COOLERS

[DRM796]

Are the pricier coolers really that much better than my Walmart grade Coleman? I have my current cooler for more ten years and there is not a thing wrong with it. When we camp we like our beverages on ice. In the summer we have to buy a bag or two of ice everyday. I see some coolers costing hundreds of dollars. Are they truly worth it? How long will ice last in a high end cooler?

[DRM796]

dapperdan wrote:
Here's a Link to go to for a video on cooler comparisons.

If I were looking for a cooler I'd opt for the Coleman

Dan

N
Good video. I agree, at a fraction of the cost the Coleman looks like it performed well.

[campn4walleye]

We bought the Coleman Extreme when we were still tenting and it really kept everything extremely chilled nicely for over a week. Yes we would add some ice but not nearly as often as in a regular cooler.

We still use it if we're camping for a good length of time and fishing. DH can store his crawlers and leeches instead of in my fridge.

[nevadanick]

It depends on what your needs are. I have a Yeti and a Pelican as well as everyday coolers. When you need to keep stuff cold for multiple days the Yeti or Pellican cant be beat. Example, i filled our small Yeti with frozen meat one morning and took it to our son, it was the next afternoon before we got there and it was still frozen. We also go on multiple day trips in our RZR and the coolers keep our food and drink cold the duration of the trip.

[tvman44]

We like our Yeti and our son has the Yeti & Pelican brands. 🙂

[dapperdan]

Here's a Link to go to for a video on cooler comparisons.

If I were looking for a cooler I'd opt for the Coleman

Dan

[pira114]

Depends on your needs. Keeping stuff cool is the biggest concern, but not the only one. Durability is also up there. From theft to bears, some of the expensive coolers really do make a difference. Again, how much of a difference and what it's worth to you is subjective

[DRM796]

JaxDad wrote:

DRM796 wrote:
Are the pricier coolers really that much better than my Walmart grade Coleman?

When we camp we like our beverages on ice. In the summer we have to buy a bag or two of ice everyday.

How long will ice last in a high end cooler?

I have Coleman Extreme I bought on an end-season sale a couple years back, it was reg. $99 on sale for $59.

Although I do pre-chill it using frozen plastic soda bottles of water it will keep frozen food rock solid for a week and the ice I load it with at home is mostly still there a week later when I get home.

The biggest mistake I see people doing is using an ice chest as a fridge, taking out a cold drink and adding a warm one back in will go through ice fast in any cooler.

BTW, in a review I read the Coleman Extreme series actually kept ice as well as the units that cost 3 to 5 times as much.

I did a Cooler Shootout search as suggested by Shadow Catcher. Came to the conclusion that I will not be spending the big bucks on a Cooler but the Coleman Extreme series did get my attention. I think I'll keep an eye out for a good sale and give e one a try.

[JaxDad]

DRM796 wrote:
Are the pricier coolers really that much better than my Walmart grade Coleman?

When we camp we like our beverages on ice. In the summer we have to buy a bag or two of ice everyday.

How long will ice last in a high end cooler?

I have Coleman Extreme I bought on an end-season sale a couple years back, it was reg. $99 on sale for $59.

Although I do pre-chill it using frozen plastic soda bottles of water it will keep frozen food rock solid for a week and the ice I load it with at home is mostly still there a week later when I get home.

The biggest mistake I see people doing is using an ice chest as a fridge, taking out a cold drink and adding a warm one back in will go through ice fast in any cooler.

BTW, in a review I read the Coleman Extreme series actually kept ice as well as the units that cost 3 to 5 times as much.

[rexlion]

I wonder which brands the bears prefer to break into? 😉

[DSDP_Don]

I think you would have to use a cooler routinely to justify the cost of a Yeti. I recently read a post regarding the 20 oz. and 30 oz. Yeti tumblers. Everyone raved about how well they kept drinks cold. I had been using Tervis cups and they did a good job. I bought one of the 30 oz. Yeti tumblers and it's amazing. It will keep ice all day, where the Tervis would be melted in a couple of hours.

[NYCgrrl]

morphrider wrote:
We usually have a gallon jug that is pre frozen we throw in with the drinks and ice. The block helps everything stay colder longer

Also a fan of block ice although I place one half gallon frozen juice bottle in each corner plus one in the middle. Went on my longest camping trip (3 weeks) this year and brought home leftovers still fine to eat at home. I will point out that all my drinks and food are pre chilled/frozen before placing in the cooler. No sense in lowering the internal temperature of the overall cooler by putting warm items in if possible.

[NYCgrrl]

I can't say from personal usage that Pelicans or Yetis hold up better than the Coleman Extremes BUT I can say that the Coleman Extreme 5 or 6 line beats out Igloo Maxi and Rubbermaid line IMO. Also that the Coleman Extreme Line gives a great bang for the buck.

All Colemans are not created the same as the man learned this year. He bought a 28 qt/36 can Coleman w/ wheels and telescoping handle on sale at WM this year 'cause he convinced himself that he needed a special cooler just for beers during our 3 week camping trip. Yes well whatever. Suffice to say it's a hunk a junk close to being on par w/ a Styrofoam cooler. No drain and needed ice every day. I sigh.

Right now my thinking is that our RV fridge will be a Coleman Extreme cooler stored under the dinette space so the manufacturer can install an all freezer unit in the standard space dedicated to a refrigerator.
We buy produce daily and use more freezer cubic feet at home too so this would be our norm.

[toedtoes]

The expensive ones get very good reviews from tent campers camping for 5+ days at a time. They DO work better.

For RVers with a fridge, whether that is necessary or not is less obvious. The expensive coolers are almost all large capacity. Do you need that capacity or will you be spending more money on ice to fill the cooler for a few drinks?

[Shadow_Catcher]

Do a search for Cooler shootout. There are differences, is it enough for the $ is up to you.

[morphrider]

We usually have a gallon jug that is pre frozen we throw in with the drinks and ice. The block helps everything stay colder longer