virginia_jeeper
Craft Beer Explorer
Those Ozark ones look pretty nice. My friend is waiting on his RTIC to ship. He bought a 65 and a soft sided one. Be interested to see how those look and work.
Quality and Budget Coolers
- Thread starter virginia_jeeper
- Start date
crumplerJeep
New member
The Ozark Trail coolers are the same as the Perma-Chill line from Gander mountain.
They are also the same as the Bayou Classics: http://www.thebayou.com/#!coolers/c209c
Gander link here: http://www.gandermountain.com/search/PermaChill
Gander sells replacement parts also that of course fit the Ozark too.
Frank
Explorer
I recently picked up a Igloo Sportsman 20qt from Sams Club for $100- over the weekend and it seems to be a very robust cooler. It's a roto-molded design, much like Yeti and claims to hold ice for 10 days. It did a fantastic job on our first weekend outing and cleaned up very nice. It has a lot of really nice built in features like the stainless hinges, super robust handle, and a nice big drain for the water. Not to mention, you are able to sit on it, unlike many other coolers. For $100, its a home run. The 40qt is available for $200- from Sam's Club.
One thing most fail to do is pre-cool the cooler. If you have a cooler stored in your garage and then pull it out and toss a bunch of ice in it, along with your food, now your ice has to also cool the cooler. Coolers are insulators and will insulate heat much like it will the cold. I keep some water bottles in the freezer and will toss them into the cooler the night before I know I will be using it. When I am ready to use the cooler, it's ready to go.
For what its worth, there are claims out there that Yeti and RTIC are one in the same company; YETI is US made and RTIC is made in Thailand. Just about everything is identical between the two.
One thing most fail to do is pre-cool the cooler. If you have a cooler stored in your garage and then pull it out and toss a bunch of ice in it, along with your food, now your ice has to also cool the cooler. Coolers are insulators and will insulate heat much like it will the cold. I keep some water bottles in the freezer and will toss them into the cooler the night before I know I will be using it. When I am ready to use the cooler, it's ready to go.
For what its worth, there are claims out there that Yeti and RTIC are one in the same company; YETI is US made and RTIC is made in Thailand. Just about everything is identical between the two.
I'm pretty sure Yeti is currently in litigation with RTIC over design copying. This tells me they are not the same company. Yeti is also suing Walmart for the Ozark Trail Tumblers and Koozies as they are an exact copy of Yeti's at 1/3rd the price.
I'm thinking that coolers have reached their peak IMHO. For not much more money (name brand ones), you can get an ARB fridge/freezer & never have to worry about ice again. In a marine environment a cooler would have the advantage to be sure (one good swamp & the ARB would probably be done). I just can't see spending $380-$600+ on a cooler, when for $878, you can get a 50 qt ARB. How big of a cooler would it take to equal a 50qt or 82qt ARB, once you factor in all the room the ice would take up ? I pondered this for a while before i took the plunge & bought our ARB's. I have no regrets.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
I just got rid of my ARB fridge after 5 years of faithful service and bought an Ozark Trails 52...
The fridge was great but needed power. Meaning batteries. Meaning tongue weight on my trailer.
I have LED lights that consume almost nothing but that fridge needed two batteries for what we do. And I really wasn't carrying much in the way of perishable food anyhow.
The cooler is much more manageable for us.
SnoViking
Adventurer
I picked up one of the Stanley Adventure 30qt coolers and finally had a chance to use it a bit this past weekend. http://www.stanley-pmi.com/store/stanley/en_US/pd/productID.333521400 So far I like it. I picked mine up at REI (with a 20% off deal) for about $120. I still think $100+ is a lot for a cooler but I needed something with a bit more insulation. I decided on this cooler (and buying it from REI) for 2 reasons; I was tired of buying coolers every 1-2 years and being disappointed and it comes with a lifetime warranty. I don't abuse my gear, but I have seen plastics get brittle and crack, hinges wear out, and latches snap. All of this is covered on the warranty. I also bought it at REI because they provide some serious customer satisfaction guarantees. Despite what some employees say about REI, they do stand by their customers. With the backing of Stanley and REI; I felt a little better about spending $100+ on a plastic box. Ultimately, in the end, I'd like to end up with a fridge/freezer, but that's a much bigger investment both in money and 12V power management. So far the Stanley is treating us well. The only thing I am unsure about is the handles. They are separate parts to the body and are bolted/screwed on. While "solid", they look like if you strapped them down hard they would tear off. I do wish they were one piece with the body. I also added a thermometer probe and readout which helps me keep an eye on the inside temps. I'd recommend the Stanley.
(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L32AG3A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L32AG3A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Joker
Adventurer
Yeti could also sell them for 1/3rd the price they just choose to make more money.
PirateMcGee
Expedition Leader
Finally found one....for $60 at the local coleman outlet store. Bomber cooler for the price.
Ducky's Dad
Explorer
Today only, online at Home Depot's Deal Of The Day, Pelican 45s and 65s.
http://www.homedepot.com/SpecialBuy...&semanticToken=120+++>+++deal+the+day+{rest}+
http://www.homedepot.com/SpecialBuy...&semanticToken=120+++>+++deal+the+day+{rest}+