Coolers

[bethiebugs]

I am in the process of deciding on a good cooler that will (of course) keep ice as long as possible. I currently am only starting out part time and my only power will be small Anker battery packs and a small portable solar panel like the ones on Bob’s video, so a fridge is out of the question. I have been considering the Engel Deep Blue 35 a so my van is small and it will fit. Does anyone have one and are these worth $200? Any other good suggestions or thoughts on this would be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[highdesertranger]

IMO the marine coolers from Igloo or Coleman are a much better value. you can always add more insulation. highdesertranger

 

[Rainier70]

I have a Coleman Xtreme 5 day cooler. It works great. With a liner it keeps block ice about a week. They also make a 7 day Xtreme cooler. Very good coolers.

Look up Internet cooler reviews to get an idea on quality. As highdesertranger said "you can always add insulation".

I also have an Engel fridge/freezer. I love it. They make very good products. I am sure their cooler is also an excellent product.

Even with that I would go for a Coleman. Coleman's isn't a rotomolded one that is built to withstand bears, but it doesn't have to be to keep your food cool. For the difference between $30 and $200, you can buy a lot of insulation. Just my opinion

 

[tx2sturgis]

I haven't used one of those Engel coolers, but I own and have used the Yeti and the Coleman Sportsmans, both are roto-molded and very sturdy, the hinges and latches are virtually lifetime items...you may have to replace a drain plug every few years, because the gasket gets kinda worn out and eventually begins to drip a lttle. This can happen on almost any ice chest/cooler. 

They are sturdy enough to stand on or jump on, so they can be used as seating in the vehicle. And yes, they DO keep ice longer than the $20 coolers. Trust me on this. I've made comparisons. 

But they are heavy and expensive. 

I think the WMT brand Ozark Trail 'High Performance' coolers are supposed to be nearly up to the levels of the top tier brands, for a bit less money.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-52-Quart-High-Performance-Cooler/49229404

 

[DLTooley]

Lifetime is now making a 50literish rotomolded sold through Walmart, for $100. As I recall the Marine coolers were around $50 for the same size. My igloo marine is 15 years old and I'll make the upgrade at some point. Insulating the bottom with an inch or two of foam is a good idea for all coolers, for ice based ones a wet towel dropped over the top will provide a lot of evaporative cooling in dry climates.

 

[bethiebugs]

Thank you everybody! I will definitely look into these you suggested as I would prefer to not spend so much.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I haven't used one of those Engel coolers, but I own and have used the Yeti and the Coleman Sportsmans, 

I need to make a correction:

The Sportsman Cooler I have is an Igloo Sportsman, not a Coleman. It is a heavy duty, roto-molded cooler. 

Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.

BTW, roto-molding is a process that produces a thicker, sturdier plastic cooler, similar to roto-molded kayaks. 

As opposed to injection-molded coolers that are usually very cheap, lightweight, and fine for a weekend at the beach.

 

[bethiebugs]

I need to make a correction:

The Sportsman Cooler I have is an Igloo Sportsman, not a Coleman. It is a heavy duty, roto-molded cooler. 

Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.

BTW, roto-molding is a process that produces a thicker, sturdier plastic cooler, similar to roto-molded kayaks. 

As opposed to injection-molded coolers that are usually very cheap, lightweight, and fine for a weekend at the beach.

Excellent! Thanks for the clarification and info—appreciate it very much !!!!

 

[tx2sturgis]

Sure....

Another bit of info: you CAN add insulation to the outside of a cheaper cooler. 

But IF you are in a humid area, the cooler will 'sweat' between the cooler itself and the added insulation. This could cause a problem, depending on whether the water can escape and cause problems underneath with carpeting or a wood cabinet or floor.

Then you also have the added issue of the drain plug. Do you remove or peel back the insulation to drain, do you leave an opening, or try to scoop or siphon out water from the top...not easy to do. 

And, draining the cooler daily will tend to dribble some water back into the insulation you have added. And it WILL find its way to your carpet or floor. 

Some coolers have a 'garden hose' attachment for draining....this is handy if you can make use of it. 

I keep my heavy-duty cooler near the door or tailgate, where I can swing it out and drain the daily melt into a small bucket, where I use that cool water to chill a few canned drinks or juices. Then later in the day when its warmed up, that water can be poured into a sprayer and left sitting in the sun, for daily clean-up duties, showers, hand-washing, etc. 

Just don't reuse the melt-water for drinking or cooking.

 

[DLTooley]

I use 1/2 gallon juice jugs for ice, refreezing in a 12v freezer. Very drinkable.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Let me put this out there.

