I've spent more time than is reasonable scouring for information and comparing these different brands. Hopefully my research can help someone else in the future. Going into this I felt like the Gunner was the one to beat, and I still think they probably make the absolute best Kennel out there, but it may not fit everyone's budget or needs. I ended up ordering a Lucky Duck, which looks like it arrived today while I'm away from home. I'll be happy to answer any questions about it now that I have it in hand as I know there is a lot less information out there for it than some of the other more established brands. I wanted to share the reasons I went with it over some of the other options.
- Solid rotomolded design that I can sit/stand on without noticing any flex
- Similar to the Gunner, it is 5 Star Crash Rated.
- Similar to the Gunner, it is made in the USA
- Similar to the Gunner, it has a Lifetime Warranty (Hopefully never needed)
- It is not double walled, but this also means that for a similar sized interior compared to the Gunner, the exterior dimensions are smaller so it takes up less space in a truck bed and the weight is about 10 lbs. less, which I like as I won't be leaving this in my truck bed as a permanent fixture.
- Built in tie down points (accessible through the Lucky Duck Brand insulated cover if you choose to buy that separately, which I will at some point).
- Built in carry handles (also accessible through the Lucky Duck Brand cover)
- Lockable, reversible door with paddle latch and additional security latches for travel
- Raised floor with drain "gutters" and ports built in
- Non Slip Rubber Feet
- Though it's certainly a pricey kennel, it is less than the Gunner and I was able to save some money through Activejunky and a Cabela's coupon to bring the price down to just under $400. Throw in some Christmas Gift cards and free shipping and I'm out of pocket less than $300.
- Lucky Duck only offers one size, though that size works for me so it wasn't really a negative to me but could be to others. Being that's it's called an "Intermediate" kennel, I fully expect them to add more sizes to their lineup in the future.
To me, it looks like Lucky Duck took a hard look at the Gunner Kennel and tried it's best to incorporate the best features of the Gunner into a lighter weight kennel. I'm sure the Gunner is more stout, though I feel it's overkill for what I need. I also feel like the tiedown points are a better design and a bit more solid on the Gunner, but with both receiving a 5 star crash rating I'm sure they are both sufficient. You could argue that the Gunner doesn't need an insulated cover and you'd save that expense because of the double wall design but I still feel like I'm better off with the option to add one and take it off for different conditions, similar to me layering my hunting clothes. An added cover will also keep snow, etc. out better, IMO.
A lot of these kennels have many of the listed features above, but none quite checked all the boxes of what I was looking for as well as the Lucky Duck. Initially I felt like the Primos Kennel Up was a good fit as well, but it doesn't have a crash test rating, and while a similar price to the Lucky Duck, it isn't made in the USA. I also got no response when I submitted a couple of questions to customer service on 2 occasions. I feel like the Dakota's are a good, solid value but I didn't like the single carry handle as I feel like it would be more awkward and less user friendly. It's also heavier. I took a hard look at Ruffland with so many Roksliders happy with it's performance but I just felt like even though it's a huge upgrade over my current kennel, it was lacking some of the features I was looking for and I'd spend more money adding handles, etc. and still end up with something slightly less than what I was looking for. The price is right on the Ruffland, it just wasn't quite a fit for what I wanted.
Everyone's needs are different, and only time will tell if I made the right decision, but hopefully this thread provides some information as others search for a quality Kennel. I hope over time the votes include more peoples experiences and more information is added to the thread to help others decide when they make a decision on a kennel purchase. Whatever you go with, get out there and enjoy some hunting with your dog!