stlskyline
Well-known member
I'm looking for recommendations for a good cooler that holds ice well. Coleman , igloo? I've seen the Yetti's and that is truly crazy money.
Good cooler that stays cold?
- Thread starter stlskyline
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wjl
Well-known member
What size are you looking at and how long do you need things to stay cold?
Yetis are great had some older Coleman's that said they would hold ice for 5 days, ya right. Newer ones look to be well made.
Not wanting to spend the money look at cabale's model, sportsmans warehouse.
http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/brow...ype=GNP&recordsPerPage=52&WTz_srn=SeeAllItems
And
Coolers and Dry Storage - Sportsman's Warehouse
If you can't get one local Free shipping is good.
Yetis are great had some older Coleman's that said they would hold ice for 5 days, ya right. Newer ones look to be well made.
Not wanting to spend the money look at cabale's model, sportsmans warehouse.
http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/brow...ype=GNP&recordsPerPage=52&WTz_srn=SeeAllItems
And
Coolers and Dry Storage - Sportsman's Warehouse
If you can't get one local Free shipping is good.
J
james w 3 3
Guest
Resistance is futile.
I fought, and lost, when I found out that the Yeti with a padlock doubles as an approved bear box.
Truly crazy money . . . crazy good cooler.
5 days, still ice among the beers! Yay!
Sorry, I have no practical advice . . .
Just picked up a new Igloo STX-72 and put 3 blocks of ice in it last Tuesday (July 1st) before 'iatrouter' from the forum and I left for a six day trip. The weather here hit 80 several of our days; the cooler was left at the cabin indoors. It's here in the house as I type and there is still ice in it.
Being a guy who spends a lot of time off the grid I'd call that a good cooler. I paid 119.19 here for it. I agree, the Yetti would have to come with a six month supply of rib eye steak before I'd lay down 350 or so for a cooler...............
Being a guy who spends a lot of time off the grid I'd call that a good cooler. I paid 119.19 here for it. I agree, the Yetti would have to come with a six month supply of rib eye steak before I'd lay down 350 or so for a cooler...............
Sage & Abel
Well-known member
That's the key Ard - Blocks of ice. They last so much longer than loose ice. They take up more room so you have the trade off, but they definitely make a huge difference.
mcnerney
Administrator
There was another thread on coolers a few days ago that was interesting, check this out and scroll down to Mudbug's post and click on the link that does a side-by-side comparison test of some of the top brands.
http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/lodge-den/354618-coolers.html
http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/lodge-den/354618-coolers.html
J
james w 3 3
Guest
Great point there!
When I know it's going to be a long stretch of days I use a block mixed with loose.
Also pre-chill your cooler! I'll throw a few blocks I make in my freezer from milk jugs in the Yeti a couple days in advance to get it cold inside to begin with. Makes a difference.
mcnerney
Administrator
James: Great idea with the milk jugs to pre-cool the ice chest, I've been thinking about trying that, just didn't have a good idea for how. Milk jugs make it cheap and easy!
flysmallie
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I have one of the Coleman Steel Belted coolers. Had it probably 8 years now. It will keep ice for at least 5 days in the heat of July. It may not be indestructible like a Yeti but it keeps ice just as well and is a hell of a lot cheaper.
wjl
Well-known member
Have been using the freeze the milk jug for many years. You also have water to use when it thaws.
Also drain the water from the cooler it melts the ice, water and taking away the purpose of the ice to cool its contents.
Should be logical water is warmer thus melting the ice.
Another thought freeze (if you can) your contents hot dogs, bread, burgers, meats and it doubles as cooling without taking up extra room in the cooler.
Also drain the water from the cooler it melts the ice, water and taking away the purpose of the ice to cool its contents.
Should be logical water is warmer thus melting the ice.
Another thought freeze (if you can) your contents hot dogs, bread, burgers, meats and it doubles as cooling without taking up extra room in the cooler.
jaybo41
Well-known member
Its no secret that I like good gear. Excess gear in many cases, like the ridiculous number of fly rods, reels and lines that I own. The Yeti's are obviously proven and I'd probably think twice about them if I made my living on a drift boat but man that's a lot of coin even for a tackle junkie like me. My off the shelf Colemans and Igloos have always worked well enough for my uses. Most of the time, I'm leaving a cooler in a vehicle or in a motel room. When the ice melts I just limp through it for the day, go get another bag or hit the ice dispenser at the motel. That's always worked well enough for me.
I've considered replacing my small cooler with the Yeti Roadie but $250 can go towards a guided trip, a plane ticket, another new rod or reel that I don't need.
That's not to knock anyone who does buy or own one, they obviously are great products. I guess at the end of the day its no different than anything else, there are always going to be justifications for the purchase and if it makes sense to you buy it and enjoy it.
By the way, I agree with previous posts, the ice blocks work much much better than cubes, they're just harder to find in the stores unless you use the method james described.
I've considered replacing my small cooler with the Yeti Roadie but $250 can go towards a guided trip, a plane ticket, another new rod or reel that I don't need.
That's not to knock anyone who does buy or own one, they obviously are great products. I guess at the end of the day its no different than anything else, there are always going to be justifications for the purchase and if it makes sense to you buy it and enjoy it.
By the way, I agree with previous posts, the ice blocks work much much better than cubes, they're just harder to find in the stores unless you use the method james described.
mikel
Well-known member
The better igloo coolers work well. The tips above, including chilling your cooler and strategically using blocks are helpful. We cool everything before it goes in as well. Anything I take in a cooler that can be frozen ahead gets frozen and contributes too. Generally, the first several days of a trip we have to thaw things to cook.
scoutm
Well-known member
Take a look at your local costco...Mine had two sizes of the Pelican coolers for half the price I found elsewhere. The are every bit as good as the Yeti coolers.
