Coolers and Packing Them for Travel.

[Trekkindave]

I am sure by now everyone has seen the yeti, pelican, and other "BOMB PROOF" type coolers on the market. They are a little too pricey for my blood as nice as they are. Do you all have recommendations on "blue collar" priced coolers? I would consider my self a casual overlander, with most of my "trips" being simple 3-4 day trips with the wife. I don't need to keep things frozen for months at a time.. I just want my burgers, steaks, and other cold and frozen stuff to keep until day 4 for the final cook out before leaving the next day.


The Coleman Extreme series coolers look nice and are withing an acceptable price range. Does any one have experience with them?


And the final questions:

for a 2 person four day trip.. what size cooler do you recommend?

also what packing tips to keep things cold and dry

 

[infra]

I have a Yeti Tundra 65 as well as a Coleman Extreme 70 quart. The Yeti is built very good and has very nice rubber latches, and does keep ice very well. The Coleman Extreme doesn't feel as bomb proof as the Yeti but it also keeps ice very well as long as you pre-cool it, and when packing the cooler use a block of ice on one side of the cooler and then I place frozen sealed food items next to block of ice, frozen drinks (vitamin water or powerade) next to the food and then whatever else next to the drinks, and cover it all with quality cubed ice. I find that if I pack the Coleman Extreme this way, it will keep ice just as long as the Yeti.

 

[Honu]

seems to be from reviews etc.. that coleman make better coolers than igloo so the extreme do well

although I saw a igloo extreme kinda like yeti build at same the other day for $199 not a bad deal
while I use a fridge I use coolers to

last weekened 4 days 3 nights here in AZ we used a coleman extreme in bear country and did not want to move the fridge so coolers are handy they can rip that apart I won't be bummed hahahaha

so I use one bottle 96 oz water frozen solid and other things like juice I freeze and we get half gallons milk freeze one leave the other normal all other food we can we freeze
pre chill the cooler night before with a jug of water frozen and day of packing throw that back in the deep freeze to use again
pack everything around the frozen jug and other frozen items and do not put ANY normal temp items just frozen and fridge cold and we go 4 days and the last milk still is chunky and the 96 oz water is about %50 ice no loose packaging in mine either vac packed or taken out so no extra wasted air space
day time temps about 80 night time about 40 so I imagine in warmer 4th day things would be melted but still cold
I never use regular ice only ice in jugs and frozen juice etc.. water we can drink off if we want and nothing gets wet
when I lived in the islands and temps would never drop below 70s I used a sleeping bag pad cut to fit and keep on one half of the stuff you need for the 2nd and 3rd day so it basically never got the warm air kinda dividing the cooler and it worked out well

fridges are nice though and worth it once you get one but again I like coolers to more often we have both and fill the cooler with frozen juice boxes etc.. for the kids so they can get what they want knowing it only last till the 3rd say

 

[FJR Colorado]

Keep an eye on garage sales. I recently picked p a $200 Coleman stainless steel unit for $5. It just needed a good cleaning.

Use block ice. I create blocks in used juice cartons. Just tear off the cardboard and you have nice, clean, manageable blocks.

Use a separate cooler for drinks/snacks which you open many times per day. Get a small plastic box to keep things dry such as oranges, apples, sliced deli meats, cheese.

Keep your main food in a separate cooler. Keep meats in ziplock bags. Bring a few frozen items on extended trips.

The Igloo and Coleman 'extreme type' coolers both work quite well.

Yetis and Pelicans are great but most users will not achieve a good return on investment.

 

[MikeMGB]

I have the Coleman, I use frozen water bottles in it along with ice. The more bottles you can use the better. I've been out for 4 days and the bottles are still frozen and food in perfect condition.

 

[JHa6av8r]

We used the Coleman Extreme until we got our truck camper. As others of said, use block ice and or frozen water bottles and it will be just fine for 3 to 4 day trips even in pretty hot conditions. Can't beat the price and ours have proved very durable.

