with me literally every day since they debuted. I have not had to deal with their customer service yet but I hear very good things. I'm excited to put it to work!
Bluebasser86 reply :
I've got a large Ozark Trail cooler I found on sale for $60. Keeps ice for days too. Nicest cooler I've ever owned by far.
FishinBuck07 reply :
I am with Bluebasser86, I have the Ozark and it keeps ice for days.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 7:12 AM, Bluebasser86 said:I've got a large Ozark Trail cooler I found on sale for $60. Keeps ice for days too. Nicest cooler I've ever owned by far.
On 9/15/2019 at 7:19 AM, FishinBuck07 said:I am with Bluebasser86, I have the Ozark and it keeps ice for days.
You guys have that rotomolded Ozark? The $75 ish one?
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 8:05 AM, Scuba Steve said:
You guys have that rotomolded Ozark? The $75 ish one?
I have this one, I paid have price for it brand new.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-52-Quart-High-Performance-Cooler/49229404?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=5307&adid=22222222228039166247&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=92176420097&wl4=aud-566049426705:pla-183840542657&wl5=9023835&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=49229404&veh=sem&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn_LrBRD4ARIsAFEQFKtNDHtSqa6dLWNadI4icPQhg_zZbsy8U8mvYb3K0itVLOkgGu-dFAEaAhGREALw_wcB
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 8:27 AM, Bluebasser86 said:I have this one, I paid have price for it brand new.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-52-Quart-High-Performance-Cooler/49229404?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=5307&adid=22222222228039166247&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=92176420097&wl4=aud-566049426705:pla-183840542657&wl5=9023835&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=49229404&veh=sem&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn_LrBRD4ARIsAFEQFKtNDHtSqa6dLWNadI4icPQhg_zZbsy8U8mvYb3K0itVLOkgGu-dFAEaAhGREALw_wcB
Oh ok very cool. I checked that one out too.
jbsoonerfan reply :
I have a nearly new Tundra 45 I am trying to sell locally for $200. I like it, it is just too big for our needs. The 20 fits in the Tahoe much better.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 10:05 AM, jbsoonerfan said:I have a nearly new Tundra 45 I am trying to sell locally for $200. I like it, it is just too big for our needs. The 20 fits in the Tahoe much better.
Aside from it being too large were you happy with it?
jbsoonerfan reply :
Yea, it works great, especially for fall hunting trips. In the middle of the summer sitting on the boat or bank and being opened many times a day all day I wouldn't say it is much better than most coolers. It will need more ice the next day. The key to these coolers is to put what you need in them, and open them as least amount of times as possible. Great for food storage for camping, not as great for throwing a 30 pack in on a 100 degree day and get one out every 15 min. lol
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
Ya if u need to keep something that cool.for that long defiantly go big or go home ....the fish i catch and the drinks i drink are gone in 1 day ....with ice left over ive had best luck with igloo marine coolers
Boomstick reply :
I bought a 73 quart Lifetime at Walmart earlier this year for $150. It kept ice for a 5 day camping trip where the coolest day was 88 degrees and still had some ice left a week later, so it's worked very well for me. I considered Yetis too, but looking at the construction of this thing, it's nearly identical and a fraction the price and works quite well.
The cooler I use for a day trip or for a weekend of fishing is a cheapo 50? quart cooler that my dad gave me. Ice retention is not great, but it's smaller and holds enough ice for a weekend so it works for what I use it for.
Drew03cmc reply :
Honestly, I don't see a value in a $250 cooler. To me, it is a waste of money that could go to another trip, a new rod, reel, things for the kids or whatever have you. Yeti, to me, is one of the biggest rip offs of our time. If I were to get that type of cooler, Ozark Trail for me.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 12:44 PM, Drew03cmc said:Honestly, I don't see a value in a $250 cooler. To me, it is a waste of money that could go to another trip, a new rod, reel, things for the kids or whatever have you. Yeti, to me, is one of the biggest rip offs of our time. If I were to get that type of cooler, Ozark Trail for me.
Keep going... ????
nosdog2 reply :
I have a MILEE 45 quart that I have been using for the past 2 years. It's a beast and keeps ice as long as I need. It is sturdy as hell too, I use it as a transition step on my boat and it has some heave duty rubber feet that prevents it from sliding at all. Comes with extra features not found on other brands as well.
Pre-chill is key with these type of coolers and keeping ice the longest.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 10:33 PM, nosdog2 said:I have a MILEE 45 quart that I have been using for the past 2 years. It's a beast and keeps ice as long as I need. It is sturdy as hell too, I use it as a transition step on my boat and it has some heave duty rubber feet that prevents it from sliding at all. Comes with extra features not found on other brands as well.
