High end coolers & why I don't own one.....

[flyinsquirel]

How do you guys feel about the Coleman Steel Belted Coolers? It seems a little more durable than most of the less expensive coolers and gets good reviews. I haven't had much luck with the cheaper coolers.

No better than any other cheap, bottom level cooler. Ya, they are metal on the outside, but they don't hold ice like an extreme will. Pretty disappointed in mine for the price.

 

[450]

I solved my cooler/ice issues also when I bought my 32' 5th-Wheel. I priced a couple of Yeti coolers and decided the 5th-wheel would be cheaper and has a bed.

 

[kodiakfly]

I agree with the guys that say it's about "how" you use it and what you need. And I'd say most guys don't need a cooler to hold ice that long or be that tough. Buddy of mine has like four Yetis and he just tailgates and does an overnight in a campground a few times a summer...I've told him more than once to save his money. But when you can keep food cold on a two week fly-in, and it's bear proof, the cooler earns it's keep. Hell, even just being able to carry luxuries like Monsters and bacon on a week-long drive-in fishing trip (as in, on a side by side away from civilization and electricity), the cooler earns it's keep. I think the generator and freezer thing works perfect for trailers, road hunts and big boats. Me, I can't carry a generator and freezer in my 20' bay boat. But I can carry two coolers; one in front as a casting platform and dry storage and a big one in back for holding dead fish. If your fancy cooler is a status symbol, you're wasting your money. If your fancy cooler is a tool, you're glad you have it. (Same as binoculars, bows, rain gear, fishing rods...)

The green mat in front is a cooler I move up onto the deck for casting, and the orange bag in back is sitting on a 125 full of rockfish, salmon and maybe a halibut...

 

[luke moffat]

There is no way I'm paying to haul a bunch of ice and a boat anchor of a cooler on a fly in hunt. I could bring a lot more comfy amenities than that for the same weight.

Well that and I have only done one fly in hunt that ever went longer than 12 days let alone two weeks.

 

[kodiakfly]

There is no way I'm paying to haul a bunch of ice and a boat anchor of a cooler on a fly in hunt. I could bring a lot more comfy amenities than that for the same weight.

Well that and I have only done one fly in hunt that ever went longer than 12 days let alone two weeks.

Hey man, each their own. I've done a few long hunts like that. Did a three week fly-in, raft-out moose trip with four guys and the coolers earned their keep.

 

[luke moffat]

Agreed to each their own. Just saying that's not a reason for me to buy one cause as to date I have only ever done one 3 week long trip and it wasn't one I would have brought a cooler on. If you can justify them that's great not trying to say it's a bad idea. Just saying it's not worth the money nor weight for me is all.

 

[16Bore]

Wasn't there some damn country song that mentioned Yeti's? Second entrant products should be pretty good at a portion of the price.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I don't know if I've ever seen or heard a Yeti, Pelican, Orca, etc owner imply someone's a fool for not buying one. I have sure as heck seen a lot of the opposite. I really don't care what any guy uses...I just hope he's satisfied. I personally think all-in $600+ backpacks...often used less than 5 years...are a pitiful waste of money. After a lifetime of banging around in the outdoors and using so many crappy coolers I'm ashamed of the environmental impact, I bought a Yeti, even though I was a leading skeptic. No more skeptic here, and I'm confident I can make it last a heck of a lot longer than my rain gear, backpack, boots, Sawtooth, truck, etc.

 

[Jason Snyder]

A great fix for broken hinges on cheap coolers is a piece of tie down strap. Cut a piece the length of the hinge and put it under the hinge and put the screws back in. I'm talking heavy duty tie down like used to strap loads on a flatbed trailer. I've also taken some of that strap and run it the length of the lid when some of the hinge screws were stripped. I buy a pack of short SS screws and run them in every few inches. I've had one rigged like that for going on 10 years. It's a 70qt? I think and it has seen a lot of use.

