Yeti cooler questions

[bobbert]

I am thinking of getting a Yeti cooler &amp; am unsure which series I should purchase.<div>I am planning a 14-day maximum BLM stay in an Arizona desert-like setting in mid-summer.</div><div><br></div><div>How many days would a Yeti cooler keep stuff at least semi-frozen, in say 120 degree temperatures?</div><div><br></div><div>Also, which series keeps items cooler for longer: the Tundra series or the Roadie series?</div><div>Thanks in advance!&nbsp;<img border="0" align="absmiddle" src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif"></div>

 

[rattlesnake joe]

<p>Forget the ice and get a Refrigerator/Freezer.&nbsp; EdgeStar has three open top ones that work just dandy.&nbsp; Go to&nbsp;compactappliance.com and take a look at them.&nbsp; For 4 or 5 hundred bucks you can live in style.&nbsp; They work on A/C or 12 volt DC.&nbsp; They are designed to travel with a 30 degree angle so they even work on 4x4 vehicles.&nbsp; They have a quick freeze mode that with just the press of a button it will freeze your food down to -8 degrees F in half an hour.&nbsp; The thermostat allows you to go from -8 degrees to 50 +degrees.&nbsp; You can have a nice frosty beer in 120 degree F weather while you put the steaks on the Bar-Bee mate.&nbsp; You just plug the 6 foot electrical cord into the cigarette lighter receptacle, set the thermostat to your desired temperature and it works automatically.&nbsp; Only draws 4 amps when working.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

 

[bobbert]

I will be living in a station wagon. I won't have room for a battery bank, much less any room for a&nbsp;refrigerator.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>So, does anybody know <span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; ">How many days a Yeti cooler would keep stuff at least semi-frozen, in around 120 degree temperatures?</span></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">

 

[twokniveskatie]

We're gonna have to wait for one of the desert rats to weigh in. I am interested in the answer too. &nbsp;Not familiar with yeti coolers.&nbsp;

 

[rattlesnake joe]

<p>I've used block ice in Coleman type coolers and the melting rate is dependent on putting the cooler in the shade up off the ground wrapped in sleeping bags.&nbsp; When you need something inside the cooler unwrap and get in quick, then slam the lid shut tight and re wrap the cooler in the sleeping bag.&nbsp; The big problem is getting real block ice.&nbsp; The air in the block ice now days is a crime to get you to buy more ice as it melts real fast.&nbsp; So find a place to buy Dry Ice.&nbsp; It will last longer and you won't have to bother with dumping the melted ice water out.&nbsp; Look in the yellow pages for dry ice.&nbsp; If you don't mind me asking why are you going out in the desert with 120 degree F temperatures?&nbsp; That is asking for trouble.</p>

 

[akrvbob]

I'd never heard of yeti before so I had to go and look it up. They are a super-premium, ultra expensive cooler.&nbsp; Cabelas sells them (among others):<br>http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...:referralID=NA&amp;mr:adType=pla#productChart<br><br>The least expensive model is $300. Sometimes spending big dollars is well worth it, and sometimes it isn't. In my opinion, this is one of those times when it isn't. I've owned and known other people who have owned both Igloo and Coleman 5-day coolers and for $50 that is what I would buy. I'd then spend another $50 on reflectix and 2 inch styrofoam insulation and Gorilla Glue and end up with a cooler that keeps ice just as well and probably better. I used the same Igloo cooler for the whole 6 years I lived in a van and it was plenty tough enough for the job. <br><br>If you are sure you will ALWAYS live in a station wagon in 120 degree heat, then maybe I could see it. But I think you would be so much better off putting that money toward a van or spending it on gas to drive somewhere cooler. For most of us in "normal" situations there is no way you could ever convince me that the extra $200 for a Yeti was anything but money flushed down the toilet. I'd take the $200 I'd save and set up a AGM house battery (you can put it on its side under the seat) charging off the alternator. Then I'd start saving toward a compressor 12 volt fridge like the Edgestar, Dometic or Engle.. <br><br>I love the desert and spend every winter there, but as soon as it starts to get into the 90s I start looking for somewhere higher/cooler to move to. I've never been in the desert when it got above 95 because I turn the key and drive away.. And you don't have to drive very far either. The Mogollon Rim in Northern AZ is from 6500 feet to 8000 feet and stays reasonably cool all summer. It is within 250 miles of anywhere in AZ, so you don't have to drive far. <br>

