Hunting Cooler

[Jamesonm]

Looking at purchasing a 'hunting' cooler than I can use haul a deer or bear (probably not elk as that will be quite large).

Looking for members to share their experiences with:
- BRANDS
- SIZES
- DEALS and PRICES

Is it worth the money to shell out $500 for a solid cooler that will last a lifetime? Or are the expensive coolers gimmicks, in it that they are catering to a targeted crowd and taking advantage of people and their money - you and up paying for the name tag and a decent no name cooler will do a similar job.

Hoping to be able to keep ice for 5 days or so. Research suggests nothing smaller than 65 quart.

Thanks in advance.

[PressurePoint]

Yeti makes some amazing products but you will fork out the cash for it. They will last forever! Cabelas makes a Yeti style cooler that mimics Yeti that I have heard lots of positive things about. Regarding size, the bigger the better. Get the largest you can afford. Better to have too much room than not enough. Now that being said, I only really use my coolers for salmon and seafood fishing. The key is to keep them out of sunlight and I even wrap a old blanket around my coolers and never have had any issues on 2 week plus hunts.

spend the xtra cash and get a big yeti or cabelas and they will def keep items frozen.

[PressurePoint]

https://www.yeti.com/en_CA/hard-coolers/tundra-250-cooler/70000000028.html#prefn1=capacity&prefmin1=181&prefmax1=181&start=1

this is amazing.... but hard to fork out $1199 plus tax.

[Jamesonm]

Thanks Pressure Point -- Not sure I can justify spending more than $500.

[Osprey87]

Coleman extreme cooler series, they hold there own against top brands and usually fall just shy of yetis in comparison cost at 1/3rd the price. I have a 110quart that I filled full of commercial crushed iced that last 12 days last September and that's with a large muley being iced down

[porthunter]

I picked up a Yeti 160 about a month ago, atmosphere had all Yeti onsale for 25% off, so it worked out to be about $670.

I love it. Have already put a bear in it and had tons of room. I am pretty confident I could get an entire deboned elk in there.

Bought it originally for an upcoming sheep hunt and pretty confident I could fit 2 in there if needed.

[russm86]

Pelican elite coolers are my suggestion. Better/easier latches than yeti rubber bungees. Super tough. Cheaper and more features than yeti. Hold ice as long or longer than the Yeti in independent tests. I've got a 70L pelican elite and 20/30L (? can't recall size) yeti and prefer the pelican. Next time I see the pelicans on sale I will get a bigger one for longer trips etc.

[604ksmith]

I agree with Osprey87.

I have two Coleman Extreme Marine 150 quart coolers and they're well worth the $220 I paid for each.

I personally can't justify buying other fancy coolers. Both due to price, and their weight/size restrictions. I also don't buy into the fact that some of the fancy rotomolded coolers claim to be bear proof.

The Coleman Extreme Marine series easily hold ice for 5-7 days in Okanagan early season, and I've made a "cooler cover" out of silver Home Depot reflectix that goes over all but the bottom and when doing that, ice will stay in the cooler when it sits under my truck canopy for up to 9 days.

[lowball]

Pelican elite coolers are my suggestion. Better/easier latches than yeti rubber bungees. Super tough. Cheaper and more features than yeti. Hold ice as long or longer than the Yeti in independent tests. I've got a 70L pelican elite and 20/30L (? can't recall size) yeti and prefer the pelican. Next time I see the pelicans on sale I will get a bigger one for longer trips etc.
That is good advice, as they are good coolers.

[Sharpish]

I've wanted a Yeti style roto-molded for quite some time but I could never bring myself to pay the $500++ for a cooler that is 50 or 60 quarts. JUST bought a "Frigidaire" 70 quart from walmart.ca for $248. That's a price I can stomach. Supposed to arrive today, I will post up my first impressions.

[RyoTHC]

Buy once cry once.

wont you feel silly when you spend 300$ and it’s garbage after a season or two...

running a 65 and 75 yeti, wouldn’t consider anything else .. sure lots of people will come on here suggesting other brands but 99 percent of the time they just are too cheap to buy a yeti... you won’t find anyone who owns yeti telling you to buy cheaper coolers but always people who don’t own them telling you not to spend the money... think about it.

[604ksmith]

Buy once cry once.

wont you feel silly when you spend 300$ and it’s garbage after a season or two...

running a 65 and 75 yeti, wouldn’t consider anything else .. sure lots of people will come on here suggesting other brands but 99 percent of the time they just are too cheap to buy a yeti... you won’t find anyone who owns yeti telling you to buy cheaper coolers but always people who don’t own them telling you not to spend the money... think about it.

