Best Coolers?

[kkott]

I don't think this is a topic we've broached before, but my son is doing a cross country car trip and the used cooler he bought isn't working well, so he's looking to upgrade. Obviously everyone sings the Yeti's praises but I actually won a soft-sided one through a work contest and while it's nice from a convenience standpoint, I honestly can't say I think it really insulates noticeably better than my old Oscar. It is more convenient to pack and carry with it being soft sided, but they claimed it would hold ice for a weekend, and I've never experienced that. Don't really have much experience with any bigger "box" style cooler beyond Igloos or Colemans. I did find a couple other premium brands called RTIC and Kenai that both look similar to Yeti's but a good bit cheaper. The Kenai especially looks good to me: lifetime warranty (says vs 5 years for Yeti and 1 year for RTIC) and free shipping.

So, what is your preferred cooler style and brand and what has your experience been? I must say the Yeti is super convenient and since I don't regularly do multi-day camping trips, it's great. What I use it for most this time of year is to strap it in to a tube when I go tubing and for that it's excellent, same for concerts, day outings, etc... Much easier to carry and access than a box style like my old Oscar, which is still my sentimental favorite for a cooler... and it's great because it makes a nice seat or reverse the lid and have a small table top with drink holders!

 

[hookyIU1990]

Rtic coolers are pretty good. Don't know much about Kenai. Our rtic will keep ice over a 3 day car camping trip. Not sure how they compare to yeti, since I'm a cheapskate and wouldn't pay that kind of money for a cooler. The rtic was bad enough.

 

[CGW-89]

I don't think this is a topic we've broached before, but my son is doing a cross country car trip and the used cooler he bought isn't working well, so he's looking to upgrade. Obviously everyone sings the Yeti's praises but I actually won a soft-sided one through a work contest and while it's nice from a convenience standpoint, I honestly can't say I think it really insulates noticeably better than my old Oscar. It is more convenient to pack and carry with it being soft sided, but they claimed it would hold ice for a weekend, and I've never experienced that. Don't really have much experience with any bigger "box" style cooler beyond Igloos or Colemans. I did find a couple other premium brands called RTIC and Kenai that both look similar to Yeti's but a good bit cheaper. The Kenai especially looks good to me: lifetime warranty (says vs 5 years for Yeti and 1 year for RTIC) and free shipping.

So, what is your preferred cooler style and brand and what has your experience been? I must say the Yeti is super convenient and since I don't regularly do multi-day camping trips, it's great. What I use it for most this time of year is to strap it in to a tube when I go tubing and for that it's excellent, same for concerts, day outings, etc... Much easier to carry and access than a box style like my old Oscar, which is still my sentimental favorite for a cooler... and it's great because it makes a nice seat or reverse the lid and have a small table top with drink holders!

Yeti's are the king. Hard sided Yeti's will keep ice for days. Yeti's are also somewhat pricey. RTIC's are very good also for about 1/2 the price. I have both, so depending on your need i.e. day vs. day(s) and price points, you can't go wrong with either.

I prefer YETI for hard sided, and RTIC back pack coolers for soft sided coolers.

 

[UncleMark]

Yeti's are the king. Hard sided Yeti's will keep ice for days. Yeti's are also somewhat pricey. RTIC's are very good also for about 1/2 the price. I have both, so depending on your need i.e. day vs. day(s) and price points, you can't go wrong with either.

I prefer YETI for hard sided, and RTIC back pack coolers for soft sided coolers.

You guys know a bag of ice is cheap, don't you?

 

[kkott]

You guys know a bag of ice is cheap, don't you?

Another good trick is to freeze a solid block of ice and it will last 2-3X as long as cubed or bagged ice. I'll cut the top off a milk jug or gallon water jug and freeze that and use that for any multi-day trips if I think about it. Try and have 1 or 2 of those and then a full bag for drink ice.

 

[Warison]

I’ve never been a name brand guy, but my fukin wife got a mother fukin Yeti Tumbler. We went to the mother fukin lake. Left the fukin tumbler in the car. 5 hours later, go back yo the mother fukin car that had been sitting in the heat of the day, with a sun roof closed, no shade, about a thousand degrees in this mother fukin car and there was still mother fukin ice in that mother fukin tumbler.

