So the camping/festival season is about to begin for the wife and I and our cooler is shot. It never really held ice for any extended period of time and now the lid has fallen off.
We're looking to get a new one, so I'm soliciting recommendations for anyone who has had luck with a cooler that has held ice for any extended period of time (24 - 48+ hours). Obviously I'd like to keep the price in check, however if it's really the worth the money we'd go for it. Sometimes it's worth spending a bit more on a quality item that's going to get used.
Ideas?
Cooler Recommendations?
Started by
Gnomes
, Jun 22 2012 01:30 PM
29 replies to this topic
#4
-
- VibeTribe
- 2,087 posts
He saw the spinning lights he knew it was a sign....
Posted 22 June 2012 - 01:55 PM
We have two of these and they are awesome. Keep things cold a long time. Less ice runs help make up the additional price....
http://www.rei.com/p...ed-cooler-50-qt
http://www.rei.com/p...ed-cooler-50-qt
#9
-
- VibeTribe
- 6,140 posts
uniquely dee
- Locationboston-ish
Posted 22 June 2012 - 02:25 PM
have had mine for many years now
i freeze a case of water bottles solid and lay them along the bottom
i then lay the other stuff on top of that and insert more frozen water bottles where there is room
shake a bag or two of loose ice into the crevices and you are good to go for 5 days
if you open and close your cooler a lot, it will be less
if you leave it in the sun, it will be less
i buy a dollar store reflector for your windshield and use that over the cooler to reflect the sun
also, have a cooler for beverages and a cooler for food...
i freeze a case of water bottles solid and lay them along the bottom
i then lay the other stuff on top of that and insert more frozen water bottles where there is room
shake a bag or two of loose ice into the crevices and you are good to go for 5 days
if you open and close your cooler a lot, it will be less
if you leave it in the sun, it will be less
i buy a dollar store reflector for your windshield and use that over the cooler to reflect the sun
also, have a cooler for beverages and a cooler for food...
#10
-
- VibeTribe
- 2,087 posts
He saw the spinning lights he knew it was a sign....
Posted 22 June 2012 - 02:25 PM
The thing that I don't like about this style of cooler is that when rolling it full, a large amount of the weight of the cooler is on your arm. The benefit of the rubbermaid design is that the weight of the cooler sits on the wheels when rolling it.
best cooler ever
#12
-
- VibeTribe
- 64 posts
- LocationRhode Island
Posted 22 June 2012 - 02:28 PM
Thanks for the ideas thus far.
We actually had something very similar to this and it failed us. However, I don't remember the brand. The wheels are definitely a nice feature and have come in handy on occasion.
I like the idea of a "3 day" and/or "5 day" cooler. More days = less money on ice. I think we might try the dry ice idea as well this year, ensure consistently cold beer. Oh, and some food.
We have two of these and they are awesome. Keep things cold a long time. Less ice runs help make up the additional price....
http://www.rei.com/p...ed-cooler-50-qt
We actually had something very similar to this and it failed us. However, I don't remember the brand. The wheels are definitely a nice feature and have come in handy on occasion.
I like the idea of a "3 day" and/or "5 day" cooler. More days = less money on ice. I think we might try the dry ice idea as well this year, ensure consistently cold beer. Oh, and some food.
#14
-
- VibeTribe
- 64 posts
- LocationRhode Island
Posted 22 June 2012 - 02:32 PM
have had mine for many years now
i freeze a case of water bottles solid and lay them along the bottom
i then lay the other stuff on top of that and insert more frozen water bottles where there is room
shake a bag or two of loose ice into the crevices and you are good to go for 5 days
if you open and close your cooler a lot, it will be less
if you leave it in the sun, it will be less
i buy a dollar store reflector for your windshield and use that over the cooler to reflect the sun
also, have a cooler for beverages and a cooler for food...
I never thought of the solar reflector, that sounds like a great idea.
We used something similar at Bonnaroo years ago after our cooler was stolen. We rigged up two trash bags, put an emergency blanket in between them and filled it with ice and all the beer that wasn't in the cooler. No one will steal your "garbage"!
#17
-
- VibeTribe
- 6,331 posts
Posted 22 June 2012 - 02:46 PM
if you leave it in the sun, it will be less
i buy a dollar store reflector for your windshield and use that over the cooler to reflect the sun
also, have a cooler for beverages and a cooler for food...
I like the windshield reflector idea.
#20
-
- VibeTribe
- 8,444 posts
Posted 22 June 2012 - 03:34 PM
We have two of these and they are awesome. Keep things cold a long time. Less ice runs help make up the additional price....
http://www.rei.com/p...ed-cooler-50-qt
I have two of these. So far so good!
Definitely ice down the day/night prior.
#24
-
- VibeTribe
- 6,140 posts
uniquely dee
- Locationboston-ish
Posted 22 June 2012 - 06:59 PM
Just make sure it's large enough to accommodate the inevitible dead hooker easily. Sucks having to cut them up too much.
whenever the Peas go latenight stumbling
and we are traversing unknown areas, we always warn each other with the well-meaning "watch out for that dead hooker" or "careful, i just tripped over a dead hooker" 
it always gets ones attention but sometimes the
that comes is just as dangerous 
#25
-
- VibeTribe
- 809 posts
Posted 22 June 2012 - 07:03 PM
have had mine for many years now
i freeze a case of water bottles solid and lay them along the bottom
i then lay the other stuff on top of that and insert more frozen water bottles where there is room
shake a bag or two of loose ice into the crevices and you are good to go for 5 days
if you open and close your cooler a lot, it will be less
if you leave it in the sun, it will be less
i buy a dollar store reflector for your windshield and use that over the cooler to reflect the sun
also, have a cooler for beverages and a cooler for food...
this...
works wonders. the frozen bottles are deliciously cold for drinking also on the last couple days.
#26
-
- VibeTribe
- 64 posts
- LocationRhode Island
Posted 23 June 2012 - 02:11 PM
The
This is an obvious qualifier.
Thanks again for all of the recommendations, Coleman Extreme it is.
Just make sure it's large enough to accommodate the inevitible dead hooker easily. Sucks having to cut them up too much.
This is an obvious qualifier.
Thanks again for all of the recommendations, Coleman Extreme it is.
#27
-
- VibeTribe
- 959 posts
Posted 25 June 2012 - 02:05 PM
The best marine coolers I've seen are the Yeti's, several hundred dollars and heavy as hell but work great. Last weekend on a boat in 90 degree weather all weekend 1 block of ice lasted 3 days. They are mountable to the boat floor or if you carry it to site - once loaded they are usually too heavy to steal without a lot of help. They also take padlocks on both corners of the lid - an additional deterrent to theft.
http://www.yeticoolers.com/
http://www.yeticoolers.com/
#28
-
- VibeTribe
- 7 posts
Posted 27 June 2012 - 01:56 AM
Cant say enough about the Yeti. I got a 50 and a 75 about 3 years ago and haven't been let down. They are very heavy. Almost too much so. As with any cooler, if you "pre-cool" them they perform much better. Any one else try putting a bag of ice in them a couple days before needed? Did that last year. I filled them Thursday morning before vibes and never head to restock. Even the beverage cooler, with way too frequent openings. Definitely worth the higher than normal cost!
