Looking to upgrade from my plastic Coleman junk. Anyone recommend a small 30 qt or less soft or hard sided cooler that'll keep ice for at least 2 days and is easy to carry? Budget is $250 but more bang for the buck obviously better 
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
This big time. Dumping hot drinks in a hot cooler, and one bag of ice equals no ice in 2 hours. Prechill the cooler, have the drinks be as cold as possible before going in, and have your ice be as cold as possible. If your ice is already wet and dripping going into the cooler it's not gonna last long.For two days you are fine with just about any cooler.
FWIW, I do a ton of extended trips and my Canyon Coolers are the best. Had ice until day 21 in my Canyon Navigator on a Grand Canyon raft trip. That said it was a 150qt so a whole different animal from the little guys. I also had it in a walk in with the contents frozen in a block for 14 days prior. Canyon is a smaller company and some (if not all their stuff now) is made in USA. Lifetime, no bullshit warranty on their hard coolers.
Longevity boils down to cooler maintenance along with quality. If you are all day in and out of it and dumping new hot beers in, no cooler will last. If you pre chill the cooler and contents, are in and out of it as little as possible, keep it out of the sun/ covered, etc. it'll last longer. If all I needed was a two day cooler that I was going to be in and out of 20 times a day , I'd buy a cheapo, save the money and weight, go heavy on the ice and not give a shit.
Pelican.
They just ran a 30% off for Fourth of July. Got a 30qt for $165. But they are $235 new.
I also have an older gen 65qt that is badass
View attachment 7116593
Hell otterbox even makes coolers nowDamn
I never would have even thought that Pelican made coolers
I have a friend with a YETI and it is damn nice. Camping in the summer and it is good for many days but the company is anti-2A and they are super expensive.
Ice makers don't need to hold ice for 7 days because they make their own, hence less the need for insulation, also if you have a commercial ice maker you are usually pulling ice out as fast as its being made.I won't deny that I'd like a few coolers to go on out boat. Couple years ago, My Lady got a great deal on an Ice Maker from one of our local Cambodian Tire stores. (some of ya'll will be familiar with that chain).
It's great, so that we can constantly replenish the ice that we've got in our coolers that we already have, but only when tied to the dock. The best cooler we have, is a 20 year old "Coleman Extreme" and I won't deny that it's good. These new-fangled coolers that are coming out with all kinds of claims and wall-thickness's are just insane.
Sure does make me wonder though, two things about 'ice makers'. One, why dont' they come 'insulated' themselves, to keep the ice that they've made, "cold". And two, how can one "turn down" the icemaking temperature, so-as-to make "colder ice" as opposed to "just enough to freeze?"
And yes, this ALL has to do with "what cooler is bestester" as opposed to expensivest or most-cupholders or most-fishmeasurer's or whatever.
Only other thing I can say to "what makes a good cooler" is one that comes with a bottom drain. If you're sitting in water, then it ain't gonna get any colder than that.
And as to the ice-maker on the boat, well, we simply haven't had the opportunity to try it out yet. The Boat hasn't been launched now, since the summer of '17. Sure do miss it though. We haven't even take the cover off it since it was put on back in the Fall of '17.
My yetis lid will warp if it's left out in the sun. I think it's mostly luck of the draw if your lid warps. Buddy of mine has one that lid won't warp.I am on a permanent ban from buying coolers.
I sold shrimp for years out of igloo marine 248qt coolers and marine Gott coolers. In their day they were the cats ass. I wore them out, they were great except for weak hinges.
After years of cheap coolers, and using my old worn Gotts, that had been rehinged with tooling leather, I had opportunity to buy a Yeti 20...just to try out. It was so far above what I'd always had, I bought a 65qt. Both were on sale at much reduced prices.
I swore them off when they stepped on their dicks over the 2A, becoming "2A butters".
I did buy a wheeled yeti for 33% off at tackle store in Destin. Only reason I bought it was they were doing a fundraiser for hurricane Michael relief....and at 33% off, a hell of a deal.
They are tough, they will take all the abuse you want to throw at them. They don't warp(who said that? Mine live in the sun, ain't true). A brown one will fade and haze a bit. As far as I can tell they can't be ruined.
That said, I'll not buy another. Most all the rotomold coolers are just as good as a Yeti. If the wife ever lifts the ban, I'll try an orca or an Ozark trail(Walmart).
As an ardent outdoorsman of many decades I can confidently say they should last you a lifetime. I beat the shit out of my Yetis.
My yetis lid will warp if it's left out in the sun. I think it's mostly luck of the draw if your lid warps. Buddy of mine has one that lid won't warp.
My orca doesn't warp in same conditions
How quickly everyone forgets..........
Yeti is anti - 2A. Please don't support them and don't purchase their products.
Do your homework and support a pro 2A manufacturer !
Damn
I never would have even thought that Pelican made coolers
How quickly everyone forgets..........
Yeti is anti - 2A. Please don't support them and don't purchase their products.
Do your homework and support a pro 2A manufacturer !
Buy once cry once. Make your own ice.
Runs on 12 volt or 110. Is super efficient and you get way more stuff in less space because you need no ice. Weight will be similar to a similar size cooler full of ice but it will be beer instead of ice. ?
I've had a 50 QT. for five years w/o any issues. Keep it going in the garage w/ beverages so it's cold when needed. Have run it on lithium ion batteries as well. Cools extremely fast. Used by off-roaders, Outbackers for years and can take some serious use and abuse.
*Does NOT need to be level to work.
There's some other brands available. Seems pricing is similar unless you find something on special. Look for a Danfoss compressor in the specs.
View attachment 7116723
View attachment 7116724
![]()
CLASSIC SERIES II FRIDGE FREEZERS
www.arbusa.com
I haven't forgotten.
Mine was purchased before the whole 2A bullshit fiasco.
I'm with Chikin on this one. I won't blow up my cooler to make a statement and I'll keep using it for the reasons I bought it.
Yeah, no, not proposing that. I have a couple of pairs of Levi's in my drawers. Probably not gonna turf them, just won't buy any more from here on out.