coolers

[horngobbler]

A buddy and are thinking of breaking down and dropping the big bucks on a cooler. We are thinking of either a yeti , brute ,or the engel. Has anybody had experience with the last two. I know yet I by t h were name and a lot of posts on them. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DaveS]

Check out this cooler review that includes the Yeti and Engel. Given my needs in a cooler and the results from this review I ended up buying the Coleman Xtreme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-TE4RnqT0U

 

[realunlucky]

I have a canyon cooler I've been impressed with

 

[Ranger619]

I don't know if you have heard of Canyon coolers. I bought the 75 quart and have liked it for the money.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Engel coolers have a great reputation in the saltwater angling community.

 

[Ozz08]

I'm liking what I have been seeing and reading about canyon coolers. I'm going to try to pick one up this spring.

My dad bought a yeti last summer and I am now sold on the high dollar cooler idea. That you tube video is all fine and dandy but open up that coleman extreme a couple times throughout the day for a "barley soda" and your ice will not come close to lasting as long as the expensive coolers.

I own 4 coleman extremes.

 

[5MilesBack]

I have a simple 120qt Igloo that I got at Price Club for $50.........that should tell you how old it is. I used it for years and it's always done well, but it's on its last legs........hinges completely broken, and latches not even there. But I also use a 200qt IRP Marine cooler that works well too. Got a heck of a deal on it, but doubt that I'd ever pay anywhere near what they want for these expensive coolers. When I come home with ice still in my milk jugs after a week to 10 days, that's good enough for me.

 

[danarnold]

got 2 new grizzly's 60Q off c list this summer, they're pretty nice but heavy unloaded 30lb I think,
threw in a couple chillin brew packs with my daily grub for 10 day Mt elk hunt and did real good

we pre cool our coolers overnight with frozen milk jug and makes a big diff

 

[Hunt'nFish]

120qt Coleman & Igloo coolers here. Frozen water jugs seem to last plenty long enough.
Pre-Chill, and a little adhesive door seal on the lids doesn't hurt either.
Hunt'nFish

 

[DaveS]

I'm liking what I have been seeing and reading about canyon coolers. I'm going to try to pick one up this spring.

My dad bought a yeti last summer and I am now sold on the high dollar cooler idea. That you tube video is all fine and dandy but open up that coleman extreme a couple times throughout the day for a "barley soda" and your ice will not come close to lasting as long as the expensive coolers.

I own 4 coleman extremes.

For my needs the coleman xtreme worked great. I used it on two 8-day trips and still had ice at the end of both trips. I opened it as needed. I was with some guys who had more expensive coolers and they were impressed with the Coleman especially given that I paid $52 for a 120 quart compared to $300 - $400 for Yeti or Engel.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

168qt Coleman fan here...have 5 of em, $90/ea at Costco. With frozen water jugs they hold ice for a week in summer and two weeks in winter. I prefer large coolers for hunting because I can put my gear in em when driving my truck to the state i'm hunting in and they keep everything dry no matter what kinda weather I hit. I can throw quarters into em without a problem and debone later. On one hunt I hit rain so heavy the truck was hydroplaning on the I-5 frwy so I stopped and filled a cooler with water and no more problems. The price of a Yeti is monsterous...you can buy a chest freezer and a generator for what they cost.

 

[IdyllwildArcher]

I'll 2nd the Coleman coolers from Costco. I payed $100 for mine, but they're really a great bang for the buck. 2 Ice blocks will last a week in these things no problem.

One cooler will hold two midwestern deer or one elk, bone in, no problem with an ice block

 

[sdr]

My dad and I both have the 150 qt Grizzly. Well worth the money. I still have my coleman extreme coolers but there really isn't any comparison between the two. Where I hunt in parts of Nevada we are a long ways away from a store to buy more ice. The Grizzly will keep everything cold while the ice in my coleman is melted.
My friends use the Yeti coolers and they work great also. They are just more expensive than the Grizzly or Canyon coolers.

 

[mtswampfox]

I have a simple 120qt Igloo that I got at Price Club for $50.........that should tell you how old it is. I used it for years and it's always done well, but it's on its last legs........hinges completely broken, and latches not even there. But I also use a 200qt IRP Marine cooler that works well too. Got a heck of a deal on it, but doubt that I'd ever pay anywhere near what they want for these expensive coolers. When I come home with ice still in my milk jugs after a week to 10 days, that's good enough for me.

a big fan of the igloo as well. one reason is the parts that can be had for hinges and hasps. my only complaint is they are so damn noisy when opening and closing, have not found the right lube to quiet them???