 

[kkott]

I’ve never been a name brand guy, but my fukin wife got a mother fukin Yeti Tumbler. We went to the mother fukin lake. Left the fukin tumbler in the car. 5 hours later, go back yo the mother fukin car that had been sitting in the heat of the day, with a sun roof closed, no shade, about a thousand degrees in this mother fukin car and there was still mother fukin ice in that mother fukin tumbler.

I'd agree on the tumblers: those things are pretty incredible and I've had similar experiences. Not the same for their soft sided cooler. And in fairness, it might be partially my fault. The zipper guard at the end is rubber and you have to really torque it to pull it shut all the way to the point I'm always afraid I'm going to break or damage the thing, so I don't always pull it completely shut and it leaves a very small gap (maybe an 1/8"), so maybe that's enough for it to lose a lot of insulation value.

 

[hookyIU1990]

I'd agree on the tumblers: those things are pretty incredible and I've had similar experiences. Not the same for their soft sided cooler. And in fairness, it might be partially my fault. The zipper guard at the end is rubber and you have to really torque it to pull it shut all the way to the point I'm always afraid I'm going to break or damage the thing, so I don't always pull it completely shut and it leaves a very small gap (maybe an 1/8"), so maybe that's enough for it to lose a lot of insulation value.

We used a buddy's soft sided Yeti on a multi day river trip. Ice was gone on day 3, but everything was still cold. We only got into it once/day when we were making dinner. It was convenient in the canoe as it was less bulky and fit better in the canoe, but my RTIC keeps ice longer. I assume it's the zipper in general. It's probably not nearly insulated around the zipper with just that gasket thing compared to a hard sided cooler where the lid is sealed.

 

[HoosiersChamps]

I’ve never been a name brand guy, but my fukin wife got a mother fukin Yeti Tumbler. We went to the mother fukin lake. Left the fukin tumbler in the car. 5 hours later, go back yo the mother fukin car that had been sitting in the heat of the day, with a sun roof closed, no shade, about a thousand degrees in this mother fukin car and there was still mother fukin ice in that mother fukin tumbler.

Samuel L?

 

[kkott]

We used a buddy's soft sided Yeti on a multi day river trip. Ice was gone on day 3, but everything was still cold. We only got into it once/day when we were making dinner. It was convenient in the canoe as it was less bulky and fit better in the canoe, but my RTIC keeps ice longer. I assume it's the zipper in general. It's probably not nearly insulated around the zipper with just that gasket thing compared to a hard sided cooler where the lid is sealed.

How'd you only get in it once a day; you stored dinner supplies in it and had other coolers for drinks and other meals?

 

[hookyIU1990]

How'd you only get in it once a day; you stored dinner supplies in it and had other coolers for drinks and other meals?

It just had dinner supplies and it was our only cooler. Bourbon was the drink of choice, neat. Everything else we drank was filtered water.

 

[larsIU]

It just had dinner supplies and it was our only cooler. Bourbon was the drink of choice, neat. Everything else we drank was filtered water.

As god intended.

Jesus didn't have no ice.

 

[kkott]

As god intended.

Jesus didn't have no ice.

Jesus didn't have plumbing or AC either, and I bet that hasn't stopped you! Nothing wrong with a nice big cube to pour bourbon over.

Gummies would take even less space!

 

[kkott]

It just had dinner supplies and it was our only cooler. Bourbon was the drink of choice, neat. Everything else we drank was filtered water.

What are your primary meals? I have to have 3 squares a day and can't skip meals like I often see other trippers doing. But no cooling for bfast or lunch foods would be tough for me.

 

[larsIU]

Gummies would take even less space!

Just don't leave them in your pocket during a hike with the sun beating down.

Learned my lesson.

 

[kkott]

Just don't leave them in your pocket during a hike with the sun beating down.

Learned my lesson.

Yeah, some knucklehead once told me he left a container of about 10 in his car, and it melted and molded in to 1 super gummy! Didn't stop him, he said!

And, yes, in case you were wondering, I talk to myself often!

 

[hookyIU1990]

What are your primary meals? I have to have 3 squares a day and can't skip meals like I often see other trippers doing. But no cooling for bfast or lunch foods would be tough for me.

