Just an fyi, be prepared for it to come late. I've ordered two 26qt's on two separate occasions, both times it shipped after the projected delivery date. I could have just been unlucky, but I doubt it considering it happened twice.
Ozark Trail "High Performance" cooler - any good?
- Thread starter Blind_Io
- Start date
Just an fyi, be prepared for it to come late. I've ordered two 26qt's on two separate occasions, both times it shipped after the projected delivery date. I could have just been unlucky, but I doubt it considering it happened twice.
Ducky's Dad
Explorer
Generally, you don't want the insulation to be dense. The denser it is, the better it is at transferring heat. The best insulator is a complete vacuum, with no light transmission. It's hard to maintain a vacuum in these things, so they fill the cavities with foam to encapsulate air and prevent movement of that air (the foam also stiffens the overall structure). Weight is your enemy when it comes to insulation value, but the heavier coolers are generally more robust because they have thicker walls, better hinges, latches, seals, handles, etc. One reason the Ozark 26 is heavy is because it has what appears to be a stainless steel loop handle, adds weight but helps with longevity. The seal around the top of the Ozark 26 is surrounded by a fairly massive amount of rotomolded plastic, adds lots of stiffness and helps maintain a good seal. The tradeoff is additional weight. A lighter cooler will usually have thinner walls, plastic hinges and latches instead of stainless, etc.
Xrunner
Explorer
Looks like the Ozark Trail 52's are in stock currently with free shipping.
davis31052
Adventurer
Thanks Xrunner! I dropped an order. We'll see if it get processed. I have my doubts.
So, I've seen quite a few reviews of the larger Premium Jumbo Tote, but nobody seems to have used/reviewed the backpack version (the 20-can Ozark Trail Premium Backpack Cooler). I went ahead and ordered one to try. I'll do a quick review when I get it and have a chance to use it.
CSG
Explorer
I was at our local Walmart last night because I wanted to try one of their Ozark Trail 20 oz. mugs for under $8. I asked about the coolers and the sales guy told me that only certain locations were getting them and neither of our local stores were on the list yet. Living in a huge outdoor capitol of fishing, hunting, and outdoor activities, that was surprising to hear. Apparently, they OT coolers are going into larger population markets.
Backpack one was just released by Walmart/Ozark earlier this week and mine arrived last night. Basically same construction as the Jumbo Tote but in a smaller form factor and with straps to make it a backpack. Although no formal testing of it yet, looks to be a winner in my book (esp at $39).
The zipper looked different in photos. I'm wondering if it might be more watertight. Mine is supposed to arrive for pickup by Monday.
hyperboarder
Adventurer
I seen one at the Orange Wal Mart right before Labor Day weekend.
Ducky's Dad
Explorer
I have asked the sporting goods guys at WalMarts in Monrovia, Duarte, Temecula, Murrieta, and Yuma, and only one guy has ever seen an Ozark hard cooler in his store, and that was a long time ago. I think Yuma could be considered and outdoorsy area, and they certainly go through a lot of ice, but no Ozarks in those stores that anyone can recall. I saw one maybe 10 months ago in Temecula, but it was the big one (73?) and it was there for a while. They had it wired shut with the RFID sensor on it, so you couldn't even look at the inside or try the latches and hinges.
pyrate
Rollin' along
An unofficial comment from a Walmart employee in SoCal was they weren't putting them here because the sale of the full price brands is high simply on brand recognition. I took that is we are too dumb to see a good deal. :/
Sent from a smoke signal on a mountain top
CSG
Explorer
I'm in Twin. This guy was a manager. I read that the mugs are hard to find elsewhere but the Twin store had bunches of them.
thefishhawk
Adventurer
True in general but here aren't we talking about the difference between medium density closed poly foam and open cell? The denser insulation is going to have a better r-value in this type of insulation and be heavier, and foam isn't a great transferer of heat to begin with. Kind of like going from lightweight fiberglass insulation in homes to sprayed in foam insulation now, it's denser but in the densities we are talking about it doesn't make a huge difference but you are gaining a lot of r-value.
I have two coolers I use generally, the Coleman extreme feels like there is nothing in the walls and my Yeti weighs 50 lbs. I dont' see that weight difference getting made up in rope handles and latches, not sure about the roto molded plastic. The foam makes up the majority of the thing, I still consider weight to be a decent indicator of the quality of the cooler, and that's all I was getting at there. The Yeti will hold ice for two weeks in the utah desert in the summer, and the coleman for 3 days. I've never cut open a Yeti to inspect the foam, but I always thought the "Pressure-injected commercial-grade polyurethane foam" was part of the equation. It has to be heavier than the lightweight open cell foam used in cheap coolers I thought.