Not sure I agree with that.

I'm a gear nut who has full Swaro optics, enough Kuiu gear to fill a closet or two, and I just can't see the value in Yeti coolers. They make a great coffee mug for $65 but when it comes to coolers if mine hold ice that's all I want. I use my gear, but treat it fairly well and my Coleman Marine Extreme's have been nothing but outstanding.

To each his own, but rotomold coolers aren't the only useable piece of gear.

[139grainsofhell]

Picked up a cabelas brand while they were on sale beers are still cold and a little bit of ice left from may long,best cooler I've ever bought.and better than the yeti for cheaper if you watch some of the you tube tests. 80 quart tonnes of room.

[bighornbob]

At the end of the day they are all plastic with about two inches of spray foam in between the plastic layers. Sure Yeti (great coolers) was the first but a lot of coolers are basically making the same thing now. Yeti was actually started by two guys then they got into a fight and went their own ways. One guy kept Yeti and the second started R-tic coolers (I think thats what they are called). Basically the same thing as a yeti but half the price. Can only buy these direct like KUIU gear so that why they are cheaper. The cabelas coolers are the same too and actually beat out yeti in a few ice challenge tests (Youtube it, lots of tests on there).

I think Coleman has gotten into the the Roto molded cooler game too. So there are a few options out there.

I know a guy that took a old Coleman cooler (the ones we all grew up on) and drilled a few holes in the lid of his and filled it with spray foam. The lids are hollow and that where you lose all the cold. Once he spray foamed it, he said he went from holding ice for only one day to over three days.

BHB

[exv]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rswWGr6OXzo&t=336s

some good points regarding transporting bone in game with cooler. I went freezer and generator for my camp. Found a compact square freezer on kijiji and already had a suit case generator ... can be had alot cheaper that a high end cooler.

[RyoTHC]

Not sure I agree with that.

I'm a gear nut who has full Swaro optics, enough Kuiu gear to fill a closet or two, and I just can't see the value in Yeti coolers. They make a great coffee mug for $65 but when it comes to coolers if mine hold ice that's all I want. I use my gear, but treat it fairly well and my Coleman Marine Extreme's have been nothing but outstanding.

To each his own, but rotomold coolers aren't the only useable piece of gear.


durability is all I have to say. You *may* take good care of your gear, but accidents happen then your two piece cooler is garbage and you’re shopping again.

notice all those other brands you mentioned have amazing warranties ?

[Harvest the Land]

Like most have said, buy once cry once. Yeti's seem like they're indestructible, and will keep ice for a really long time. There's a few other roto molded cooler manufacturers that look like they make decent heavy duty long lasting coolers too but I have no experience with them. I also have a giant Igloo cooler that's not a roto mold but it holds a shit load of meat/bones and easily keeps ice frozen for a week. Bottom line is all the really good coolers are pretty expensive and that's just the reality. Look on Craigslist and Kijiji for some good deals. Good luck

[wideopenthrottle]

to repair those plastic hinges that break, i have unscrewed them and put a piece of leather (or other thin strong layer) cut to shape screwed back into place to make it work as a hinge again

[lowball]

Buy once cry once.

wont you feel silly when you spend 300$ and it’s garbage after a season or two...

running a 65 and 75 yeti, wouldn’t consider anything else .. sure lots of people will come on here suggesting other brands but 99 percent of the time they just are too cheap to buy a yeti... you won’t find anyone who owns yeti telling you to buy cheaper coolers but always people who don’t own them telling you not to spend the money... think about it.

I have a Pelican and a Yeti. If I ever need a third I would probably buy another Pelican. And I have thought about it. LOL

[srthomas75]

in the usa the walmart brand is Ozark? that is comparable to the yeti. my brother had one last summer that I was impressed with. I was shocked at how heavy and small the interior is on the rotomolded coolers though.

[jamfarm]

I do the same as EVX mentioned for longer hunting trips. Small chest freezer with a digital controller to make it into a fridge and a portable generator. Keeps the meat at 3-4 degrees.

i would be concerned about bacteria in cooler with ice after many days, wouldn’t there be a lot of moisture?

