The "Big" Cooler Showdown, by Travis Bertrand

[Travis Bertrand]

Nothing is wrong with the grizzly, I have a 150 quart from them. Quality box for sure.

Some tidbits I have learned is icey-tek is the original rotocast cooler.

Frostbite as mentioned is a new company and the problems I have pointed out have been resolved with their second run. I would have loved to throw a Coleman in there but the one I do own is a 70 quart and that wouldn't be fair.

 

[idahobow]

Thanks for a great test, I would have liked to have seen how the grizzly matched up. I own several yetis and grizzlies and am in need of another big cooler. It was going to be grizzly but i'm thinking that canyon 125 has my name on it!

 

[lcxctf2000]

Great test and writeup. Now for a second round how about taking the same set of coolers and adding some Coleman extremes and igloos into the mix for a solid value comparison ? I run cheap Coleman extremes that I buy for $50-$70 for 120qt and 150qt coolers and $30 for 50qt to 70 qt size. I need to be convinced I'm getting some value for 10 times the cost. I can buy 20lbs of ice for $1.25 locally from the ice machine down the street. I can put two deer in a 120qt and $2.50 worth of ice in a room temp cooler and set it to drain and five days later I have to pull a sheet of ice off the deer to process them. I'm trying to process spending $600 for 100qts of premium cooler space vs $60 for 120qts of cooler space. I've got ten year old coolers in my storage right now so I'm getting a lot of years from cheap coolers and they hold ice longer than I hold meat or generally hunt without a trip to town to clean up and get a bite of fresh food. If one gets stolen from the back of my truck I'm just aggravated not apoplectic. When I buy new coolers I take the hinges off and put a piece of 3" nylon strap under them and screw the hinges back on top and they hold forever.

Same thought here. This is a fantastic review for folks that want to spend hundreds of dollars on a single cooler, but not for those of us that can't drop that cash and need bang for the buck. Would love to have seen some "regular" coolers in there so we could do a good baseline to better figure out if saving and investing is worth it.

Shrek - do you have photos of the 3" nylon strap trick? Sounds like a good mod.

 

[Shrek]

I don't have a picture or any of my coolers handy at the moment as they are all out at my friends house where we used them last but all I'm doing is cutting a piece of tie down strap and putting it between the hinge and the cooler and putting the screws back in . The cheap hinges always break but the strap keeps it joined and the hinges still keep the lid upright when open but are a little spongy. If the hinges are already busted up I just run the strap along the back and put screws with washers to hold it from pulling through tthe strap. I have a new cooler here at the house I haven't gotten around to doing it to so maybe when I'm done building the new loading bench I'm working on I'll do it and snap a picture. There are pictures of one of my coolers here in an old thread that might be found.

Edit ; I bumped the best cooler thread from back in '12 and post #9 has a picture of one of my coolers that got a total hinge replacement way back. That cooler is still going strong and is my favorite one deer cooler. When I hunt locally thats the cheapy that rides with me

 

[Kevin Dill]

Just as interesting and perhaps more fair would be a comparison of typical affordable coolers to each other. Coleman, Igloo...etc. Conduct the study the same way, and eval the results of typical coolers. That would make sense and then allow a guy to truly and objectively understand the performance vs cost differential when compared to premium coolers.

I personally think a smart guy will get the most out of his 'average' cooler and do fine with it. I also think the premium coolers will excel under more severe conditions and perhaps justify their cost that way. Sigh...listen to me: Most of the time I don't need ten-ply Wranglers, 3/4 ton ratings and a 400 hp diesel when I'm running out for beer either, but when I need it.....I'm happy to have it.

 

[mtswampfox]

Good timing as big brown truck dropped off a pelican35 monday am. Nice review , was impressed with actual capacity verses claimed. Am going to do the pelican just to see. Thanks for your time doing these comparisons

 

[ndbwhunter]

I am in need of a few affordable coolers for my fall hunts. I would gladly do a comparison of some of the cheaper 120qt coolers if you can have a few sent my way....

 

[5MilesBack]

I am in need of a few affordable coolers for my fall hunts. I would gladly do a comparison of some of the cheaper 120qt coolers if you can have a few sent my way....

My 120qt Igloo finally gave up the ghost this past year. I've had it for 22 years and it's been used for BC fishing trips, tailgaters, backyard parties, family camping, and of course my annual hunting trips. Only problem it ever had was the hinges. I finally drilled all the way through and put longer bolts and washers on it, but they finally broke through the plastic.

I have my 200qt IRP, but I'm definitely picking up another Costco special Igloo. Great cooler when I don't need the behemoth.

 

[Chris Sloan]

What about bear proof/not?

 

[Travis Bertrand]

What about bear proof/not?

Sorry Chris, I didn't have any bears handy to test them so we just have to take the manufactures word for it

 

[Travis Bertrand]

The "Big" Cooler Showdown, by Travis Bertrand

Thanks for the feedback guys. These coolers aren't for everyone as shrek pointed out. Guys in his shoes probably wouldn't benefit from a cooler like this, heck, he said it himself, he leaves to go hunting with ice, kills something and has ice when he comes home. That's the mission right?