Pre-chill is key with these type of coolers and keeping ice the longest.
Yeah pre chilling is important. Those milee coolers look pretty nice too.
scaleface reply :
My Ozark Trail cooler was a waste of money . It doesnt hold ice any better than a cheap Igloo .
MN Fisher reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 11:49 PM, scaleface said:My Ozark Trail cooler was a waste of money . It doesnt hold ice any better than a cheap Igloo .
Coleman - I have the 16qt C-Tec Excursion cooler, fits under the 'work table' in the canoe. Bag of ice in the morning, and there's still ice the next day even in 80o weather
NorcalBassin reply :
I've been happy with the Yetis we've purchased (up to 30% off with Kittery Trading Post sitewide sales), and I use them to keep BBQ/smoked foods hot nearly as much as I use them to keep things cold. If someone is willing to put in a little extra time for prep to pre-chill them then it's worth the investment for a cooler that should last you your whole life, but if you just want to throw some ice on top of food and beverages as you're walking out the door then you're probably better off with a traditional Coleman/Igloo cooler.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/16/2019 at 12:11 AM, NorcalBassin said:I've been happy with the Yetis we've purchased (up to 30% off with Kittery Trading Post sitewide sales), and I use them to keep BBQ/smoked foods hot nearly as much as I use them to keep things cold. If someone is willing to put in a little extra time for prep to pre-chill them then it's worth the investment for a cooler that should last you your whole life, but if you just want to throw some ice on top of food and beverages as you're walking out the door then you're probably better off with a traditional Coleman/Igloo cooler.
I had a similar thought... if my plan is to keep it for literally my whole life, why am i going to skimp on $100 now to end up with a cooler I don’t really want? Maybe I have a different mindset than most. Im fortunate enough to have the $200 to drop on the Yeti so why not? Just because I don’t have $200 to spend on an avid right now doesn’t mean I’m going to settle for a $130 premier. Still a fine rod. However if $70 is the deal breaker, maybe don’t spend the $130 to begin with? Do we need avids? Iphones? Silverados? Isn’t it all relative?
schplurg reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 8:39 PM, Scuba Steve said:Keep going... ????
It's a valid opinion. I would not spend anywhere near that on an ice chest either.
DanielG reply :
I needed a cooler for camping. We don't often camp in one location for long but sometimes we do. i.e. a bluegrass festival here in Maine, nine days. Regular coolers aren't that good. Better coolers are expensive. After looking at Yeti's I decided to make one.
2" of dense insulation and 1/4" plywood walls with framing lumber wood for the trim. All held together with glue and silicon. Alone it weighs 4 lbs. I use six 2 liter soda bottles with frozen water in them for cooling. After 9 days of camping all 6 bottles still had about 50% ice.
A digital freezer thermometer (you can see it via small round window on the side) always registers about 40-43 degrees.
Cost: About $40
kayl. reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 11:49 PM, scaleface said:My Ozark Trail cooler was a waste of money . It doesnt hold ice any better than a cheap Igloo .
Strange, I got a 52qt one and it was awesome on a trip out west this summer. Definitely held ice like a champ!
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
A tweek for all the igloos and colemans drill 1/2 holes accordingly around top edge about 6 or 6 inches apart and use the spray insulation that doesnt swell up fill all sides ...
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/16/2019 at 7:45 PM, DanielG said:I needed a cooler for camping. We don't often camp in one location for long but sometimes we do. i.e. a bluegrass festival here in Maine, nine days. Regular coolers aren't that good. Better coolers are expensive. After looking at Yeti's I decided to make one.
2" of dense insulation and 1/4" plywood walls with framing lumber wood for the trim. All held together with glue and silicon. Alone it weighs 4 lbs. I use six 2 liter soda bottles with frozen water in them for cooling. After 9 days of camping all 6 bottles still had about 50% ice.
A digital freezer thermometer (you can see it via small round window on the side) always registers about 40-43 degrees.
Cost: About $40
I must say, that's pretty legit! Look up the "you beti" on youtube haha!
Randy Price reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 10:39 AM, jbsoonerfan said:Yea, it works great, especially for fall hunting trips. In the middle of the summer sitting on the boat or bank and being opened many times a day all day I wouldn't say it is much better than most coolers. It will need more ice the next day. The key to these coolers is to put what you need in them, and open them as least amount of times as possible. Great for food storage for camping, not as great for throwing a 30 pack in on a 100 degree day and get one out every 15 min. lol
I agree with @jbsoonerfan. I have the roadie and tunda and have discovered that for a "beer cooler" they aren't any better than a cheaper cooler BUT if I prechill and keep closed they DO keep things cold for a long time.
