Yeti w ice or junk ice chest ?

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vanvanvanvan123

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Leaving all other factors out of consideration
Such ambient temp, shading the ice box , draining it etc etc etc

JUST A Bing the two

Can you show me what I gain**with the yeti or similar versus a $30 igloo ?

Gain**. Gain in time food stays cool

Just apples to apples
 
I have some budget ice-chests and I have a generic version of the yeti (Not the Ozark Trail one... but still not fully branded).

The yeti-clone versus an igloo of the same size seems to hold the same amount of ice frozen for a noticeably longer period of time... The igloo usually is just cold water with maybe a couple cubes floating in it after 48 hours where the yeti-clone will still have significant amounts of ice.

Anecdotal evidence from personal experience, but I bet YouTube has some comparison videos on it.
 
The smaller the ice chest the less time there is to total melt down. So while a large yeti type says it is good for 5 days or so the smaller Yetis are only good for 2 or 3 days.

Lesson to be learned, be sure to do your background research for the exact model you are considering for purchase.
 
My mind is a bit slow on some details
So, the larger ice chest will keep food colder for longer amount of time , correct ?
 
A larger ice chest will keep ice and food colder, longer, but it will also use more ice in the process.

Takes a lot more ice to fill it and then when you need more ice in a few days, it will take more to replenish it than a smaller ice chest will.

But that's the main reason the ice lasts longer...there is more of it to start with.
 
Tip: Use the automated ice dispensers located in places like the Wallyworld store strip malls. You get triple the ice for the same price as a little bag at the gas station.

Also, instead of spending more for a Yeti clone or such, get some styrofoam sheets and cut and duct tape them around and on top and the bottom of your regular old cooler. It really helps preserving ice for pennies. Doesn't look pretty but HEY! Cheap is good!

Eventually consider getting a 12v fridge, they're great and use little in the way of electricity but you'll need to also get a power station to run it as well. Just a goal for the future...

Cheers!
 
I lived with a cheap Igloo ice chest for 3 years. Wrapped in a down blanket it kept ice for ~ 5 days in 80+º temps.

My experience is the cheap ice out of ice machines is barely frozen and doesn't last long. If you can get ice out of freezers that are kept below 0º, preferably -20ºF. It is much harder and will last longer. Also if you can, dig down and get a bag (or block) not on top. Blocks last longer than cubes or whatever they call those silly round tubes.
 
I lived with a cheap Igloo ice chest for 3 years. Wrapped in a down blanket it kept ice for ~ 5 days in 80+º temps.

My experience is the cheap ice out of ice machines is barely frozen and doesn't last long. If you can get ice out of freezers that are kept below 0º, preferably -20ºF. It is much harder and will last longer. Also if you can, dig down and get a bag (or block) not on top. Blocks last longer than cubes or whatever they call those silly round tubes.
True that. Takes longer to raise the temp of an ice-cube from -20F to 32F than it does to go from 30F to 32F. I think a lot of people out there just think ice is ice... and all the same temperature, but unlike boiling which just increases the ferocity of the boil the more you try to raise the temp, you can get ice significantly colder than 32F... 32F is just the point where it turns from water to ice. :)
 
You “guys” are helpful friends

The issue with styrofoam
I’m not handy that
But mainly it’s huge with styrofoam
It’s a serious eye sore. Very visible
Red flag
Where as a “cool” fashionable chest has opposite effects as the huge - space taking red flag
So now I decide between Coleman and yeti
Does Coleman plug into cigarette lighter

Does my electrical system need special care or upgrade ? I know I’ve asked before
Thanks all
 
.
I used a Coleman Extreme. Worked great at a fraction of the Yeti price. Has great reviews.
I bought an Orca brand Yeti cooler. Same stuff, different label.

I don't need a chair because I can sit on my cooler.

My neighbour doesn't have a storage unit so he needs his Class A motorhome. He can't go get his mail because of the price of gas.

We already made our choices so we have to live with them.
 
Choosing between minimalist cooling in vehicle :
Seems any kind of 24 hr fridge is ( is impractical ) dependent on much more electricity than I will have until i invest in high price inverter and bank of lithium plus solar panels -this is a complex decision I’m not ready to make until the way is clearer.
Therefore a secondary choice is what choices ???
1 some kind of Coleman fridge which works off engine on. Via cigarette lighter
2 some kind of superior insulated ( styrofoam seems too bulky and conspicuous in a Camry ) ice chest!!
If yeti versus cheap chest yields an extra day of cooling - That seems worth it.
I hope I’m not being disrespectful here with that idea. I’m in overwhelming circumstance, and just barely holding my head above water. If that helps explain my going over the same stuff multiple times. No disrespect Intended .

3 am I overlooking a third option? Make the case please

Thank you to all
 
For me keeping food items at a safe temperature for days is just to risky with ice living in hot desert climates I do better with just keeping cold drinks or small portions of food for a day maybe two and using canned/preserved dry foods along with freshly bought and cooked refrigerated meats/fruits/vegetables in portions small enough to not have several days of leftovers. I used to go to town once a week and buy a steak and cut it in half. I would grill half for dinner along with corn on the cob, baked potato or asparagus for dinner that night. The other half put in a cooler overnight would be cooked the next morning for breakfast with eggs and chilies. Peanut and jelly sandwiches for lunch most days and cheap canned soup or noodle meals with canned vegetables and fried eggs for dinners the rest of the week. No real need for refrigerated foods with what is available today unless you are living on extremely limited funds then dried beans and rice are the answer.
 