 

[AndrewP]

The 7 day coolers are far better than a regular cooler but without the overbuilt goodness of a Yeti or Pelican. Any will do. But you'll still need to deal with finding ice, soggy food, sloshing water and the like. The best luck I had was with a "7 day" cooler from Coleman.

If you are even entertaining the idea of an expensive cooler, get a 12v refrigerator instead, which is better in every way. It hurts to buy the first time, but from then on you'll never consider camping a day without it. A cheaper offbrand like an Edgestar isn't much more than a yeti cooler. Just get one and don't look back. Take a cooler of ice to make drinks. Everything else goes in the fridge.

 

[Wainiha]

I always freeze the 2 liter water bottles from the store. No water messing up the food. Then you can drink them as said. I woill probably get a Coleman Extreme fro my next one. They seem to work well. I cannot afford a fridge.

 

[southpier]

.... the coolers were in the back of my vehicle under a movers packing quilt, out of the sun. ...

this is my suggestion regardless of brand. bedding, clothes, anything to buffer real temperatures.

 

[Joanne]

I live in the desert so it's often a challenge to keep things cool. Like many of the others, I have a Coleman Extreme and use only block ice. I pre cool everything and freeze what I will be using a few days into the trip. I try to store the cooler so it is always in the shade.

A trick I use to keep everything dry is to use a dishpan to hold all of the foods that would be damaged by melt water. It just fits the width of the cooler and I haven't had any ruined food since I started using it a few years ago. You can get a ton of food in the dishpan with just a little careful packing.

Depending on the trip, I will often take a second cooler for drinks. Since it gets opened much more often than the food cooler, if the ice melts I don't run the risk of having food go bad.

Joanne

 

[Bayou Boy]

It was said in one of the first replies but it's the truth. For food, the answer is a 12v fridge. Ice melts and it will get your food soggy. At some point zip locks get holes, someone doesn't close the Tupperware all the way and food gets wet. That sucks. Use a 12v fridge for your food and save the cooler for your drinks. You can rechill your drinks in the fridge but once your food gets warm, it's done. As for keeping the beer and white wine cold, just load it up with whatever ice you have laying around when you leave the house. This ice doesn't matter. It's sacrificial to get the insulation cold. Once that melts, find a grocer that sells block ice. They are everywhere in the Rockies and I'd assume you can find them everywhere else. It doesn't really matter though because a 10# block of ice thrown in 32.1 degree slush in a prechilled yeti (or anything decent) will keep stuff cold for about 5 days if you open it sparingly. Once the you end up with just water and the block, add a SMALL bag of ice to make the slush and another block. That's the real answer for anything more than a long weekend. Fridge for food, cooler for drinks. Even though I now have a lance truck camper, I still keep my drinks in the yeti because, let's face it, beer just tastes better when you pull it out of a slurry in an ice chest. Pulling it out of the fridge just isn't the same.

 

[Dvsjw_Betterhalf]

We also use frozen water in gallon milk jugs. Cold water to drink as it melts. I have read where some people who live by the coolers will put the foam insulation board around all sides and bottom of their cooler. Glued to old coolers or bungy to newer one. Be sure to at least have it up off bottom of truck so bottom doesn't get warm.

 

[swduncan]

I have a divider I made that fits in the coleman xtreme, in the slots that were molded in for that purpose. It's about 6" from one end, and I fill that section with cube ice. I make sure I drain when we stop on the road, and leave the drain cracked when we're in camp.

I also made a platform with feet in the bottom to hold the food off the bottom. This keeps the food dry and provides ice for drinks - we're not big soda or beer drinkers.

Every few days I buy a 10lb bag of ice to top off the ice pile, and keep the rest in the bag . Works pretty well.

The problem with freezing containers full of water is that when they do melt you've got a ton of water to drink, but no way to refreeze the containers. Cube ice is more common than block, even if it is less efficient.

I do want a fridge though!