We had several dam portages on this trip, so kept fresh meals to dinner only. On a trip without all the portages breakfast is a lot heartier. Farm fresh eggs will keep without refrigeration, so there's always eggs. Throw in Chorizo, breakfast sausage, bacon and it makes for a solid breakfast. Lunch is usually a combo of hard cheese, summer sausage, tortillas, bars, GORP, peanut butter, Jerky and we have 2 lunches like hobbits have 2 breakfasts. It's usually 2 big snack breaks around 11 and 2.

Dinner is a big spread. Steaks, brats, chops, etc... fresh or dehydrated veg, potatoes, rice or noodle dishes as a side (Check out Knorr sides), with some sort of fun sized candy bar(s) for dessert with a few bumps of bourbon around the fire.

Dinner and breakfast like that mean you're getting in the cooler twice/day though, so we used to use 2 different coolers to keep ice longer. I vacuum pack and freeze everything at -8, wrap it in newspaper, and lay it on top of the ice bocks (usually 2 liter bottles that were frozen at -8). Fill any dead space in the cooler with crumpled newspaper to avoid as much convection as possible. It's important to pre-chill the cooler too.

We rarely do river trips where there isn't a way to walk into a town and buy ice at some point during the week. On the occasions we have, we just treat it like wilderness trip and do dehydrated meals with no fresh food that requires ice. You can dehydrate just about anything. We eat beef stroganhoff, pasta with meat sauce, unstuffed peppers, pita pocket pizzas, beef and bean burritos, etc.. for dinner. Breakfast is ova easy egg crystal omelets with whatever filling you like, hash browns, sausage, oatmeal, etc...

This guy is who I read to get started with ideas.

DIY Backpacking Food | Recipes for Adventure

Tired of freeze-dried meals? Make your own backpacking food. Recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and desserts. Grab a spoon and let’s get started.

www.backpackingchef.com

Once you wrap your mind around what you can dehydrate, it's a whole new world. Or you can just buy the freeze dried stuff.

Yeah, some knucklehead once told me he left a container of about 10 in his car, and it melted and molded in to 1 super gummy! Didn't stop him, he said!

And, yes, in case you were wondering, I talk to myself often!

Unfortunately, I have experience weighing out portions of giant melted gummy bear.

 

[The Vid]

Yeti saves lives apparently:

https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/0...im-going-to-do-before-attack-prosecutors-say/

 

[hookyIU1990]

Yeti saves lives apparently:

https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/0...im-going-to-do-before-attack-prosecutors-say/

Nielsen is scheduled to appear again in court May 10 in Skokie.

Racially motivated and in Skokie? We've seen this movie before. I hate Illinois Nazis...

 

[kkott]

We had several dam portages on this trip, so kept fresh meals to dinner only. On a trip without all the portages breakfast is a lot heartier. Farm fresh eggs will keep without refrigeration, so there's always eggs. Throw in Chorizo, breakfast sausage, bacon and it makes for a solid breakfast. Lunch is usually a combo of hard cheese, summer sausage, tortillas, bars, GORP, peanut butter, Jerky and we have 2 lunches like hobbits have 2 breakfasts. It's usually 2 big snack breaks around 11 and 2.

Dinner is a big spread. Steaks, brats, chops, etc... fresh or dehydrated veg, potatoes, rice or noodle dishes as a side (Check out Knorr sides), with some sort of fun sized candy bar(s) for dessert with a few bumps of bourbon around the fire.

Dinner and breakfast like that mean you're getting in the cooler twice/day though, so we used to use 2 different coolers to keep ice longer. I vacuum pack and freeze everything at -8, wrap it in newspaper, and lay it on top of the ice bocks (usually 2 liter bottles that were frozen at -8). Fill any dead space in the cooler with crumpled newspaper to avoid as much convection as possible. It's important to pre-chill the cooler too.

We rarely do river trips where there isn't a way to walk into a town and buy ice at some point during the week. On the occasions we have, we just treat it like wilderness trip and do dehydrated meals with no fresh food that requires ice. You can dehydrate just about anything. We eat beef stroganhoff, pasta with meat sauce, unstuffed peppers, pita pocket pizzas, beef and bean burritos, etc.. for dinner. Breakfast is ova easy egg crystal omelets with whatever filling you like, hash browns, sausage, oatmeal, etc...

This guy is who I read to get started with ideas.