Fishes in trees reply :
Last fall, I was towing my boat and somehow a crosswind messed up the lid to the cooler that I keep bungeed to my boat. Stopping at the next Walmart I came to, I found one of the Lifetime coolers, on sale for less than I expected. I was on vacation and had some spare money, so - what the heck - I'm now the proud owner of a Lifetime cooler.
The one down side to the cooler is that it is HEAVY. Filled up with water, a few beers & ice, I can't lift it by myself up onto the rear deck of my boat - so I put the cooler on the deck first and then stock it with the beverage selection of the day. I haven't been fishing very often this year, health issues & whatnot, so I've been using the cooler as a beer cooler in the back of my UTV. I think it works great as a beer cooler. A 20 lb sack of ice lasts a couple of days with no pre-cooling at all. If after a day or two you need to re-stock the cooler and put in new beer with what is left of the already cool beer, a 20 lb sack of ice lasts for 3 days or so more.
My buddy - who has a Yeti purchased during his mid-life crisis a few years ago, swears that beer tastes better out of a Yeti - I wouldn't know, mainly because we have very different ideas about what is and what ain't decent beer and the beer he purchases wouldn't taste decent to me even under the most pristine serving conditions. I would like to have a Yeti 65 and test out his hypothesis about beer tasting better out of a Yeti personally, but I really don't see the cash available for that purchase in the near (or distant ) future.
I can testify that beer tastes ok out of my imitation Yeti cooler and pre-chilled or not, ice lasts longer in it that it does in the multiple Coleman coolers that are strewn around my garage & fishing shed.
The rest of the story - turns out that the lid that I thought was destroyed was actually fixable with new hinges, much longer screws and spray in foam insulation. One more thing - the drain on the Favorits can let water seep around the threads and make a little puddle of water in the bed of your UTV. Plumbers thread tape fixes that.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/16/2019 at 11:33 PM, Fishes in trees said:Last fall, I was towing my boat and somehow a crosswind messed up the lid to the cooler that I keep bungeed to my boat. Stopping at the next Walmart I came to, I found one of the Lifetime coolers, on sale for less than I expected. I was on vacation and had some spare money, so - what the heck - I'm now the proud owner of a Lifetime cooler.
The one down side to the cooler is that it is HEAVY. Filled up with water, a few beers & ice, I can't lift it by myself up onto the rear deck of my boat - so I put the cooler on the deck first and then stock it with the beverage selection of the day. I haven't been fishing very often this year, health issues & whatnot, so I've been using the cooler as a beer cooler in the back of my UTV. I think it works great as a beer cooler. A 20 lb sack of ice lasts a couple of days with no pre-cooling at all. If after a day or two you need to re-stock the cooler and put in new beer with what is left of the already cool beer, a 20 lb sack of ice lasts for 3 days or so more.
My buddy - who has a Yeti purchased during his mid-life crisis a few years ago, swears that beer tastes better out of a Yeti - I wouldn't know, mainly because we have very different ideas about what is and what ain't decent beer and the beer he purchases wouldn't taste decent to me even under the most pristine serving conditions. I would like to have a Yeti 65 and test out his hypothesis about beer tasting better out of a Yeti personally, but I really don't see the cash available for that purchase in the near (or distant ) future.
I can testify that beer tastes ok out of my imitation Yeti cooler and pre-chilled or not, ice lasts longer in it that it does in the multiple Coleman coolers that are strewn around my garage & fishing shed.
The rest of the story - turns out that the lid that I thought was destroyed was actually fixable with new hinges, much longer screws and spray in foam insulation. One more thing - the drain on the Favorits can let water seep around the threads and make a little puddle of water in the bed of your UTV. Plumbers thread tape fixes that.
Regardless of the hype Yeti has, I seriously doubt beer would TASTE any different based on what cooler it's stored in. Just saying that out loud sounds ridiculous. You can quote me to your buddy, haha! The only variable I see coming into play there would be internal temperature of the cooler.
Fishes in trees reply :
. .. beer tastes better out of a Yeti . . .Son, it is a joke, and a self-deprecating joke at that. He spent $400 more or less on a cool toy that is ultimately kinda inconsequential, during his mid life existential crisis. Pretty much every guy goes through one - or two or how ever many, you might need to stay conscious & relatively sane. If I spent 4 bills on a Yeti, you can bet that I'd be telling myself that beer tasted better out of it too. As mentioned previously, the only reasons I can't personally confirm that theory is (a) I don't own a Yeti and (b) we don't have the same tastes in beer, so my tasting his beer out of his cooler isn't a fair test.