Melt-water from coolers with your provisions contains all kinds of crud, dirt, bacteria from peoples skin and hands, maybe some hair and skin cells from the people who handled the soda cans or produce at the store, bacteria from uncooked food, meats, whatever. All that organic debris ends up at the bottom of the cooler and is drained out with the melt-water. 

I'm not a germo-phobe, just using common sense. 

I would not drink it or use it for cooking. 

Anyone who chooses to, is, of course, free to do as they wish.

 

[bethiebugs]

Sure....

Another bit of info: you CAN add insulation to the outside of a cheaper cooler. 

But IF you are in a humid area, the cooler will 'sweat' between the cooler itself and the added insulation. This could cause a problem, depending on whether the water can escape and cause problems underneath with carpeting or a wood cabinet or floor.

Then you also have the added issue of the drain plug. Do you remove or peel back the insulation to drain, do you leave an opening, or try to scoop or siphon out water from the top...not easy to do. 

And, draining the cooler daily will tend to dribble some water back into the insulation you have added. And it WILL find its way to your carpet or floor. 

Some coolers have a 'garden hose' attachment for draining....this is handy if you can make use of it. 

I keep my heavy-duty cooler near the door or tailgate, where I can swing it out and drain the daily melt into a small bucket, where I use that cool water to chill a few canned drinks or juices. Then later in the day when its warmed up, that water can be poured into a sprayer and left sitting in the sun, for daily clean-up duties, showers, hand-washing, etc. 

Just don't reuse the melt-water for drinking or cooking.

Oh! I didn’t even think of that...I am in a VERY humid area... hmmm... so would I have these same issues with a Roto-Molded cooler without added insulation? I plan on having it near a door too, so I can drain out easier. And as for not using the meltwater for drinking or cooking I very much agree! I even plan on having a separate kettle for heating up such water for showers. This is all very helpful!!!!

 

[tx2sturgis]

 ...so would I have these same issues with a Roto-Molded cooler without added insulation? 

A good-quality, well-insulated cooler will 'sweat' much less, and if there is no added blanket of insulation, it will have a chance to evaporate or simply settle under the cooler on a mat. 

I use a simple turf-style welcome mat as my cooler mat. It helps trap any small amounts of 'sweat' or remaining drips from the drain opening.

 

[prone2wander]

My thoughts. Yeti is over priced so I would skip it if you value your money. Ozark Trails is a Walmart knock off of the Yeti but still too expensive for my taste. Tests have shown that coolers like the Yeti only keep ice about a day longer than Coleman Xtreme yet costs about 8 times more.

You can add insulation to the inside of any cooler, just use one of those closed cell foam sleeping pads used for camping but keep it removable so you can clean it.

 

[tx2sturgis]

You can add insulation to the inside of any cooler, just use one of those closed cell foam sleeping pads used for camping but keep it removable so you can clean it.

Food grade foam sleeping pads might be hard to find. Loose plasticky bits mixed in with the ice I will toss in a drink would not be my preference. 

Plus, the foam reduces the interior volume, meaning it will hold less ice, which means it might result in the same amount of ice (or maybe less) at the end of the 6 days or whatever the time frame is. 

Myself, I'd rather use all of that interior volume for extra ice.

 

[highdesertranger]

x2, on not drinking the melt water. ask me how I know. highdesertranger

 

[bethiebugs]

x2,  on not drinking the melt water.  ask me how I know.  highdesertranger

HAHAHAHA!

 

[bethiebugs]

A good-quality, well-insulated cooler will 'sweat' much less, and if there is no added blanket of insulation, it will have a chance to evaporate or simply settle under the cooler on a mat. 

I use a simple turf-style welcome mat as my cooler mat. It helps trap any small amounts of 'sweat' or remaining drips from the drain opening.

This makes sense. And I like the welcome mat underneath-protection idea. Yes.

 

[wagoneer]

I am 70 and I am not dead ( and have done some stupid things)

 

[prone2wander]

Food grade foam sleeping pads might be hard to find. Loose plasticky bits mixed in with the ice I will toss in a drink would not be my preference. 

Plus, the foam reduces the interior volume, meaning it will hold less ice, which means it might result in the same amount of ice (or maybe less) at the end of the 6 days or whatever the time frame is. 

Myself, I'd rather use all of that interior volume for extra ice.

Closed cell foam pads can be found at Walmart, Amazon, or most general sporting goods stores.  As for interior volume simply buy a larger volume cooler. The cost of Coleman Xtreme cooler doesn't change much for a slightly larger volume. Not sure what to say about the foam fear except set drinks at the bottom up right and let the ice melt sit below the top or the ice melt.