Coolers!

[Mule3006Elk]

Depends on what time of year you are going to use it. I use mine mostly October-November. It's plenty cold out and the ice never melts when I'm hunting. Igloo 110 quart cooler. Still going strong after 7 years.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

I have a Yeti that I use in the summer months. Holds ice a little better.

 

[positivepete!]

I got a yeti for a wedding gift and I hate it. It sat in my basement and somehow the lid warped. Found this out on a pronghorn hunt the hard way. Yeti warranty covered it but i was bummed i lost all my stickers that were on it. Now my go to is a Scheels cooler that is way less and seems to work way better.

 

[Crowmangler]

Big fan of the Rtic stuff .. Exactly the same as a Yeti but much cheaper because you only buy direct from them.
They have great deals at Christmas if you can wait
If you have an Academy Sports near you check out the Magellan Icebox line. Seemed to be very well made
The 50 is only $149 (was $99 at Christmas) & the 75 is only $199 ($129 for Christmas)

 

[Nate_Beres]

Big Frig is comparable to rtic. They're relatively new bit have a ton of features for the price

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[SteveCNJ]

Another rtic recommendation. Crazy fluctuation on prices. As others said watch for the sales. Got my 65 from rtic directly for $230.99 with free shipping. I think that was a good price.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[hikenhunt]

I got a yeti for a wedding gift and I hate it. It sat in my basement and somehow the lid warped. Found this out on a pronghorn hunt the hard way. Yeti warranty covered it but i was bummed i lost all my stickers that were on it. Now my go to is a Scheels cooler that is way less and seems to work way better.

Curious if you think the lid warped from heat or something else? Anything else you didn't like about it?

 

[KSadventures80]

Pelican Elite have treated me well. Lifetime warranty bearproof.

 

[e.g.calzado]

Pelican Coolers. Built way better than YETI.

 

[ramsdude47]

Not a whole lot of difference across the range of rotomolded coolers. If made in US matters I think Grizzly is the winner.

BUT I would venture to guess the vast majority of people buying rotomolded coolers don't actually need them. If you are in a hot climate and can't refill the ice every 5 days, the premium cost over a Coleman might be worth it.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Not a whole lot of difference across the range of rotomolded coolers. If made in US matters I think Grizzly is the winner.

BUT I would venture to guess the vast majority of people buying rotomolded coolers don't actually need them. If you are in a hot climate and can't refill the ice every 5 days, the premium cost over a Coleman might be worth it.

The pelican elite is in a class of its own as far as materials used. It also has the best true ice retention with Engel being a very close 2nd.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Rtic runs great sales periodically if you must have a rotomolded yeti-like cooler for long term ice storage . Coleman extreme are great for meat storage on hunts, they can be found cheap and you can get the large elk quarter size without breaking the bank.

 

[BluMtn]

I have an Rtic 65 and a Coleman 70 Extreme that I use for camping. I have found over the last three years if you frequently are opening them getting "stuff" out of them they melt ice at about the same rate. I have learned to put the frequently used "stuff" in the Coleman and use the Rtic for ice storage and items like our dinner meat that the ice will last alot longer. The rotos are nice but they are expensive and once filled to capacity they are really heavy.

 

[Jwbfx4]

Another vote here for the rtic

 

[accountantsanonymous]

rtic is a good yeti alternative

Second this. There is a reason Rtic was sued by Yeti. I have a 65 and a couple of their soft coolers. Couldn’t be happier. Waiting for my fiancé to buy me the 110/145 for the elk I haven’t killed yet.

 

[Anello]

I have (2) canyon coolers and I love them. They have kept everything I have put in them either cold or frozen for as long as I have been in the field (5 days). Also, I beat the hell out of them, as I do most of my gear, and they are in great shape.

 

[MSmiley]

If you’re only needing a 40-50 I would look at the soft coolers (hopper style). Way more versatile and seems to be 75% or so of the insulation of the hard yeti. I lost 2 deer in a Coleman on one trip. Never had a problem with my hoppers. For things like weekend trips, flying, kayaking, they are more mobile. Otherwise, I haven’t noticed a difference in the various brands of hard coolers (yeti/rtic/orca/Orion) other than some unique features to each. I would just look for the best deal you can find.

 

[juwalker1116]

K2 has some good deal on blemishes

 

[Mosby]

My primary meat coolers are Orca. I use smaller Grizzly and Engel coolers for food. All work really well.

I buy whatever top brand I can get on sale. Whatever brand you buy, I would recommend that you make sure they are Grizzly certified. That is required in some areas.

 

[longspeak74]

Another vote for Lifetime from Walmart/Sams. Worked extremely well in Colorado last season.