You can also cut a 2" piece of garden hose (off the one your dog chewed up) and split it lengthwise. Use screws to attach it and you have a solid hinge system that won't break everytime you turn your cooler over to drain.

 

[PJG]

PJG - Rokslide(4255341) on Vimeo

You can always build one.

 

[rfc86]

Very Nice and it's probably bear proof!

 

[ssssnake529]

I have a Coleman Extreme Marine cooler. It keeps my ice from melting for a week, which is all I need. Others may have even better performance, but I'm never gone hunting for more than a week, so anything better/more expensive would be overkill.

 

[Cgeb]

Bought a 100 QT Coleman Extreme for Amazon (warehouse deal) for $30, I don't have any bear problems that I have to deal with.

I have an ice machine in my basement. I can buy a lot of hinges and replace the ice machine with the extra $400 if I need to.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Yeah I've been perfectly happy with a pair of coleman extreme 120s for my uses which is purely keep meat cold in the back of my truck. No bear issues really and I'm not tossing around in a pack raft, etc. so for $100 total I can keep an elk chilled just fine. Loaded up with 50lb of block ice they will last over a week, I don't need anything more. I got other things to overspend on.

 

[Ryanjay11]

I guess it's all about priorities. I have 3 yetis in various sizes and drive a 7 year old truck that's paid off. I don't regret buying any of them.

I have to chuckle when a guy driving a brand new jacked up diesel mentions he wishes he could afford a Yeti while I'm getting a beer at the tailgate...

 

[JigStick]

I cant begin to tell you how many cheap coolers I have torn through on my Lake Erie charter boat. Every variety of Coleman and cheap wally world specials. I heard the same Koolaid in regards to the Coleman Extremes, and tried a few. While they did hold ice for a fair amount of time, their hinges would constantly blow apart when full of walleye or salmon. Replaced the latches and ropes numerous times and it just became a hassle.

Fast forward now. I got a decent deal on a Yeti 110 on a fathers day sale at a local sporting store. And I can tell you that it is worth every penny. It holds ice for 5-6 days on the great lakes sitting in the sun in 80 degree heat. Often times the ice turns into one giant solid block after a few days. Ive held king salmon in this thing for 3 days a time when fishing Lake Ontario, and they are frozen like popsicles. The hinges are robust and the grab handles hold even when the cooler weighs well over 200lbs.

 

[Mad Mountain Mike]

I'm a Coleman / Igloo user as well, I've been happy with them but they're definitely not bear proof. After a mirading bruin robbed the contents of my cooler I tied it shut with a 2" ratchet strap thinking that would keep it at bay. I was wrong.

That night when he returned I relieved him of his hide and brought it home in that destroyed cooler.

 

[Tsnider]

you guys should try out the Arctic Ice packs as well. theyre expensive but last forever. The tundra series will freeze anything solid in your cooler. if you put a case of sun warmed beer on top of the tundra series you will go back 2 hours later and every beer will have blown up from freezing.

i used 2 Alaska series in the bottom of my pelican 45 with frozen foods, precooled beer and it they are better than ice and its nice having no water at the bottom.

 

[bbrown]

you guys should try out the Arctic Ice packs as well. theyre expensive but last forever. The tundra series will freeze anything solid in your cooler. if you put a case of sun warmed beer on top of the tundra series you will go back 2 hours later and every beer will have blown up from freezing.

i used 2 Alaska series in the bottom of my pelican 45 with frozen foods, precooled beer and it they are better than ice and its nice having no water at the bottom.

Those look pretty slick - how long do they last once in the cooler before thawing? I've been using simply orange juice containers filled with water and froze solid. They last for 4-5 days depending on conditions and how much the cooler is opened but also take up a lot of space.

 

[michaelc10]

Just a heads up for an easy long lasting fix to those broken hinges on the cheaper coolers. Take a wide piece of webbing , I used a old seat belt and screw it on where the hinges go, mine has been on for years. Will probobly outlast the cooler