Coolers?

[rockrat]

Wife wants to get one of the superinsulated coolers. Looked at Cabelas offerings under their brand, the Yeti and Sams had an Igloo that mimics the Yeti, at half the cost. Just going to use it on long trips and hold ice and water. Might bring back some Blue Bell ice cream too!!:)

What do you have and how do you like it/ how would you rate it?

[XDROB]

Yetis are good.

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[shoot-n-lead]

Yeti's are good...and there are others that are as good...but, I only have cheap coolers.

Last year, before I retired, my boss had a Yeti that would keep ice for a ridiculous length of time. I would like to have one...just can't justify that price for a cooler.

[2wheelDuke]

I've got an Igloo marine cooler that claims to be "extreme" that I've had for nearly 5 years now. It's got thicker foam than I remember coolers having in the past and does pretty well. But it's starting to show it's age.

I just bought an RTIC 45 quart cooler at Christmas. It's a nice cooler, it seems almost a bit overbuilt. I've used it for tailgating and as a drink cooler on hunting trips. So far I'm satisfied with the performance, but wish I got a slightly bigger one. I think a bigger cooler would take up too much space in the boat though.

The RTIC 45 has just enough room for two twelve packs of bottles plus ice, and a few bottles of water for good measure. I love the "quality" feel and performance, but I'm afraid it'll get stolen out of the bed of my truck. I've been shopping for a cable lock for it.

[trails4u]

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/fishing/2016/03/ice-chest-throwdown-12-top-end-coolers-ranked-and-reviewed#page-3

[John Allen]

I got the rtic one. It is very nice. They are less money than the yeti. I like it and do not feel I gave anything up compared to the Yeti.

[M-Tecs]

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/fishing/2016/03/ice-chest-throwdown-12-top-end-coolers-ranked-and-reviewed#page-3

I have a 95 quart Pelican and it's awesome. Thanks for the link.

[John Allen]

Also, if you are not in a hurry subscribe to the Rtic email list. I bought two coolers off them for 40% off when they ran a sale. I do not know if they are still doing it but it is worth the emails to save the money.

Here is their page for the hard coolers
https://www.rticcoolers.com/shop/coolers/roto-molded

[rond]

I think Blue Bell is overrated. I think you could buy a lot of ice to add to a cooler for the price of a Yeti.

[dragon813gt]

I think you could buy a lot of ice to add to a cooler for the price of a Yeti.
I hear this all the time. Yetis are not for tail gating. They're meant for backwoods excursions where you don't have access to ice. If the closest ice is days away that does you no good. Having a cooler full of ice a week into a trip has lots of advantages if you're in the backwoods.

[54bore]

A friend of mine has the Cabelas Version, uses it during Sept Archery Elk, it performs flawlessly EVERYTIME. I dont know about the Yeti and others Warranty? Cabelas Warranty is one of the best in my personal experience with their name brand gear. Even clothing that has been used season after season, if you tear it they will replace it!

[mold maker]

The secret to success with any cooler (cheap or expensive) is to have everything pre-cooled before putting it in the cooler. It's not a refrigerator and depends on the ice to hold everything at the temp you like.
I have always used the extra thick walled foam coolers with success. It depends on how often, and for how long the cooler is opened, that determines how long it holds cool.
The Yeti and several others are the ultimate, but you pay a hefty price. Carrying a couple smaller (cheaper) coolers to use out of to keep from constantly opening the main cooler takes some space but is lots more efficent.

[jcwit]

If they can sell something for a 40% discount your just beginning to realize what their markup truly is.

[ShooterAZ]

I got one of the 75 QT Canyon Coolers, I have been very pleased with it.

[AK Caster]

If you are anywhere near a store where you can buy ice every other day or so a premium cooler is a waste of a lot of $$$. Pack a regular Igloo or Coleman with large ice cubes and precooled items and you are good to go for 2-3 days.
If you buy a bag of ice at a store take it home and put it in the freezer overnight and it will get colder and last longer.
Finally, I bought some silicone ice cube trays on Amazon that makes 2 inch cubes. Much better than regular ice cubes.