 

[thinker]

i've done a lot of research and yeti won't give you an answer either. they seem terribly honest and the reviews are generally very positive.&nbsp;<div>the problem is this, for ANY cooler to work you have to bring the temp down inside.</div><div>yeti has more insulation than other coolers. it takes longer to prime it. yeti lists this as well as ambient temp, direct sunlight, humidity(?), how often it's opened, what's inside, how much ice to water, dry ice, etc.</div><div>they do have reports of ice lasting 14 days!</div><div>but that could have been in the yukon.</div><div>[if i recall, it was reported as summer weather, but i haven't looked in months.]</div>

 

[thinker]

oh yeah,<div>they're bearproof!</div>

 

[vantexan]

For what it's worth Camping Life Magazine tested coolers in an article a few years back and the Yeti far outperformed the others. They said it isn't a refrigerator, but it's very close.

 

[bobbert]

<p>thnx vantexan...<br><br>I found the article <a href="http://www.campinglife.com/camping-gear/ice-chest-shootout/" rel="nofollow">HERE<br><br></a>Pretty cool that you found the article! No pun intended, or maybe it was intended <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br><br><br></p><p><img rel="lightbox" src="http://www.campinglife.com/images-content/2811727_Cooler chart.jpg" class="bbc_img"></p>

 

[Rollin]

&nbsp; Boating/fishing&nbsp;forums would be a good place to search for reviews on coolers as many "fishing guides" depend on these.<br><br><br>

 

[Ballenxj]

bobbert, I think I'm seeing an 8 degree difference between all those coolers after five days? The Yeti is obviously better, but WOW, they are expensive too. <br>I would like to see the conditions these things were tested in. <br>-Bruce

 

[wagoneer]

I have used the yeti and have the room they are overpriced in my opinion using my reefer to make ice with 1 gallon drinking water then transferring those to a smaller styrofoam cooler would be a better solution.

 

[highdesertranger]

well I know this is an old thread but the op wanted to know about keeping things frozen or semi frozen. if you go by the chart even the yeti never gets below 39 degrees. so its going to start defrosting right away just like all the others. I have used coleman's and igloo's for longer term storage and found the most important thing is to duct tape the lid where it seals, then add insulation whatever you have, foam, neoprene, even a sleeping bag or two, or bury it, dirt makes a great insulator. I have kept food semi frozen for a week this way in 90 degree temps. one more thing, the most important imo keep it out of sunlight. highdesertranger

 

[Ladywolfe]

Welcome whitetrash! (ok, felt weird typing out your name, lol)
I will be in a car soon also, so the question about the fridge vs a cooler had my interest. A lot of great investigating by some members on this forum about the Yeti....I think I would go with an Igloo or Coleman, until you decide to either get a bigger vehicle or are ready to add extra 'fire power' to your vehicle.
Either way - hello and have fun travels!

 

[spd2918]

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[bvanevery]

One might be missing some basics in all of this discussion, which is how much food you're taking with you and how fast you're going to eat it to begin with. I've generally been feeding 1 man 1 dog with a Coleman 6-day cooler. Meat for him has often been the reason for the cooler, as I don't believe in dog food or canned food. In warmer climates we've typically gotten 5 day worth of preservation out of the cooler, using my "standard" 20 lb. load of ice. I keep the car in the shade with the windows rolled down as much as I can. One trick to going longer is to buy as many frozen foods as is reasonable. Some stores will sell chicken gizzards (which I feed my dog) frozen solid; other stores will fetch completely frozen ones out of the back of the store, if you ask. Also remember that cold water is still a refrigerant, you only need new ice when that water is beginning to warm up. You need water tight containers for you food though when it enters the "slosh" stage, to avoid hazards of defrosted meat blood mixed with the water for instance.

Anyways after 5 days we're going back to civilization for more food anyways. Can get stir crazy and desire to change camps as soon as 2 days, which is part of why I don't use a tent anymore, just the car. Could extend my time greatly if I wanted to, such as accepting dog food, but not clear so far that I'd want to. Consequently gold plated coolers sound like a waste of money to me.

Many coolers function by their size and how much ice you put in them anyways. Don't be too easily fooled. Those big "7 day coolers" you see, mostly work because they're big and you're putting lots more ice in them. Which means more money if you have to pay for the ice.