Well I just emptied the cooler that I loaded on July 1st at about 10:00 AM. If I have this straight that's 9 full days ago and there was still ice in the bottom! Not much but ice lasted 9 days.
For a big cooler this thing is pretty impressive.
For a big cooler this thing is pretty impressive.
moxnichts
Well-known member
I had only done a very brief internet review about a year ago just to make sure I wasn't buying something that was sub-par.
Turns out I'm very happy with my "great bang for your buck" Coleman Xtreme 100 qt. with wheels cooler. Ive had a variety of coolers over the years without spending much effort to see which kept things cold the longest.
Any research I found just now, including the link by mudbug ,and pointed to by mcnerny, show the Coleman high in the keeping things cold category.
To be sure you may give up things like stainless hardware and my personal favorite, a screw on drain cap, but in the end I haven't found durability or drain leakage to be a problem if you don't intentionally abuse any name brand cooler Ive ever had, and at the Coleman (or other more price competitive brand) cost, I can have several, like for a combat fishing trip to the Klamath later this year.
If I ever need a new cooler, all I need to do it put some fish or bait in the old one. Then the family asks me to get a new one!
Just another link:
Cooler Reviews - OutdoorGearLab
Turns out I'm very happy with my "great bang for your buck" Coleman Xtreme 100 qt. with wheels cooler. Ive had a variety of coolers over the years without spending much effort to see which kept things cold the longest.
Any research I found just now, including the link by mudbug ,and pointed to by mcnerny, show the Coleman high in the keeping things cold category.
To be sure you may give up things like stainless hardware and my personal favorite, a screw on drain cap, but in the end I haven't found durability or drain leakage to be a problem if you don't intentionally abuse any name brand cooler Ive ever had, and at the Coleman (or other more price competitive brand) cost, I can have several, like for a combat fishing trip to the Klamath later this year.
If I ever need a new cooler, all I need to do it put some fish or bait in the old one. Then the family asks me to get a new one!
Just another link:
Cooler Reviews - OutdoorGearLab
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802flyfish
Well-known member
YETI coolers
fredaevans
Well-known member
+1Have been using the freeze the milk jug for many years. You also have water to use when it thaws.
Also drain the water from the cooler it melts the ice, water and taking away the purpose of the ice to cool its contents.
Should be logical water is warmer thus melting the ice.
Another thought freeze (if you can) your contents hot dogs, bread, burgers, meats and it doubles as cooling without taking up extra room in the cooler.
Save for a small cooler for water haven't needed one for years, but this thread takes me 'well back in the day.'
The old ones were over nighters, and not worth much more than that. But the Styrofoam (sp?) ones were 'cool!' Slather the inside/out side with epoxy and it was close to bullet proof. Well, if you were drunk, falling on it was not a "Good Plan A." I didn't, but one of the camp partners did; too much George Dickel Whiskey? (sp?) Ah hell, I liked Scotch Whisky ...
But at least I didn't fall into the fire pit at one point.That sobered up the rest of us~~~~~~~
Real Quick!!:faint:All that aside, for long trips 'Dry Ice' was the 'Weapon of Choice.' Put that on a block of ice and ice was there for many days regardless of the out side temp. Really kept the beer chilled. But that may be TMI?
goblueco1
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The Igloo Yukon just beat out every high end manufacturer of coolers made in a fairly recent issue of Outdoor Life. The compared the Igloo Yukon 120 qt, Pelican ProGear Elite 95, Canyon Outfiiter 125,Coleman Esky 85, Engel Deep Blue 123, K2 Summit 120 and Yeti Tundra 110 in several areas. Here is the article: Gear Review: 7 New Coolers for 2014 | Outdoor Life
It has made me rethink my option as I was about to pull the trigger on the Yeti but now am looking at the Igloo especially since I can get a 120qt for the price of the 80qt Yetti!
It has made me rethink my option as I was about to pull the trigger on the Yeti but now am looking at the Igloo especially since I can get a 120qt for the price of the 80qt Yetti!
fredaevans
Well-known member
Great read GB; but the cost of these (understandable) made me roll my eyes.
But given the intended use, etc., I can see the 'why.' You get what you pay for, as is most things in life.
Fred
But given the intended use, etc., I can see the 'why.' You get what you pay for, as is most things in life.
Fred
goblueco1
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Fred, I once thought the same way you did then my uncle purchased a Grizzly cooler (compatible to those in the magazine write-up) for his raft and I was absolutely amazed at how long the cooler kept ice.
Sure, I have a couple Coleman coolers that were in the $100 range and claim to keep ice for 3-5 days in 90+ degree heat but at the end if the third day all that is left is cold, chunky soup. We did a 7-day float last year in Colorado and Wyoming and was able to use one 20lb bag of ice for that entire weekend and the last night we actually used ice cubes from the cooler to make Moscow Mules. At that point I was completely sold on purchasing a marine style cooler equal to what's mentioned in the article. I'll probably end up with the 120qt Igloo and a Yetti Roadie.
Just my 2 cents.
Brad Wrubel
Sure, I have a couple Coleman coolers that were in the $100 range and claim to keep ice for 3-5 days in 90+ degree heat but at the end if the third day all that is left is cold, chunky soup. We did a 7-day float last year in Colorado and Wyoming and was able to use one 20lb bag of ice for that entire weekend and the last night we actually used ice cubes from the cooler to make Moscow Mules. At that point I was completely sold on purchasing a marine style cooler equal to what's mentioned in the article. I'll probably end up with the 120qt Igloo and a Yetti Roadie.
Just my 2 cents.
Brad Wrubel