[Firstblood]

Coolers, chilli bins, beer lockers, oh the debate goes on. Yeti founded themselves on being american made quality products....then moved all production to china and kept the price the same. There are many roto molded coolers on the market that will keep ice for 7-9 days. I have a Titan 55qt roto molded cooler, it keeps block ice for 8 days is grizzly bear proof and tested and half the price of a yeti but made in the same city in China. Titan (costco and others), and Ozark trails (walmart USA) coolers are made by arctic zone coolers who produces them. Arctic zone is a Canadian company in Toronto, so they got that going for them. As for the decision, thats up to you, I have yeti coffee cups, both given to me and they are garbage in every way shape and form, so I don't like yeti, I have a Titan becuase it works great and I keep it in my boat all summer now. Id say watch some youtube comparisons and look around for what you can find locally and what fits you best. Basically all the roto molded coolers are the same for keeping things cold except for outside handles and what not, yeti just charges more. https://arcticzone.com/products/titan-55q-ice-chest-roto-cooler

[whitlers]

Coleman extreme cooler series, they hold there own against top brands and usually fall just shy of yetis in comparison cost at 1/3rd the price. I have a 110quart that I filled full of commercial crushed iced that last 12 days last September and that's with a large muley being iced down

This ^ best bang for the buck and keeps ice just as long.

[Jamesonm]

Thanks everyone for the insight and recommendations. I'm going to do some internet sleuthing and see what I can come up with.

Cheers!

[jlirot]

I like my RTIC - Yeti knock off. But, as someone else said - it's heavy as shit. The portable fridge/freezers are really coming down in price. My truck has a 120v outlet in the bed and I think that next cooler will be one of these: http://csiaccessories.com/products/W52

About 450 US$.

[Ubertuber]

Yeti were the go-to for extreme coolers when they first came out, but there are several makers of similar products now that perform just as good for a lot less cash. By all means buy a Yeti if you want, but don't think you're getting a far superior cooler, you're getting a name, that's it.
I like the idea of a portable fridge/freezer like jlirot posted. A buddy has a similar one on his sailboat and it works very well. It's big enough for a boned out deer or bear and only cost a bit more than a decent cooler.

[hawk-i]

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71CaJ6s-UNL._SL300_.jpgthis
https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/8390/8390027_sd.jpgand this! :)

[Treed]

Take a look at Icey Tek. It’s the Aussie version of Yeti - just as good but about 30%-40% less (you pay a lot for the Yeti name). I got a 120 litre one for $400. Awesome cooler. I freeze bottles of water, pre-cool my cooler, and after six days, there is still about 30-40% ice in the bottles, in mid-summer. Tough coolers. I have it for about 3 years. So glad I didn’t get a Yeti.

[Jamesonm]

Walmart has the Coleman Xtreme Marine 120 quart for $138 (regular $180). Seems to be the best deal I've been able to find on them. For that price I will give them a chance!

[jackson13]

I looked into big coolers and found Pelican to have better reviews than Yeti and they are cheaper. Big and heavy though but it keeps ice and items frozen for days and days.

[Blockcaver]

A 5 cu ft freezer is 150 quarts. Mine cost $180 at COSTCO and I already had the Honda EU2000 generator. Works like a champ to put a deer or bear, bone-in quarters, especially when the weather is hot and there is no source of ice around.

[Jamesonm]

Yeah that's a great idea. My father in law has a spare gen I will pick up this weekend.

[Citori54]

A 5 cu ft freezer is 150 quarts. Mine cost $180 at COSTCO and I already had the Honda EU2000 generator. Works like a champ to put a deer or bear, bone-in quarters, especially when the weather is hot and there is no source of ice around.

Those small freezers work great. A few times we have taken a larger freezer to run off the generator. It was nice to have the extra space but a pig to move around compared to the 5 cu ft.

[hawk-i]

Those small freezers work great. A few times we have taken a larger freezer to run off the generator. It was nice to have the extra space but a pig to move around compared to the 5 cu ft.

I'm not sure what size my freezer is but its about 5ft wide so maybe like 7 cu/ft or so. It goes in the front of my enclosed cargo trailer and the SXS goes at the back. In between my tree stand and other gear goes. I use it (the trailer)as my change room for hunting gear...that way the camper stays a lot cleaner and more organized...:)
Generator is a Honda EU2000....best set up I've had to date. Can stay out for extended periods of time and not worry about meat spoilage :)

[338win mag]

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71CaJ6s-UNL._SL300_.jpgthis
https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/8390/8390027_sd.jpgand this! :)
This is it^^^^^

[alpinedust]

Using a gen+ freezer freezes the quarters I'm assuming? Or can you set the freezer to not freezing temps so the sections just stay cool?

[deltawaterfowler]

I have two Pelican Elite 50QT coolers that I use. Buy once, never cry. They have a LIFETIME warranty.

If anything ever goes wrong with them, return them no questions asked you'll get a full replacement, or replacement part if needed (only exception is the freezer gaskets, those have a 1 year warranty, but are easily and cheaply replaceable).