(That's a joke also )
evilcatfish reply :
This is a pretty good video about Yeti's, the guy has some other funny ones too
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/17/2019 at 2:18 AM, Fishes in trees said:. .. beer tastes better out of a Yeti . . .Son, it is a joke, and a self-deprecating joke at that. He spent $400 more or less on a cool toy that is ultimately kinda inconsequential, during his mid life existential crisis. Pretty much every guy goes through one - or two or how ever many, you might need to stay conscious & relatively sane. If I spent 4 bills on a Yeti, you can bet that I'd be telling myself that beer tasted better out of it too. As mentioned previously, the only reasons I can't personally confirm that theory is (a) I don't own a Yeti and (b) we don't have the same tastes in beer, so my tasting his beer out of his cooler isn't a fair test.
(That's a joke also )
Yeaaahh, I got it.
On 9/17/2019 at 2:41 AM, evilcatfish said:This is a pretty good video about Yeti's, the guy has some other funny ones too
I love that video.
Tennessee Boy reply :
Anything will taste better if kept in a $400 cooler. It’s called the placebo effect ????.
MN Fisher reply :
On 9/17/2019 at 4:43 AM, Tennessee Boy said:Anything will taste better if kept in a $400 cooler. It’s called the placebo effect ????.
Maybe - but my wallet would call it the 'roll over, scream and die' effect.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/17/2019 at 4:43 AM, Tennessee Boy said:Anything will taste better if kept in a $400 cooler. It’s called the placebo effect ????.
I’ll let you guys know when mine shows up!
John Walter Sewell reply :
This fits my budget better...https://www.shiticoolers.com/
BassWhole! reply :
Some guys use Stellas to bass fish, so why not Yeti to keep beers and sandwiches cold. It's equally silly, but last I checked this is still 'Merica! So everyone is free to spend their $ on whatever they want. Now which NRX is best for...
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/17/2019 at 8:19 AM, BassWhole! said:Some guys use Stellas to bass fish, so why not Yeti to keep beers and sandwiches cold. It's equally silly, but last I checked this is still 'Merica! So everyone is free to spend their $ on whatever they want. Now which NRX is best for...
Completely agree!
jmz313 reply :
The biggest issue with the ozark trail and other similar low cost rotomolded coolers is Quality control. Lots of warped lids, uneven hinges, and i'm told the inside insulation isn't always all there and even.
So, its probably a crap shoot to get a really good performing cooler vs a poor one.
I have a Ozark and its been OK. my DAD got one that performed terribly and then the one he got in exchange had a bowed lid. Now he has a Igloo BMX that is as good as my Ozark but cheaper.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/18/2019 at 1:33 AM, jmz313 said:The biggest issue with the ozark trail and other similar low cost rotomolded coolers is Quality control. Lots of warped lids, uneven hinges, and i'm told the inside insulation isn't always all there and even.
So, its probably a crap shoot to get a really good performing cooler vs a poor one.
I have a Ozark and its been OK. my DAD got one that performed terribly and then the one he got in exchange had a bowed lid. Now he has a Igloo BMX that is as good as my Ozark but cheaper.
Heard good things about the BMX series. Yeti arrived in pristine condition. Currently running my own ice test!
scaleface reply :
I took my boat out for the first time this year , yesterday . When I got to the ramp , my Igloo cooler lid was missing and all the ice melted . I picked up two bags of ice at the marina , dumped it in and stuffed a life jacket and the throw cushion on top . I had ice all day and dumped it out when I got home . Those flotation devices work great . LOL
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/21/2019 at 10:02 PM, scaleface said:I took my boat out for the first time this year , yesterday . When I got to the ramp , my Igloo cooler lid was missing and all the ice melted . I picked up two bags of ice at the marina , dumped it in and stuffed a life jacket and the throw cushion on top . I had ice all day and dumped it out when I got home . Those flotation devices work great . LOL
Pretty cool idea!
Big Rick reply :
On 9/24/2019 at 4:53 AM, Scuba Steve said:Pretty cool idea!
Was that pun intended??
Scuba Steve reply :
On 9/24/2019 at 5:58 AM, Big Rick said:Was that pun intended??
Didn’t realize I did that. I hate that joke. ???? Pun was actually not intended.
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