Budget Cooler Recommendations

[Ddog]

Lifetime coolers from wallyworld. Very happy with the 2 I've had for a few years.

 

[Jack321]

About 7 yrs ago, Costco had 150 qt Igloos for like $75-100. My dad, I & bro each bought two. I also have a Grizzly 120qt. No issues.

Took em to WY 2x for antelope, MT for elk & New Brunswick for bear.

Each time, they did great.

WY antelope loaded em up with meat & heads & everything stayed cold for the 2 day drive back home. We had an 8 hr delay near Omaha, NE cuz my front end went out in the truck, so that cost us basically a 3/4 day driving. Came home & still cold.

What really impressed me was our bears. It was 2.5 days & the one night in Ohio it was like 95° in June as we pulled into the hotel. We didn't wanna open em, we debated if we shoulda repacked with ice at the hotel but ultimately decide not to. Left the next day, got home & was still cold.

Zero concerns.

Heading to WY again this fall for elk same set up as Montana-- My only concern if theyll fit in my buddys truck bed? I can fit all six 150qt coolers in MY truck bed w/topper, plus gun cases & duffle bags + the 7th cooler on a hitch hauler. I got an ol 2004 Ram 1500 with a 6.5" bed, BUT my buddy wants to take his newer Ram 1500 that has a full 4 door but the bed is 6" shorter than mine. Will our 6 coolers fit?

 

[Psalmon]

I have a Cabela’s cooler for little over 6 years now it’s a little more expensive but it hold ice for a long time and I haven’t had any fish or meat spoil in it and I’ve had it cooling drinks in 100 degree weather and only had to ad ice maybe once every four days

 

[MuleyManiac8]

How are you liking your wyldgear cooler? Been thinking of getting one but haven’t really seen much about them.

I had good luck with lifetime coolers from walmart.

I have since upgraded to wyldgear though (non partition 110 quarts). Gotta have them wheels when I am getting older

 

[HilltopHitman]

Costco igloos

 

[NEFLElkHunter]

It’s hard to beat a $100 Coleman. I just got a 145qt RTIC delivered for under $500, that also doubles as a plyobox lol! I wouldn’t have bought it if I didn’t have to drive 2,200 miles to get home from Idaho this year. I have a Coleman 150 as well and it is light and perfect for 1-2 day transports.

 

[Chris in TN]

Several years ago my dad went to Costco(?) and grabbed us two of whatever the largest Igloo they had was. I think they were 120-150 quarts. Whatever they were, a few weeks later we filled them up with two flash-frozen cow elk and brought them home, then we took one of them on a 2-week trip to SD/WY/CO (not hunting but we brought food to save money) then we used them to haul two larger bulls (in terms of body weight and meat yield after the butcher added beef fat to the ground parts) home two years ago. We had to buy extra coolers to get everything home that trip. We had just enough space under the truck bed cover to sit each cooler on a shooting mat for insulation, then pack all our heavier clothes around them, then stretch out another shooting mat on top for more insulation. Meat was hard as a brick when we got home.

In the meantime every few months we use those coolers to bring our pigs home from Butcher Camp or go stock up when the butcher shop runs a sale on ground beef. IIRC those coolers are 5 years old now and the hinges are still intact. I think something similar will serve you well. I certainly have no complaints from ours.

 

[Terrapin]

Best budget cooler I ever bought was a big white igloo cooler at tri state outfitters. I was poor as heck and had a dead elk to cool off. They had a big display of coolers in their camping section (back before tri state went all yuppie). While I was picking one out I knocked a Dutch oven off the rack right on to the cooler, making a big gash in the lid. I figured I’d do the right thing and take the one I damaged.

When I got up to the checkout, the manager saw the damage and insisted on knocking $60 off the price… even after I told him that my clumsy behavior caused the damage.

That absolutely saved my budget since I still had money for gas to get home.

The best functioning cooler/price I have bought is definitely the Coho brand from Costco. They work better than my Yeti coolers for 1/3 the price.