Everything about the Pelican cooler is better than the Yeti counterpart in my mind. The Pelican has a tougher design with real latches that are solid and won't ever be a problem. The cooler has molded in tie towns that allow you to have your gear tied down and yet you can still open the cooler (great feature). It also has holes with a steel collar to accommodate pad locks for your cooler (which I use for bears, but to also keep my kids from constantly opening things when camping). The lid has four built in drink holders, which also makes the coolers stack able as the drink holders are matched to fit the four rubber feet on the bottom of the cooler (which keeps your cooler from sliding around if on a slick surface, like your boat, another great feature). The lid also has a molded in ruler to measure your catch.

Ice retention is really where it's at for this cooler. 7 to 10 days later, you've still got COLD water and ICE even in the full heat of the summer. My brother bought the same size Yeti for his family and side by side, my cooler comes home still cold with plenty of ice and his Yeti comes home cold but generally without ice over the course of a 3 or 4 day camp. Buy the size that fits you and don't look back... The Yeti's in the same or comparable size are typically more money (about a hundred dollars more for the same size) and I think are a lesser product for your hard earned money.

[jamfarm]

Using a gen+ freezer freezes the quarters I'm assuming? Or can you set the freezer to not freezing temps so the sections just stay cool?

I just got my freezer off of craigslist then I removed the thermostat and installed a Ranco temperature controller so I can keep the temperature of the freezer at about 3-4º

[Blockcaver]

As per the freezing of the meat question...I run the freezer long enough to get the meat starting to get firm but not frozen solid, then shut the freezer off. Putting the meat in plastic bags at the point it goes into the freezer (remove the game bags) will ensure you can extract quarters later when you are ready to cut it up without them being frozen together).

When traveling home for 3 warm days in August from the NWT thru the Yukon to southern BC with a Dall sheep meat and cape in the freezer, I ran the generator about 3 to 4 hours per day after the initial 5 hour burst to firm up the meat. Worked great...a Yeti wouldn't have as I was almost a day away from an ice source, and my truck had been parked at a remote air strip for 13 days prior to putting the sheep in the freezer.

Last August I came back to BC from California with an elk I'd processed boneless and vacuum sealed (took a cutting board and vacuum sealer with me) except for the burger meat that I bagged in large ziplocks to grind at home. I started the trip home with the meat frozen solid and when I got back 2 days later, it was still frozen solid despite 35*C temps during the day. I had the generator but never had to start it on the trip home. The boneless packaged Tule elk pretty well filled the 5 cubic foot freezer. They are sized between a very large mule deer and a regular Rocky elk. In this case a Yeti would have worked equally well, except I needed the freezer to to freeze the meat to start with. Anyway, I find a freezer/generator very useful, as are the variety of coolers we use.

[Jamesonm]

That's a great post, thank you. I have an outlet in the back of my Tacoma and based on your timing running the freezer this seems very easy to accomplish without a little gen.

[alpinedust]

Awesome thanks for heads up

[walker1985]

I just picked up a 65 quart "lifetime" cooler from Costco for $160 cad. I haven't tried it out yet but for that price and with their return policy I couldn't pass up trying it. I just hope it holds up.... Fingers crossed

[Ohwildwon]

Here is a link to a previous post on coolers... Check out post #9



http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?139391-Badass-coolers&highlight=coolers+hunting (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?139391-Badass-coolers&highlight=coolers+hunting)

[albravo2]

Not sure I agree with that.

I'm a gear nut who has full Swaro optics, enough Kuiu gear to fill a closet or two, and I just can't see the value in Yeti coolers. They make a great coffee mug for $65 but when it comes to coolers if mine hold ice that's all I want. I use my gear, but treat it fairly well and my Coleman Marine Extreme's have been nothing but outstanding.

To each his own, but rotomold coolers aren't the only useable piece of gear.

My sentiments exactly. I might feel different hunting elk in New Mexico but I'm more used to spending effort to keep things warm on my hunts.

Costco has a nice medium sized rotomolded cooler right now but I couldn't convince myself to spend the $160. I "need" a lot of hunting gear, but a roto cooler isn't on the list.

[Gateholio]

Nechako was having a sale on Calcutta coolers. I've got a large one (100L IIRC) and it's great. As good as a Yeti but a little more affordable. Mine has an interior light, too. Helpful identifying the cans of beer from the cans of club soda!

[pudi]

I just put a chest freezer in the back of the truck and fill it with ice. lol. $50 on craigslist and bigger than any cooler you can buy.

[Curtis84]

I have yeti and pelican and I prefer pelican. Pelican also wins tests on YouTube.