Anyone build their own coolers? (pic heavy)

[Hardstalk]

Or have ridicules sized coolers? I have 3 tags this season all in august i have been trying to become as efficient as possible. Without having to find freezers or processors and losing field time her is what i came up with. Next step is to fill it...this is how it started out

 

[Hardstalk]

 

[Hardstalk]

this is how it ended. Cost about 40 bucks for the hardware. Took me around 35 hours to build. All other material was scrap from a jobsite that was given to me.

 

[Brandon Pattison]

Yup, I wish someone would buy it.

 

[Brandon Pattison]

I built a dog house too. Steel on both sides of foam.

 

[rye_a]

Looks good! That being said, I can get a huge IRP or Engel cooler for $750, which works out to a little over $20 per hour for your 35 hour construction time. Personally, the value I place on my limited free time with family, friends and hunting is more than $20/hour, so buying a high-end cooler makes sense.

 

[Hardstalk]

Wife took the baby out of town last week hammered it out after work mon-thursday. Kept me entertained while they were gone. I do value my time dont get me wrong. but breaking out the welder and saws is some of the most fun i can have with my pants on. and theres no way i could talk her into a 1000 dollar cooler.

 

[2rocky]

I cut 1" foam insulation Boards to fit in my hard panniers and covered them with Duct tape. It made a mess in the shop but worked well with our prefrozen meals we packed in and cut and wrapped elk on the ride home.

 

[rye_a]

Hardstalk, don't get me wrong; if I came home with a $750 cooler my wife would probably kill me no matter how I tried to explain the economics or how much I value my time with her...

 

[Lukem]

My dad built one years ago in a similar concept as yours, but it only took about 4 hours of a evening and morning to build. It'll hold 2 boned elk. Kept 38 milk jugs frozen for 10 days in 105F temps on his Nevada and Colorado pronghorn hunts a few years ago.

Not sure painting it black is the most energy efficient thing to do. There's a reason most coolers are a light color.

 

[Vandal 44]

I like the Idea, nice job. It looks like it will keep everything you need cold for well over a week.

 

[keep]

Nice, I had been thinking of doing this for a while

 

[TxCazador]

I have lined an old single lid truck tool box with sheet foil foam and tape all corners and any seams with aluminum tape.
Be sure and install on inside lid too. It works great. Sometimes old toolboxes can be found for under $50