These coolers are for a lot of guys though. I hunt quite a ways from the truck which is quite a ways from a town for a long period of time. Heck, my Wyoming bull took 34 hours to get him off the mountain and on ice. I was prepared to hunt 14 days in the backcountry, do you think a Coleman could provide me ice on day 14 when I come back with a pile of meat? I needed a cooler(s) that can handle that task. We owe it to these animals to not spoil any meat I intend to carry out that code to the best of my ability.

I'm leaving in the morning to go antelope scouting in the middle of bfe Nevada. I'll be gone 4 days in 100+ degree weather nowhere near a town. I'd like to have ice the whole trip with keeping a cooler in the back of my truck.


These high end coolers are investments it's not worth my time nor money to drive into town on an antelope hunt to restock with ice while we still have antelope to kill.
My 02cents and reasoning behind it.

Thanks a bunch guys!

 

[Bughalli]

I did a decent amount of comparison and research last year when I decided to invest in a high quality cooler. They're all very good, but I ended up going with a Canyon cooler for a number of different reasons. Glad to see your research supports that decision.

 

[mtswampfox]

First road trip with pelican 35. Found seat cushion on e bay for 50 bucks. After finding the included snaps and pilot holes drilled in the cooler lid ,instalation was a snap. Only complaint so far , as mentioned with the excellent sealing system, a vacuum does happen when opening closing in rapid succession like when making lunch and had to open drain plug to open cooler.

 

[Jeff Martin]

Thanks for the feedback guys. These coolers aren't for everyone as shrek pointed out. Guys in his shoes probably wouldn't benefit from a cooler like this, heck, he said it himself, he leaves to go hunting with ice, kills something and has ice when he comes home. That's the mission right?

These coolers are for a lot of guys though. I hunt quite a ways from the truck which is quite a ways from a town for a long period of time. Heck, my Wyoming bull took 34 hours to get him off the mountain and on ice. I was prepared to hunt 14 days in the backcountry, do you think a Coleman could provide me ice on day 14 when I come back with a pile of meat? I needed a cooler(s) that can handle that task. We owe it to these animals to not spoil any meat I intend to carry out that code to the best of my ability.

I'm leaving in the morning to go antelope scouting in the middle of bfe Nevada. I'll be gone 4 days in 100+ degree weather nowhere near a town. I'd like to have ice the whole trip with keeping a cooler in the back of my truck.


These high end coolers are investments it's not worth my time nor money to drive into town on an antelope hunt to restock with ice while we still have antelope to kill.
My 02cents and reasoning behind it.

Thanks a bunch guys!

great point - and I agree. I would also add if guys are not buying blocks of ice, they are missing the boat Blocks of ice will last days if not a week longer. MY wife and I own a snow cone business and the snow wizard blocks of ice will last forever. When you get an animal back, break the block up as needed for room.

 

[5MilesBack]

great point - and I agree. I would also add if guys are not buying blocks of ice, they are missing the boat Blocks of ice will last days if not a week longer. MY wife and I own a snow cone business and the snow wizard blocks of ice will last forever. When you get an animal back, break the block up as needed for room.

Or just freeze plastic gallon milk jugs filled with water. These have lasted a week easily even in my cheap Igloo. I tend to go up and back during the season a lot, so when I get home I just put them back in the freezer and they're usually still at least 50% frozen after a week. I'll put 20 of them in my IRP cooler.

Then you can stack them around the meat bags without soaking the meat in water.

 

[idahobow]

I got a change to check out the Orion first hand at a 3d archery shoot, either the lid or body was warped and the latches wouldn't stay closed. I posted this up on Orions FB page, the review was promptly deleted.

 

[5MilesBack]

My 20+ year old 120qt Igloo gave up the ghost this past year, so recently bought the Igloo that Costco sells. Took it out on a camping trip this past week and it didn't even keep my frozen milk jugs partially frozen for even 3 full days. They've obviously changed something on them as my old one would last a week easily and still be 50% frozen. I took it back.

 

[Shrek]

Igloo has been the worst of the worst for a long time now. If you are not ready to buy one of the high dollar coolers I'd try the Coleman Extreme coolers.

 

[5MilesBack]

Igloo has been the worst of the worst for a long time now. If you are not ready to buy one of the high dollar coolers I'd try the Coleman Extreme coolers.

I already have one of the high dollar coolers, but it's a 200qt Marine beast and only goes with me to elk camp. But I do like a smaller 120qt cooler for lesser outings. My next try was going to be the Coleman, and it's even cheaper than the Igloo.

I also wonder how they measure these things. The new Igloo says 160qt, but was no bigger than my old 120qt. And my 200 sure looks like it could hold twice what that 160 would hold.

 

[robby denning]

Ya 5miles, Travis found the same capacity discrepancy with one of the coolers in the review. I think he just filled them with water and weighed them if I remember right.