[waksupi]

I agree the premium coolers are a rip off. I have a plain old Coleman cooler, that I can put dry ice in with frozen food, pack the empty areas with crumpled newspaper, and have things stay good for ten days. Using two coolers is good, one being for immediate items you want out. Don't open the other until you are ready to transfer items to the other cooler to thaw.

[lightman]

I have had a Yeti long before other companies started offering stuff that would compare. Its heavy and built to last. They have a lot of nice features. They have rubber feet on bottom to resist sliding in the truck bed or boat. They have grooves in them to accommodate straps if you need to strap it down in a boat or aircraft. They are lockable. They keep ice longer than any of the $35 or $40 dollar igloos or colemans. But the real savings is how long it last if you use it daily.

When I was working, I would buy a coleman or igloo in March or April and it would live in the back of my truck. In a month or so the latch would be broken. Then a hinge or two would break. By summer, its held together with a tarp strap, the lids warped and it keeps ice for less than a day. The Yeti has been doing this for several years!. Its dirty, skinned up, looks terrible but still works. You can stand on it, sit on it, throw material on top of it. It takes it.

At deer camp, my Yeti will keep ice for a week in warm weather and for 3 weeks in the fall. The guys that have igloos or coleman have to go after ice every couple of days.

The Yeti look-a-likes seem to work just as well. Heck, they are probably made in the same Chinese factory! If you use a roller daily or need ice to last for days, these are nice. If you use a cooler a few days a year, its a big investment. I don't rep for Yeti, I'm just a happy customer!

[shoot-n-lead]

The premium coolers are not a rip off if you use a cooler all of the time. For work crews...they will pay for themselves in the price of alone as they will hold ice much longer and ice is not cheap. Also, they are much more impervious to weather, than the cheap coolers.

Now, am I going to buy...not hardly, I just don't have a need for one as I only use a cooler a couple of times in the fall. If I used them everyday...you can bet that I would have one.

[jcwit]

This reminds me of those who buy $200 dollar flashlights.

[jeepyj]

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/fishing/2016/03/ice-chest-throwdown-12-top-end-coolers-ranked-and-reviewed#page-3

Good link

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

This reminds me of those who buy $200 dollar flashlights.
I spent nearly $200 for one of my flashlights (included charger and extra batts)...but it doesn't keep ice for very long

[John Allen]

If they can sell something for a 40% discount your just beginning to realize what their markup truly is.

I am sure the markup is huge. Take a look at Yeti they are even more money and rotomolded the same way. I bet the insulation is similar too.

[jcwit]

I spent nearly $200 for one of my flashlights (included charger and extra batts)...but it doesn't keep ice for very long


Must be one heck of a light!

There are those who shop and then there are those who shop!

[dragon813gt]

This reminds me of those who buy $200 dollar flashlights.

So what about the people that buy $200 knives? You get what you pay for in a lot of circumstances. While you may have no need for one of these collets. There are many that do. Comparing a Coleman to a Yeti is an apples to oranges comparison.

[jcwit]

So what about the people that buy $200 knives? You get what you pay for in a lot of circumstances. While you may have no need for one of these collets. There are many that do. Comparing a Coleman to a Yeti is an apples to oranges comparison.

I think my point was made clear when I posted that if the manufacturer can just give a 40% discount we surely have a tip off of what their true markup/ripoff is.

Now is in fact "which it wasn't" a closeout then it would be a different matter!

Regarding Knives, I have collector knives that cost near the 4 digit mark and of course never used, yes one does get what they pay for, but then there times one gets higher value with less money spent.

If the cost of an item was the true value, using that logic, we all should be driving Rolls Royce, or custom Land Rovers.

I did notice that you did use "in a lot of circumstances" tho.

Now then back on topic about coolers.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Must be one heck of a light!

There are those who shop and then there are those who shop!
it was one of the group buy "BIG Lights" here.
It is crazy bright, I don't recall the number of lumins...1500? maybe more?
About half the size of a 6 D cell Maglight, lights up the nighttime backyard, like it's daylight.
I am generally pretty thrifty, but this thing is worth the price...if you need a bright flashlight.

[dragon813gt]

I think my point was made clear when I posted that if the manufacturer can just give a 40% discount we surely have a tip off of what their true markup/ripoff is.

So the $10,000 rebate that a car manufacturer will give you is okay? It's pretty simple. You make a product and sell it for as much as you can.