 

[realunlucky]

My dad and I both have the 150 qt Grizzly. Well worth the money. I still have my coleman extreme coolers but there really isn't any comparison between the two. Where I hunt in parts of Nevada we are a long ways away from a store to buy more ice. The Grizzly will keep everything cold while the ice in my coleman is melted.
My friends use the Yeti coolers and they work great also. They are just more expensive than the Grizzly or Canyon coolers.

I agree with this. I also still my Coleman150 stuffed with ice but the canyon is a better cooler wither its worth the extra money guess depends on trip length, temperature and distance from more ice

 

[LostArra]

I've got both Coleman Extremes and a Yeti (Father's Day gift).

Fall, winter, spring > Coleman wins, $ in your pocket, be smart, learn to use a cooler, pre-cool, use frozen jugs, they work great.

Hot Oklahoma summers, maybe Arizona and Nevada hunting, Florida fishing, beach beer > Yeti Have plenty of help to get that heavy SOB out of the truck.

(Do you need coolers in North Dakota?)

 

[kodiakfly]

A buddy of mine asked me about this just two days ago. Cooler technology isn't rocket science. There's far more technology in optics, rifles and bows. But there are great coolers and good coolers. I'm a Yeti guy...I have four of them and I love them. I'll just say that if you spend the money on one of the high end cooler, you should be pleased no matter the brand.

A couple of examples-

I keep ice in one of my Yetis in the extended cab of my truck in August and September for river fishing for silvers. I'll keep 2-3 bags of ice in a cooler for a week and it's frosty. I can drop a couple of salmon in there and they're cold for the ride home and through the next day or two if I can't get to them that day or the next.

I had a limit of salmon in a cooler on a remote, 4-wheeler access river. I rolled my quad that night, hurt my leg and drove out the next day. Went to the doc, got x-rays and was laid up on the couch for three days. On the fifth day since I put the fish in there I went to finally clean my fish since I could stand to do it....they were frozen solid and I had to let them thaw just to clean them.

I regularly keep a limit of rockfish in a cooler for several days until I get a chance to clean them....DAYS during the summer months and they're frozen, or at least so cold that I have to let them warm up because my hands get too cold while filleting them that I have to let them "warm up" to ambient temp before I clean them.

These are all Yeti cooler stories, but like I say...cooler technology isn't winning any Nobel Prizes. Get a high end cooler and pay for it, and it'll keep your stuff cold. I just prefer Yetis.

 

[kodiakfly]

OP, where are you in ND? My parents live in Robinson. My Dad uses his Yetis all year long there for everything from walleye to pheasants.

 

[JCT]

The high end coolers intrigue me. The cost and weight are big drawbacks to me but I can see both sides of the coin. Over the years I'm sure I've spent the $ on walmart coolers that would've paid for a Yeti. Having said that I've also gone without a cooler to save space/room and just bought one once successful for my return home. Killed a moose in Maine in 13 and once I got it out the bush I ran a couple towns away and bought a chest freezer, $185.00, way cheaper than a yeti 1/2 the size would've cost, used it as a cooler and once home I use it for its intended purpose. I was surprized how light the empty freezer is and it is certainly as insulated as any high end cooler. Add a Honda EU gen and you've got a full on freezer waiting for the ride home from the trailhead. (I don't consider the gen in costs, assume it's already owned) . I've used a broken freezer as a cooler in the past and once it's pre-cooled ice lasts for a long dang time.
Regards,
JT

 

[Colo4x4XJ]

High end coolers are something you didn't know you really needed until you get one, then you didn't know how you lived without one. Engel, Yeti, Pelican, NRS, Canyon etc all make great coolers. Some prefer different latches or drains of certain companies over others. Before you buy one be sure to open the lid and compare outside size to inside space, you might be surprised at the difference. Currently Ive been running a Pelican 65 qt for a weeks worth of food and beer for 2-3 people but it's a little tight. If I were to do it over i would do a 45 qt cooler for day or solo trips and a 125 for anything else. Yeah they aren't the most fun to move but coming back to icy cold Gatorade, beer and steak after monkeying around In the woods for a week or two sure is spoilingly nice!