DIY Backpacking Food | Recipes for Adventure

Tired of freeze-dried meals? Make your own backpacking food. Recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and desserts. Grab a spoon and let’s get started.

www.backpackingchef.com

Once you wrap your mind around what you can dehydrate, it's a whole new world. Or you can just buy the freeze dried stuff.



Unfortunately, I have experience weighing out portions of giant melted gummy bear.

So how do you dehydrate stuff: have to buy another piece of kitchen gear or do it in the oven? I looked over the website but haven't dug in to the process. That Matt Posa and the other tripper (Lost Lakes?) I watch do lots of dehydrated stuff. The other guy (Lost Lakes?) more than Posa, but I like Posa's videos better. Let me know if you ever want to hit the Big South Fork, I used to meet a buddy from IN there and I think it's about a 5 hour trip for both. Great back country float, guessing one of the more remote you can do on the east coast. 2 portages on the most common route, but neither are bad. I think that's what annoys me about the Lost Lakes guy... they say port-ahhhjjjj, and I'm a port-age guy.

 

[hookyIU1990]

So how do you dehydrate stuff: have to buy another piece of kitchen gear or do it in the oven? I looked over the website but haven't dug in to the process. That Matt Posa and the other tripper (Lost Lakes?) I watch do lots of dehydrated stuff. The other guy (Lost Lakes?) more than Posa, but I like Posa's videos better. Let me know if you ever want to hit the Big South Fork, I used to meet a buddy from IN there and I think it's about a 5 hour trip for both. Great back country float, guessing one of the more remote you can do on the east coast. 2 portages on the most common route, but neither are bad. I think that's what annoys me about the Lost Lakes guy... they say port-ahhhjjjj, and I'm a port-age guy.

Haha, yeah, I pronounce like the city in The Region. None of that por-tahhg stuff for me. 'Murica!

I'll have to look into the Big South Fork. I haven't really done much east of here except for a day float on the New. How many nights can you squeeze out of it?

I have a dehydrator. A $20 thrift store find would be all you need to do meals for a trip. I know some people do it in the oven, but I already had the dehydrator so I never looked into what would be involved.

 

[kkott]

Haha, yeah, I pronounce like the city in The Region. None of that por-tahhg stuff for me. 'Murica!

I'll have to look into the Big South Fork. I haven't really done much east of here except for a day float on the New. How many nights can you squeeze out of it?

I have a dehydrator. A $20 thrift store find would be all you need to do meals for a trip. I know some people do it in the oven, but I already had the dehydrator so I never looked into what would be involved.

Portage... 'Murica... u damn straight!

Big South Fork is a really cool trip. It's a national recreation area through a deep gorge and is huge so no development and it's pretty remote. Lots of big exposed boulders and rock. I think I've done it 3 times and once we got on the river, seeing any other people was rare. We did encounter some groups within the first few miles of the put in. The normal overnight trip is Leatherwood Ford to Blue Heron Mine in KY which I think is 27 miles, so you float north out of TN into KY, which is a bit unique. There's also a campground at Station Camp which I think is 8 miles downriver so you'll see some folks there too. Beyond that, more than boats, we'd hear people on trails on horseback, as it's a big horse area, but never could see them. You can do it with 1 overnight, but I prefer 2 so you have plenty of time to fish and aren't having to hump it, with the 2 portages (Angel Falls and Devils Jump). Shuttle is probaly a solid hour 1 way, but there are also outfitters who will shuttle. Good smallies and we've generally caught a walleye or 2. Also some musky in there and stripers down near the takeout I've been told.

I also canoe camp on the New River down here in the NC mountains, but they are larger campgrounds with lots more people and bathhouses and campsites. Not nearly as remote and a much smaller and easier float, plus higher elevation so cooler in summer. They do have a canoe in only campground, but I've never done that one. It also flows north. The same New River that's in VA and WVA, but a much bigger river up there. The stretch I go on generally is the S Fork of the New, although it does merge with the N Fork below the Campground I go to (US221 Access) and I think the canoe in campground is below there. For a multi day/night float, you can take out in VA. Mostly smallie fishing, with the opportunity for a musky. I've wanted to do an overnight on the French Broad too, but I love that campground in Hot Springs so I always default to just staying there. Was just up there last weekend and it was fantastic. Nice bluegrass music festival Saturday.

Big South Fork of the Cumberland River

If you want to discuss it, shoot me a PM and we can exchange emails or #s.