[prsman23]

So the $10,000 rebate that a car manufacturer will give you is okay? It's pretty simple. You make a product and sell it for as much as you can.

Well said!

It takes money and profit to run a company. Especially if it's American made. The costs of labor are a ton more here than in China. If you think that's a rip off stop buying soda, food at restaurants and just about anything else.


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[Uncle R.]

it was one of the group buy "BIG Lights" here.
It is crazy bright, I don't recall the number of lumins...1500? maybe more?
About half the size of a 6 D cell Maglight, lights up the nighttime backyard, like it's daylight.
I am generally pretty thrifty, but this thing is worth the price...if you need a bright flashlight.

Yep - I got one of those too and worth every penny. You can shine deer two hundred yards away (No exaggeration!) with a light no bigger or heavier than the old Eveready flashlights of my youth. This thing puts out like one of those old "million candlepower" floodlights that you would plug into the cigarette lighter of your truck back in the eighties, but it's totally portable and small enough to drop into your coat pocket. There simply wasn't anything even remotely close to this kind of performance just a few years ago.

Thanks, Wiljen - I love it!

Uncle R.

[jcwit]

Well said!

It takes money and profit to run a company. Especially if it's American made. The costs of labor are a ton more here than in China. If you think that's a rip off stop buying soda, food at restaurants and just about anything else.


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YUP! But these super doper coolers are made in China!

And it's said that both the Yeti & the RTIC coolers are the same and built in the same factory.

Many, many items in todays world are over priced for those who wish to dig deep into their pockets just to make the maker rich or to spend their CC to the limit.

[jcwit]

Well said!

It takes money and profit to run a company. Especially if it's American made. The costs of labor are a ton more here than in China. If you think that's a rip off stop buying soda, food at restaurants and just about anything else.


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How well I know after retiring from my own wholy owned company!

[dragon813gt]

When have items not been over priced? No one sells an item at cost. I completely understand that labor has been off-shored and the company executives are making more money then ever. Unfortunately that's how business works these days. Back when the labor was here the executives were still rich.

[rl69]

Yeti and rtic or two deferent company's. and yeti produces some of its stuff here in the states

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2017/02/03/yeti-and-local-cooler-competitor-rtic-settle.html

Our Tundra coolers are manufactured in the USA at facilities located in Iowa and Wisconsin as well as at a facility located in the Philippines. Our Hopper coolers are manufactured in China. Want a YETI made in the USA? Call

Thies new coolers or well built a great design and last a normal person a lifetime but only you can decide if they are worth the money

[jcwit]

Seems clear that there are those here who have not worked in upper management for a Fortune 500 company.

[lightman]

I expect the mark-up on Yeti is huge. I'm seeing the prices on their mugs falling and I would expect the competition to drive the price on coolers down too.

[dragon813gt]

I expect the mark-up on Yeti is huge. I'm seeing the prices on their mugs falling and I would expect the competition to drive the price on coolers down too.

Exactly, you can get the same mugs at Walmart for a lot less money. The technology works great. I have a HydraFlask for when I fly. Keeps water cold all day long which is what I want. They used to cost $45. Last one I bought was $15 for the same size. Free market is working in the consumers favor in this situation.

[NavyVet1959]

If you are anywhere near a store where you can buy ice every other day or so a premium cooler is a waste of a lot of $$$. Pack a regular Igloo or Coleman with large ice cubes and precooled items and you are good to go for 2-3 days.
If you buy a bag of ice at a store take it home and put it in the freezer overnight and it will get colder and last longer.
Finally, I bought some silicone ice cube trays on Amazon that makes 2 inch cubes. Much better than regular ice cubes.

Well, if you've got the freezer to do that with, you could just go ahead and freeze your own ice. :)

I used large stainless steel bowls for making my ice for a cooler.

[dverna]

For most buyers of these things it is about bragging rights or showing off. Nothing wrong with that...just be honest about it.

Two of the guys I know are nearly broke all the time. They each got an $80 Yeti cups....really?

[XDROB]

Qt and gallon plastic milk jugs. Big solid ice, that you can drink when it does melt. Always worked when I was doing a lot of vehicle tent camping.

