Cheap coolers that make ice last!

[jvh22a]

Check out rtic. I think a 4-5qr is about $175. Exactly like a yeti but the sides are a bit thicker.

 

[MFreund]

If you have a cheaper cooler, drill some small holes in the underside of the lid. The lid is hollow and if you fill it with expanding foam it seems to double how long ice will last.

 

[SummitRunner]

It helps to add insulation by putting a blanket or towel on the cooler

 

[Monkey Wrench]

Check out the Ozark Trail coolers. Normally I prefer to buy the real deal and not a “knock off”, but my budget doesn’t allow for a $300+ cooler. So far the OT cooler has been awesome and holds ice for days. Plus it’s grizzly bear proof so it should hold for years of getting tossed around. Not that I’d leave it out overnight in bear country to test out that claim!

 

[ElectroBoy]

Check out RTIC coolers. They are a YETI knockoff. Only sold directly from the company, not in stores, no middleman markups. Great quality. I have a 40 can soft pack and it works real well.

Shop Soft Pack 40, Grey

Plus, I see they are on sale now.

 

[Akkording]

Check out RTIC coolers. They are a YETI knockoff. Only sold directly from the company, not in stores, no middleman markups. Great quality. I have a 40 can soft pack and it works real well.

Shop Soft Pack 40, Grey

Plus, I see they are on sale now.

RTIC is Houston based, you can't go wrong with their design very similar to YETI so much they settled a lawsuit.

 

[470SNC]

Love my RTIC 45, picked it up cheap during a sale and holds ice very well.

 

[4runnerbemore]

Love my RTIC 45, picked it up cheap during a sale and holds ice very well.

Thank you so much for sharing that info! I'll definitely check it out!

 

[Ausumm]

We lost power for a few days with Hurricane Sandy (2012)
I bought a small bag of dry ice
put it in my freezer (at home)
and put everything I wanted cold in the freezer.
The dry ice in a confined space kept everything nice and cold till we got power back.
Pretty sure that would work with an average sized cooler as well.
And, as Drunner97 said.....KEEP THE LID CLOSED (as much as possible)

 

[mscot]

for a long trip, dry ice is definitely key.
we always had some in our coolers at burning man and never had a problem with ice or food melting (although you can buy more ice there if you need). we even kept popsicles cold for the week for a saturday treat.

 

[whiplashtx]

I recently got the Igloo BMX 52 as a cheap cooler that might last in my juggy. It actually retains ice quite well and after replacing the handle tubes with bolts it has stayed shut and in place during a couple of flops and a rollover.

 

[kingofthehill]

I am thinking of getting a smaller cooler. I am currently debating the Rtic 20, Igloo BMX 25, and the Cabelas Polar Cap 25. Im leaning towards the cabelas just cause my brother and dad have an older version that is 65 qts and it works very well (it is just way to big). I am also debating getting the 40 qt version is it is not to big.

 

[mscot]

I saw that coleman 25 at costco. if it ever fails you can return it.

 

[WildBill1990]

I am in the market for a good cheap cooler ($100 or less) that can make ice last a good 5 days. At the moment I cannot afford a Yeti but I would like one someday. Anyone have suggestions on cheaper coolers that perform? My current cooler makes ice last about 2 days and is POS.

Best cheap cooler i know of is the new Colemans, I think mine cost around 40 or 50 for a 75 qt. then go buy a $5 can of spray foam and drill a few holes in the lid and fill her up. once that's done caulk the holes. Open only when necessary and you can keep ice for around 4 days. If you want to take it one step further, add thinner layer of weather stripping around the top and some latches attached so that its a really tight fit and makes it seal really good might get you an extra day. Had a buddy who bought a 30 qt for $10 at dollar general who did all this and his cooler holds ice for 3 days with hardly any melting. The other thing is to make sure you arent taking too big of a cooler. The more air inside the faster it melts so pack it up tight.

 

[Lost-Again]

I have an RTIC that I got on sale for around $150. Love it!

 

[Spanky4R]

Pre-chill & has worked for days for me.

 

[mcox522]

I am thinking of getting a smaller cooler. I am currently debating the Rtic 20, Igloo BMX 25, and the Cabelas Polar Cap 25. Im leaning towards the cabelas just cause my brother and dad have an older version that is 65 qts and it works very well (it is just way to big). I am also debating getting the 40 qt version is it is not to big.

I use the Rtic 20 for work, it's great and am glad I got it. I have a yeti 65 also and think the Rtic works just as good. You wont regret the rtic.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[BettysNephew]

I have an Otter Box that I picked up while it was on sale at Best Buy. Very reasonably priced and works extremely well.

 

[Direwolf82]

I have the Coleman extreme.
Long trips I will throw it in the chest freezer for a couple days to chill it. Load it up, crammed full, and have had ice a week later still. It's my favorite cooler ever. I would love a yeti or any of the roto molded ones really but in all honesty I don't need one, the cheap Coleman works great for what I need and worked great for my dad and grandfather.
If I ever get an upgrade to the Coleman it'll be a fridge.

 

[atalarico]

My current Coleman Xtreme isn't too bad but I didn't know that thing about pre-chilling it and drilling/filling the lid. I might try that since it seems to only do a few days. Oh and I'm definitely trying the frozen water bottles trick too.

That being said, I'm going to keep my eye on that RTIC 65 and hop on one of those if I find my Coleman not holding it's own this summer.