5 day coolers?
- Thread starter netllama
- Start date
LexusAllTerrain
Expedition Leader
netllama said:
I bought the Coleman xtreme 5 day cooler , and I did not like it I still get water in my precooked food!
I am goint to purchase an ARB fridge and that is a must!
Maximus Ram
Expedition Leader
I got an Igloo Polar 120 for fathers day and it worked pretty good. I just wish they would incorporate a way to seperate drinks from food in them.
We had the drinks on the bottom and it kept most of the food dry and cold.
I think a secret to keeping ice longer is how much it is opened and keeping the cooler out of the sun. But i like my Igloo:arabia:
We had the drinks on the bottom and it kept most of the food dry and cold.
I think a secret to keeping ice longer is how much it is opened and keeping the cooler out of the sun. But i like my Igloo:arabia:
Spikepretorius
Explorer
I don't know if they're available in your country but Engel have a range of fibreglass coolerboxes that work fantastically well. Very expensive here, not sure how they would compare in dollars.
One of my regular wheeling buddies no longer uses his fridge and only carries the fibreglass box. Only uses the fridge for trips longer than 6 days or so.
One of my regular wheeling buddies no longer uses his fridge and only carries the fibreglass box. Only uses the fridge for trips longer than 6 days or so.
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toy_tek
Adventurer
I bought an Igloo Maxcold 40 Roller. The size is decent, and it does keep ice for a couple days - about 3 max that I've tested. Of course that is with the cooler sitting in 100+ deg heat pretty much all day. It probably would keep ice 5 days in a less extreme environment.
What I don't like is that it just seems cheap. The handles are all flexy, the lid pops off all the time when I'm not expecting it, and there is no water drain plug (?). Basically $1.50 worth of plastic for $29.99.
Looking at their site, the Maxcold 50 might be a better option. I see it has a lid latch and a drain. Target didn't have that model when I was picking up a new cooler.
As cool as they are, a $700 fridge is not in my budget.
What I don't like is that it just seems cheap. The handles are all flexy, the lid pops off all the time when I'm not expecting it, and there is no water drain plug (?). Basically $1.50 worth of plastic for $29.99.
Looking at their site, the Maxcold 50 might be a better option. I see it has a lid latch and a drain. Target didn't have that model when I was picking up a new cooler.
As cool as they are, a $700 fridge is not in my budget.
HenryJ
Expedition Leader
I have been using the Coleman cooler for several years now. I like it, although I did not compare it with others as it was the only one available locally at the time.
I can offer some observations.
Pros: The Coleman cooler seems to be well built. The handle design is good with the sliding handle they can be raised and stowed with minimal clearance. The retention for the drain cap seems sturdy.
Cons: No latch for the lid. This has not been a problem, and might even be seen as an asset. Weak hinges. I have not had problems, but this sure looks like a failure point. They are the one piece plastic folded hinge. It sure seems like after all the flexing, eventually the plastic would fatigue and crack or break someday.
I am sure performance as a cooler is comparable between the two. The designs are very similar. Price is a toss up.
I see some latches on the Igloo coolers. That may or may not be an advantage. The Igloo looks to have quite a thick lid? I am not sure what is up with that. A deeper well is of more advantage. I don't want to lose all that cold by lifting a lid that is half the container.
We have the 70 quart model. Both of those look very similar.
I can offer some observations.
Pros: The Coleman cooler seems to be well built. The handle design is good with the sliding handle they can be raised and stowed with minimal clearance. The retention for the drain cap seems sturdy.
Cons: No latch for the lid. This has not been a problem, and might even be seen as an asset. Weak hinges. I have not had problems, but this sure looks like a failure point. They are the one piece plastic folded hinge. It sure seems like after all the flexing, eventually the plastic would fatigue and crack or break someday.
I am sure performance as a cooler is comparable between the two. The designs are very similar. Price is a toss up.
I see some latches on the Igloo coolers. That may or may not be an advantage. The Igloo looks to have quite a thick lid? I am not sure what is up with that. A deeper well is of more advantage. I don't want to lose all that cold by lifting a lid that is half the container.
We have the 70 quart model. Both of those look very similar.
MaddBaggins
Explorer
I've been using the Coleman 5 day extreme with great success. I take 3 1gal Ziploc freezer bags and fill them about 2/3 full of water and set them in the deep freezer 3-4 day before a trip. I put them in the cooler and pack around them. I got 6 days in 85-95 degree weather and still had ice in the bags.
SAR_Squid79
Explorer
I have the 52 quart Coleman X-treme, and I've been very happy with it. It is definitely superior to any other cooler I've ever had, and although I've never had to use it for 5 days (yet), I have used it on 3-day trips, and it's been great. As long as you keep items properly sealed and organized, you shouldn't have any problems.
I bought a Coleman a while back after looking at all the expensive marine-type coolers like the Frigid-Rigid. Be careful when you look at the Coleman coolers, they make the Extreme which a good cooler, but they also make the Ultimate Extreme which is even better. You don't see it as often and it has thicker 2" insulation and is green. They also make the marine version which is white. If you have the blue one it is the Extreme.
TheGillz
Explorer
I would humbly submit that this is a storage/user error issue and not a cooler issue.
We just got back from 4 days upper 80's, to low 90's, got one night of frost. I packed an igloo with the crappy plastic hinges that are already broke, and a coleman steel belted. The Igloo had my drinks, Coleman the food. I packed one ice block and 3 bags of cubes in each.
Before we left to come home yesterday afternoon the coleman had almost a bags worth of cubes in it, and 3/4 of the block left.
The Igloo had no cubes and 1/3 of its block left. I can't wait to get rid of that crappy igloo and get another coleman untill I can afford a fridge.
JIMBO
Expedition Leader
:rappel: Along with my elec. cooler, I always take a smaller COLEMAN for additional stuff, BUT
I never use bagged (cube) ice, cause it melts, way too fast, I make BLOCK ICE, using my wifes "no-stick" coated MEAT LOAF pots and that freezes perfect size blocks
My little COLEMAN keeps these BLOCKS, (2), in excess of three days and we open that cooler a lot !!!
COLEMAN is still a pretty (for the price) top performer !!!
:rockon: JIMBO
I never use bagged (cube) ice, cause it melts, way too fast, I make BLOCK ICE, using my wifes "no-stick" coated MEAT LOAF pots and that freezes perfect size blocks
My little COLEMAN keeps these BLOCKS, (2), in excess of three days and we open that cooler a lot !!!
COLEMAN is still a pretty (for the price) top performer !!!
:rockon: JIMBO
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
I bought a Colemen Ultimate Extreme cooler last month. I thought I would test it. I put 4 pounds of dry ice in the bottom along with a frozen 2 liter Platypus bag filled with water I intended to drink by day 5. The cooler has been sitting on my deck with the only contents being 12 bottles of water. We're on day 7 and I think I might make it to day 8 with ice in the Platypus bag. That is pretty awesome for a $65 cooler.
