19 thoughts on “2010 Ice Chest Survey”

1. For a short day trip or an outing of a few hours; the Ice Mule cooler would be suitable since it’s small and very portable, can be worn as a backpack etc. If you’re going for long trips or need to pack a ton of stuff then an ice chest would be more suitable.

   • Looks cool (no pun intended 🙂 ) Jackie – I like the idea of a soft cooler that stows-away easily, when not in use.

2. Cool Stuff … sorry had to be done cheesey puns are my style 😉

   seriously though roy great blog 😀

   • Thanks, Andy 🙂

3. Do you know if anyone makes a smaller steel cooler? The big one is too big for me, but the capability of keeping things colder, longer is sure tempting.

   • Jenn – not that I know of, but I think you’ll get equivalent performance from any of the 5 or 6 day ice chests.

4. Colemans and Igloo’s are good for when you need a cooler to take to the beach or the park. But when you need a cooler that’s get a beating for the 5 or 6 day use you might as well spend a little bit more money and get one that comes with a warranty and is able to stand up to everyday abusing. The Yeti tundra and the Engel deep blue over all resemble each other, but there are definitely differences with them. The Engel has 2″ foam insulation around the base as well as the lid. The tundra has the majority of its foam insulation in the lid n lacks it around the base. Engel coolers hold ice longer and are certified bear resistant. Practical Sailor did a test on the top coolers and Engel was decided to be the best buy. It’s more money than a Coleman or igloo, but worth it in the end.

   • The Engel is definitely bad-to-the-bone, Dave! They also make the only 12-Volt cooler I’ve ever seen, that actually works well and lasts.

5. I use the Coleman 70 5 day. I have had it 6 years and it’s still going strong. Amazing the diffenence between these and standard ones.

   • The difference is huge, Frank – I have 2 other “regular” coolers that haven’t been used in years, just because the 5 day cooler is so much better.

6. We have the Coleman Extreme 5 (50 qt) and LOVE it. We bought ours last year and it has held up terrificly. Definitely money well spent!

   • Rachel – these coolers are definitely one of the better buys in sporting goods, since they work so well and last so long. I wish more gear was like that 🙂

   • Don’t lose the lid. You can’t get another one.

     • Igloo offers replacement lids, Mary (see http://tinyurl.com/23c9vpk) what brand are you referring too?

7. I’ve always liked Coleman and Igloo coolers. They last forever. I also like the soft-sided coolers for canoeing, but the soft sided ones seem to wear out and leak after about 2 to 3 years.

   • I have never tried a soft cooler, Scott, but there is one on the market (the brand name escapes me at the moment) that looks really rugged.

8. Great article on the coolers. I am still amazed at the cost of these coolers. We had a marine grade cooler that lost its ability to close tight when one of the plastic snaps accidentally broke. While most are excellent at insulating one should pay particular attention on how the closures are made and if they can be easily broken during shipment.

   • Closures, hinges and drain valves are the major points-of-failure on these, Michelle. I sometimes curse our ice chest because it does not have a positive latch on the lid and the kids usually don’t get it closed all the way. But, it’s one less part to wear out or break, so it’s a two-edged sword. I encourage everyone to investigate the manufacturer’s website, prior to a purchase, and see if they sell spare parts for their ice chests, like hinges, latches and drain plugs.

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