Coolers

[TLSnell1981]

Yeti is worth the price tag IMO They stay cold for days if not overpacked.

 

[bcla]

DH has a new job that requires a lot of traveling staying in hotels or Airbnbs. We'll be traveling together for up to a month at a time. After returning from the first trip where we spent 26 days eating out three meals a day, we want to take most of our food with us & will grocery shop along the way. Which one of these coolers would you recommend for that situation or would you recommend something else in a similar price range?

ETA: After rereading my post, it sounds like we were constantly on the road. That's not the case. We'll probably spend a night or two on the road each way, but the bulk of the trip will spent in one location.

I like the Coleman Steel-Belted just out of nostalgia, but there was no doubt it was an excellent cooler even 40 years ago. Most of the coolers I see today have fairly poor seals and that lets heat in and cold out. My dad supposedly bought it because we were taking it where there would be bears and he was worried that they might be able to smell the contents of a cooler that wasn't well sealed. A high school friend knew we had one and asked to borrow it in order to store dry ice for a science project. He specifically wanted one of these because he knew it was close to hermetically sealed. By that time it was a decade old but still functioning perfectly.

Not sure if they've made any advances, but I'd think the outside looks the same, but they would use better insulators. The thing they still have is a seal similar to what you might find on a refrigerator. Most newer coolers are just plastic on plastic. They're better than nothing, but they're more like day or party coolers where a bag of ice is supposed to keep it cold for a tailgate or backyard party.

These things should be able to keep something cold for a week. A different cooler should still work, but you're going to need to replenish the ice or ice substitute more often. I don't know if you're also worried more about convenience - i.e. whether or not you'll need to take food out of the cooler every few days (when there's access to a refrigerator) or would prefer to keep it there.

It wouldn't have to be a Coleman though. Igloo's Legacy line is pretty similar, as Coleman wasn't the only maker of that style of cooler. And a Yeti style cooler will keep stuff cold for days.

 

[_19disnA]

All of the major brands sell well made coolers to keep things cold. Those new trendy brand like Yeti are pricey but not necessarily better. Look for a cooler that is well made, has good insulation around the side/bottom and a tightly fitting lid. If you can get dry ice from a local grocery store, that keeps things cold the longest and doesn't melt into water like ice tends to do making a mess in the bottom of the cooler. There are also various products you freeze and can put in the cooler, but once it turns back to a liquid, you need a freezer to make it cold again. Also depends on how far you are traveling, how often you plan to use it and if you are trying to keep food safely chilled compared to things like beverages.

 

[bcla]

All of the major brands sell well made coolers to keep things cold. Those new trendy brand like Yeti are pricey but not necessarily better. Look for a cooler that is well made, has good insulation around the side/bottom and a tightly fitting lid. If you can get dry ice from a local grocery store, that keeps things cold the longest and doesn't melt into water like ice tends to do making a mess in the bottom of the cooler. There are also various products you freeze and can put in the cooler, but once it turns back to a liquid, you need a freezer to make it cold again. Also depends on how far you are traveling, how often you plan to use it and if you are trying to keep food safely chilled compared to things like beverages.

The main issue is that most coolers sold these days aren't meant to keep stuff cold for extended periods. They leak out cold air and let in warm air. They're really just day coolers. They're certainly convenient for that purpose. You can get an Igloo Wheelie 38 for under $30. It's large and should be fine for a backyard party or a day at the park. But it's not going to keep things cold for extended periods. They're meant to be cheap and durable, and putting in gaskets and locking mechanisms would perhaps double the price.

Yeti kind of brought that back with coolers that had gaskets and a locking mechanism. They of course use those rubber latches, but the traditional way was a cam.

 

[Cadiewampus]

Hate the roto mold coolers. To start with they are too heavy and because of thick walls can't get much in them. I will take my Igloo Max cold any day. keeps ice for two days at least.

 

[NotUrsula]

Two other hardside brands you'll want to check are Engel and maybe Lifetime. Engels are very popular for fishing, and they also use the stainless cams and hinges to keep the lid locked (Engels, though they are made of plastic, are billed as bearproof, as well.) Lifetime is a brand that is marketed mostly to campers, and is well-priced.

What Engels are known for in the boating world is being tough as nails & totally airtight; they offer them in hi-vis colors because boaters use them as extra survival flotation devices (and as dryboxes for valuables), and they are also very popular with construction workers because they keep dust out and you can sit on them. They also tend to have thinner walls than most of the other rotomolds. Their smaller models are very affordable in comparison to brands like Yeti or Rtic, and they routinely do better than Yeti in ice-retention tests. The Engel softsides also tend to outscore the other brands on ice retention.

There is a website called coolersonsale.com that does video reviews; they test the heck out of them for ice-retention and other factors. They also test for leaks if the coolers are tipped, something a lot of reviews won't tell you.

PS: If you are willing to spend for it, Engel also offers a line of vehicle freezers that run on 9v power. They are kind of pricey, but probably some of the best on the market (in fact, they are in high demand right now for transporting vaccine shipments.)

 

[_19disnA]

Some coolers also have motorized cooling/heating units that plug into your car outlets. When traveling, that is one way to keep things cold (or hot). Again depends on what exactly you are trying to accomplish and how often you use it for a particular purpose.