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Tip: Use the automated ice dispensers located in places like the Wallyworld store strip malls. You get triple the ice for the same price as a little bag at the gas station.

Also, instead of spending more for a Yeti clone or such, get some styrofoam sheets and cut and duct tape them around and on top and the bottom of your regular old cooler. It really helps preserving ice for pennies. Doesn't look pretty but HEY! Cheap is good!

Eventually consider getting a 12v fridge, they're great and use little in the way of electricity but you'll need to also get a power station to run it as well. Just a goal for the future...

Cheers!
Choosing between minimalist cooling in vehicle :
Seems any kind of 24 hr fridge is ( is impractical ) dependent on much more electricity than I will have until i invest in high price inverter and bank of lithium plus solar panels -this is a complex decision I’m not ready to make until the way is clearer.
Therefore a secondary choice is what choices ???
1 some kind of Coleman fridge which works off engine on. Via cigarette lighter
2 some kind of superior insulated ( styrofoam seems too bulky and conspicuous in a Camry ) ice chest!!
If yeti versus cheap chest yields an extra day of cooling - That seems worth it.
I hope I’m not being disrespectful here with that idea. I’m in overwhelming circumstance, and just barely holding my head above water. If that helps explain my going over the same stuff multiple times. No disrespect Intended .

3 am I overlooking a third option? Make the case please

Thank you to all
I got an Igloo Maxcold cooler at Walmart for $36.00, that in reviews, and in my experience, stands up to expensive brands.
 
Choosing between minimalist cooling in vehicle :
Seems any kind of 24 hr fridge is ( is impractical ) dependent on much more electricity than I will have until i invest in high price inverter and bank of lithium plus solar panels -this is a complex decision I’m not ready to make until the way is clearer.
Therefore a secondary choice is what choices ???
1 some kind of Coleman fridge which works off engine on. Via cigarette lighter
2 some kind of superior insulated ( styrofoam seems too bulky and conspicuous in a Camry ) ice chest!!
If yeti versus cheap chest yields an extra day of cooling - That seems worth it.
I hope I’m not being disrespectful here with that idea. I’m in overwhelming circumstance, and just barely holding my head above water. If that helps explain my going over the same stuff multiple times. No disrespect Intended .

3 am I overlooking a third option? Make the case please

Thank you to all
I have a Coleman 5 day cooler. It might go 5 days with block ice, but with regular bags of ice it lasts a bit over 3. Can't afford the yeti coolers. Put a cover made of Reflextic over it and that gave me another day. I agree with having limited fresh food when it is really hot.
 
I have a small ice chest and a small 12volt thing that I use for a freezer. As in it keeps things frozen, mostly. This last trip out I plugged it into the Jackery for a few days and it didn't work as well. Some of the things at the very top got a bit thawed not fully thawed but.... The ice chest needs more ice than I would like. We keep ice things in the freezer and change them around every day with fresh things from the freezer. I also made a heavy wool wrap/cover for the ice chest. I drilled a few holes in the lid of the ice chest and filled it with spray foam stuff, but I would not swear it helped any. I will be keeping my eyes open for a yeti or something better. The wool cover is great if we are stopped somewhere hot. I run it under water and then cover the ice chest with it and I was amazed how much that helped. Though it still needed to have the ice refreshed once in a while.
 
Choosing between minimalist cooling in vehicle :
Seems any kind of 24 hr fridge is ( is impractical ) dependent on much more electricity than I will have until i invest in high price inverter and bank of lithium plus solar panels -this is a complex decision I’m not ready to make until the way is clearer.
Therefore a secondary choice is what choices ???
1 some kind of Coleman fridge which works off engine on. Via cigarette lighter
2 some kind of superior insulated ( styrofoam seems too bulky and conspicuous in a Camry ) ice chest!!
If yeti versus cheap chest yields an extra day of cooling - That seems worth it.
I hope I’m not being disrespectful here with that idea. I’m in overwhelming circumstance, and just barely holding my head above water. If that helps explain my going over the same stuff multiple times. No disrespect Intended .

3 am I overlooking a third option? Make the case please

Thank you to all
I wonder if a table top ice maker will use a lot less electricity than an refrigerator? a good cooler like a yeti and an ice maker may be an option. Also you have ice! Any one out there have experience in this combo?
 
I wonder if a table top ice maker will use a lot less electricity than an refrigerator? a good cooler like a yeti and an ice maker may be an option. Also you have ice! Any one out there have experience in this combo?

Yes I did. Short answer: It doesn't work.

Long answer: The power draw from the icemaker is significant, and the one or two cupfuls of ice pellets that they produce every hour is 'soft ice'...suitable for drinks but not cold enough to do anything in an ice chest except melt in just a few hours or less.
 
Tip: Use the automated ice dispensers located in places like the Wallyworld store strip malls. You get triple the ice for the same price as a little bag at the gas station.

Also, instead of spending more for a Yeti clone or such, get some styrofoam sheets and cut and duct tape them around and on top and the bottom of your regular old cooler. It really helps preserving ice for pennies. Doesn't look pretty but HEY! Cheap is good!

Eventually consider getting a 12v fridge, they're great and use little in the way of electricity but you'll need to also get a power station to run it as well. Just a goal for the future...

Cheers!
Got a twenty lb bag of ice from a water ice station don't know if 3.00 is a good price for it
 
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