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[NavyVet1959]

There are quite a few videos and web pages about how to convert a cheaper cooler into one that can hold ice for as long as the Yeti type coolers. Nothing magic happening with the Yeti type coolers -- it's just thicker insulation.

[NavyVet1959]

Qt and gallon plastic milk jugs. Big solid ice, that you can drink when it does melt. Always worked when I was doing a lot of vehicle tent camping.


I keep a couple of 2-liter soft drink bottles filled with salt water and frozen in my deep freezer at all times and toss them in a cooler if we are going grocery shopping and might not be back home directly. When I used to be into cycling and would do long rides, I would use a 2-liter bottle frozen for my water bottle. By the time I was ready for my first drink, enough of it had melted. I could always add a bit more water to it from any faucets along the way and still have ice cold water for quite awhile.

[XDROB]

It always worked for me. 2 liter bottles are also a good idea.
At the beginning of your post you said salt water? Doesn't salt water melt faster?


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[NavyVet1959]

It always worked for me. 2 liter bottles are also a good idea.
At the beginning of your post you said salt water? Doesn't salt water melt faster?


But it's colder... And if you are wanting to keep the ice cream that you just bought at the store to not be a milkshake by the time you get home, it can make sense.

The good thing about the 2-liter bottles is that they are *very* watertight and can withstand quite a bit of pressure. The plastic milk jugs? Not so much. Besides, some of the milk just don't even have screw on type caps on them, just snap on type.

[Gator 45/70]

I have the RTIC 65 qt, Love it above all others!

[rond]

I hear this all the time. Yetis are not for tail gating. They're meant for backwoods excursions where you don't have access to ice. If the closest ice is days away that does you no good. Having a cooler full of ice a week into a trip has lots of advantages if you're in the backwoods.

The point I was trying to make is that you don't need a Yeti to keep your bottled water cold on a road trip.

[bubba.50]

I don't care how nice they are. at 250 bucks for the small one up to 4 or 5 hundred for the large, that Yeti would hafta come packed to the brim with Omaha Steaks afore they'd get my money.

[XDROB]

I don't care how nice they are. at 250 bucks for the small one up to 4 or 5 hundred for the large, that Yeti would hafta come packed to the brim with Omaha Steaks afore they'd get my money.
And somebody to trek it around for me. Maybe a couple of serpas.

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[bubba.50]

I don't care how nice they are. at 250 bucks for the small one up to 4 or 5 hundred for the large, that Yeti would hafta come packed to the brim with Omaha Steaks afore they'd get my money.


and a couple gift certificates for more when those ran out.

[reloader28]

I have a Igloo Maxcold that works better than all my others. No problems keeping ice for a long time. I'd buy a couple more since this one is getting pretty beat up but I aint seen one in a long time.

[starmac]

When I think of all the coolers I have bought over the years, a cooler that lasted a lifetime would be cheap even at yetis prices.
But my sister and Bil had three different size yetis and they were all stolen at the same time, so there goes that thinking. lol

It all depends on how much use and under what conditions as to if they are worth it to a person, but there are cheaper options now than yeti for virtually the same thing, and I suspect as time goes on they will all get cheaper.

[jsizemore]

Saw the Yeti 45 at Dick's this morning for $399. White or in my day it was called Aqua Marine. They had the same number of them when I left. I had to show my ID for age and swear and sign I am a US citizen to buy a box of Federal Automatch. When I got my receipt, I remembered why I don't go to Dick's.

[jcwit]

Yeti? Guaranted for life, at 73 not worth it.

[mold maker]

When a lifetime warranty is mentioned, I just giggle. Heck, I don't even look at the expiration dates except as a wish.

[grunt4]

Canyon Coolers 35 from their boneyard discounts . 20 pounds of ice 12 pounds meat no Mcdonalds all week .

[Detroitdanm]

I have a Grizzly 16 Qt cooler that I got for a good price from Midway a year or so ago, about $135 all told IIRC. I use it daily for work and other than being a bit grimier than when new, it's absolutely no worse for the wear. I load it with water & gatorade & a couple ice packs at the beginning of the week and just replace what I use and renew the icepacks a couple times during the week. It also has a little extra room for a few sammiches etc.. and for me it's worth it. It also worked well during the winter to keep water etc.. from freezing overnight. Pretty darn convenient as well as being very well built.