 

[chuppie]

Coleman Extreme Coolers

I am sure by now everyone has seen the yeti, pelican, and other "BOMB PROOF" type coolers on the market. They are a little too pricey for my blood as nice as they are. Do you all have recommendations on "blue collar" priced coolers? I would consider my self a casual overlander, with most of my "trips" being simple 3-4 day trips with the wife. I don't need to keep things frozen for months at a time.. I just want my burgers, steaks, and other cold and frozen stuff to keep until day 4 for the final cook out before leaving the next day.


The Coleman Extreme series coolers look nice and are withing an acceptable price range. Does any one have experience with them?


And the final questions:

for a 2 person four day trip.. what size cooler do you recommend?

also what packing tips to keep things cold and dry

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


I have 3 Total now.

This is what I got from Coleman after I complained. They are correct but it is a lot of ice


Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.

Subject
50qt xtreme Does not hold ice for even 24 hours, says up to 5 days

Discussion Thread
Response Via Email (Angel) 06/24/2014 06:47 PM
Hello rick,

Thank you for contacting Coleman. I would be more than happy to assist you today.
The test that demonstrated that the Coleman Xtreme Cooler will hold ice for 5 days at 90 degrees was run under controlled conditions. An Xtreme Cooler was filled with ice and placed in a 90 degree room for five days. At the end of that time, there was still about a third of the ice left in the cooler. The lid was not opened during this time and no water was drained from the cooler as the cold water from the ice that did melt is important in helping the rest of the ice last longer. We recommend leaving any water from ice melting in the cooler. It helps to cool and improves ice retention. In uses where the cooler is filled with cans and food and is opened frequently, the ice won't last nearly as long. Coleman designed the cooler primarily to be used to transport items that a consumer would wish to keep frozen or very cold for several days. Once the cooler is filled and closed, it will keep ice longer than any other brand, but, though the cooler works great under normal everyday use, the opening and closing of the lid will result in the ice melting in far less time. If the objects placed in the cooler aren't pre-chilled, this will also cut down on ice retention. If the cooler is not completely filled, the air space at the top, especially if the cooler is opened and closed a few times, will also cut down on ice retention. Once the cooler is opened, the air left in the top of the cooler has to again be cooled by the ice and will cause quite a bit to melt. The only defects in the cooler that would cause the ice to melt would be either a warped lid that doesn't seal against the body or an insulation void in the body. The warped lid is very noticeable. The lid would be curving up on the ends. If there is an insulation void in the body, you will notice a big dimple along the side and, if you pushed on it, it would be very soft. You might examine the cooler for a depression on the side. If you don't find a depression on the side, try using the cooler again with pre-chilled items and try to limit opening the lid too often. I believe you'll get better results. http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/xtreme.asp.

For best performance, we recommend using .75 lbs of ice per rated quart of the cooler. For example:

50 Qt. Cooler X .75 lbs = 37.5 lbs of ice
100 qt. Cooler X .75 lbs = 75 lbs of ice

For longer ice and cold retention, limit the number of times the cooler lid is opened and do not drain off the water. Cold water preserves ice much better than air.

Thank you,
Angel
Customer By Web Form 06/24/2014 05:11 PM
I just bought two. I tested one in the kitchen. I put 10lbs of ice in it and left it for 24 hours. All the ice was melted. The kitchen was at a constant 76 degrees. How can you claim that with food in it and typical summer temps it will hold ice for up to 5 days. Best I can tell, these dont even have insulation in the lids. I have a ton of coleman stuff and am pleased with all of it. This is just dishonest.

Incident Reference #140624-001444
Product Level 1: Coolers
Product Level 2: Wheeled Coolers
Category Level 1: Product Performance
Date Created: 06/24/2014 05:11 PM
Last Updated: 06/24/2014 06:47 PM
Status: Solved
Model#: 5882
Order Type:
Replacement Model#:
Date Code:
Contact Type: Email
Type of Question: Product Performance
Web Call: No

Place of Purchase



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[Bigunit]

I guess you just convinced me to buy an ARB fridge.