Best cooler under $100

[livesimply5]

I was womndering what the best cooler would be for keeping ice the longest. Right now a yeti or dometic isn't in my budget. Maybe a Colman or igloo? Thanks!

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

This looks like the one that got "best buy" ratings : Coleman Xtreme Cooler - Blue (70 qt.)
KinA

 

[SoulRaven]

I've been very happy with 40 quart extreme coolers... 70 quart would be a little large for my available space.

 

[debit.servus]

If one is poor: take a yard sale cooler, a can of DOW GREAT STUFF, and a powerdrill with bit large enough to fit the GREAT STUFF straw through. Drill holes five inches apart on the parts of the cooler with dead air space inside, and fill the inside with the spray foam being sure to put the straw in the holes drilled.

 

[sushidog]

Here's your best buy. A 58 qt. Coleman Ultimate Extreme 6 day marine grade cooler with stainless hinges and heavy duty handles for $71.80 shipped to your door.
http://www.saleawayscabana.com/inde...r_by_Coleman?gclid=CKru6vzv1csCFUc2gQod-x4DvA

Chip

 

[AmieW]

If one is poor: take a yard sale cooler, a can of DOW GREAT STUFF, and a powerdrill with bit large enough to fit the GREAT STUFF straw through. Drill holes five inches apart on the parts of the cooler with dead air space inside, and fill the inside with the spray foam being sure to put the straw in the holes drilled.

I just want to say that I'm going to try this! I have a cooler, but I hardly ever use it. It's old, and I can sacrifice it if I need to. It's better than paying $100 for a new, fancy cooler.

 

[caretaker]

if you use spray foam be sure to get the non expanding

 

[user 37446]

I wasn't aware they had a non-expanding, I have seen "low" expanding though...

[font='Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif]https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Minimal-...1004&sr=8-2&keywords=non+expanding+spray+foamCRC Minimal Expansion Foam Sealant, 12 oz Aerosol Can, Off-White/Yellow[/font]

[font='Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif][size=x-small]$ 11.64[/font][/size]

https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Minimal-...1004&sr=8-2&keywords=non+expanding+spray+foam

Image didn't come out, this is from Amazon.

Just dont click on the Dow Chemical one right below it on that page, it's triple expanding! 

 

[XFILE36]

Here's your best buy.  A 58 qt. Coleman Ultimate Extreme 6 day marine grade cooler with stainless hinges and heavy duty handles for $71.80 shipped to your door.  
http://www.saleawayscabana.com/inde...r_by_Coleman?gclid=CKru6vzv1csCFUc2gQod-x4DvA

Chip

your link EXPIRED!

 

[OutdoorFT]

I keep a 150qt coleman in my truck bed. Used the same ice for wedding party and honeymoon.

 

[caretaker]

T, i think there are 3 kinds expanding,minimal, and zero, zero is for using around windows so you don't distort the frame,,,just an FYI

 

[Vantastic]

This seems like a good hack, especially to the Coleman cooler which gets
great reviews!  I would add, digging a hole the size of the cooler in the
shade (if possible for longer stays) with a simple cover for added
duration (have not tried, but want to and calculate duration)

He does a test regarding water Vs salt water for freezing
in another vid and salt wins hands down!  This might sound cheesy,
BUT...if you take a gallon of H20 (distilled if possible) and put in freezer
section of store, you then get your ice pack for the price of the H20...
on a hot day, slow shopping cools the body and your water as well!

I have gone into a grocery store (bigger the better), taken a gallon of
H20, put in freezer section of store, left and did other stuff, come back
to shop and have my frozen ice!  Yes...I open and drink a little before,
add salt (bring a little pack with me)...no biggie...I hide it well behind the
frozen chicken or...Never an issue.  Can also do this with any juice...
skip the salt lol and I have ice and after drink!

 

[jeanclaude]

Coleman Xtreme 70Qt kept ice for 2-3 days for us. We since upgraded to a Yeti, but we still keep the 28Qt version in the back for drinks. I prefer to keep this separate small cooler for things you're accessing often (water, beer, snacks). Keeps the "main" cooler colder, longer!

 

[Ballenxj]

Coleman Xtreme 70Qt kept ice for 2-3 days for us. We since upgraded to a Yeti, but we still keep the 28Qt version in the back for drinks. I prefer to keep this separate small cooler for things you're accessing often (water, beer, snacks). Keeps the "main" cooler colder, longer!

Let us know which Yeti, and how well it works for you. Thanks.

 

[sushidog]

Here's a 82 qt ultimate extreme for $88 https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-82-Q...28189&sr=8-1&keywords=coleman+ultimate+xtreme

Unfortunately this one only has plastic hardware. Trust me, they will break. I have a 58qt model I love, but replaced the hinges with stainless steel and the handles with oversized padded ones.

This is the one I have: https://www.coleman.com/58-quart-xtreme-6-cooler/3000001148.html Nothing bigger will fit in my car. The ultimate extreme has twice the insulation of the regular extreme and will keep ice an extra day.

Chip

 

[Ballenxj]

This looks like the one that got "best buy" ratings : Coleman Xtreme Cooler - Blue (70 qt.)
KinA

I was just looking at the 50 qt model. It advertises that it keeps ice for five days. Seems like the bigger the cooler, the longer it stays cold.

 

[highdesertranger]

"Seems like the bigger the cooler, the longer it stays cold."

that's because you can get more ice in them. highdesertranger

 

[Ballenxj]

"Seems like the bigger the cooler, the longer it stays cold."

that's because you can get more ice in them.  highdesertranger

Spot the obvious?

 

[sushidog]

It's a physics thing. The larger cooler has less surface area (to radiate heat inward) in relation to the volume inside.

"As the cube gets bigger, the volume increases much more rapidly than the surface area, because the volume increases as the cube of the linear dimension, but the surface area increases as the square. This relationship applies, not just to cubes, but to spheres and any other fixed shape."

Here's a scientific explanation of the relationship: https://sizes.com/numbers/surface_volume.htm

Or to be succinct, "it holds more ice."

Chip

 

[Ballenxj]

Well DANG! I went back to Walmart set on buying the Coleman Extreme 54 QT, chest, but they were sold out? Nary a one on the shelf. I was beating myself up pretty good for that because I had one in hand, then thought, no, I'll get it later. Seriously bummed, I continued looking on the shelves for something similar in the hopes that all was not lost, then I saw them. No, not the one I was originally looking for, but the Coleman Marine Coastal Extreme, the one with the metal hinges, 70 QT, for basically the same money?!?! I picked one up and headed for the register!  
I filled it with Guinness, Stella Artois, Fanta Orange soda, and ice. It took 40 lbs of ice on top of everything else, and I think it would have taken another 20 lbs easy. I figured 40lbs of ice along with all the beverages and weight of the chest itself was enough for one guy (me) to carry, so I called that good.
Pulled a Fanta out today and the ice looked the same a day later. I'll keep an eye on it, but JEEZE that's a lot of ice.