soft-side ice chest.

[boom]

lets say i have been catch and release fishing. but if i wanted to take ONE home to cook (largemouth bass), i would need to figure out cold storage for the 45 minute hot summer hike out.

any suggestions? my wife doenst like eating fish enough to green-light a soft YETI. what about the RTIC? anything cheap from COSTCO?

 

[rklein]

Most any cooler of decent design will work for 45 minutes. If you're wanting to carry out one (1) fish I suggest getting something just big enough to carry what you'll catch(don't get a cooler too big). Pre-cool it overnight with the whole cooler in the freezer open to make sure the entire inside/outside of the cooler is cold. Fill with ice packs and ensure no dead air space. I don't see the issue being the 45 minutes you need to keep the fish cool, but presumably the hot day the cooler will spend in the sun. Keep it shaded, keep it closed, etc to ensure its cold when the fish goes in there.

 

[jmez]

I wouldn't spend a bunch of money on a nice soft side for that. An igloo flip top lunch cooler will work fine. That is what I use for fish. Fill completely full of ice when you leave home and it will still be plenty cold that evening.

I have an ARTIC softside and had a Yeti softside. Not a fan of either one. The Yeti was a PITA to get into and a bigger pain to try to hold open to get ice in, big and bulky. Nothing handy about it. The Artic isn't as big and has a flip top. The zipper does not work easy, especially going around the corners.

I prefer a hard cooler. My wife bought them both. I woudn't buy one.

 

[packer58]

Look on Amazon, quite a few choices. I have a cheaper soft side i use in my boat, couple frozen water bottles and stuff stays cool all day. Mine is a single top zipper and is a bit of a pain loading and unloading..........Kinda like a bear trap.......

 

[Idahoguy]

I have several rtic coolers both soft and hard side. Just as good as any high dollar cooler out there. A cheap soft side would probably be your best bet.

 

[timmymac24]

Check out Polar Bear coolers I bought the original 48 pack cooler. Very pleased with for either hauling drinks around or hauling frozen deer back on the airline. They have some great deals during the year.

 

[EastMT]

I have one of the Magellan backpack coolers for the same thing, really love it.

 

[Middleofnowhere]

If made in USA is important, Bison Coolers are really nice for around 150 bucks.
I have this cooler and been using for lunch a couple years in desert heat. It is very well insulated and heavy duty.

Bison 24 Can -SoftPak Cooler Bag

The Bison 24 can insulated soft cooler bag can be used for anything. Warm & cold compatible for up-to 3 days. Great cooler for hunting, parties, traveling or work.

www.bisoncoolers.com

 

[Jacack]

Check out Polar Bear coolers I bought the original 48 pack cooler. Very pleased with for either hauling drinks around or hauling frozen deer back on the airline. They have some great deals during the year.

Polar bear makes a great soft side

 

[Rickbomb96]

I don’t have a soft pac from RTIC but I will tell you the RTIC 65 I’ve got is awesome. It does just as good as my buddies Yetis for much less.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gjviii]

i have had a few RTIC coolers both Hard and soft and didn't have much luck with the quality. To make matters worse the customer service was the worse i have ever seen. I wouldn't recommend them just because of the customer service... terrible, just terrible