Looking to add a 40-50qt cooler soon. What is the best bang, for the buck? Orion looks great, but costs and arm and leg. Same with Yeti. Has any one tried the RTIC coolers? Thoughts? Will be used mainly for car camping.
Coolers
I shopped around a couple months ago and chose a 45 quart from Pelican. Believe I got it through Overstock.com. Much less expensive that Yeti, Grizzly and the like.
In addition to the attractive price it doesn’t have the bungees to secure the lid like all the others. Rubber will eventually weather and fail. The Pelican is also made in the US.
RTIC is making a splash now on social media but I’m not interested in propping up another cheap Chinese manufacturer.
Polar Bear
I went soft - 24 pack Polar Bear with the flat ice packs and plastic liners – works great. I freeze just about everything that goes into it – including cans of beer. If you don’t open it too much, the stuff stays frozen for days. Holds a lot, but still small enough to fit in the boat
http://www.polarbearcoolers.com/product/24-pack.html
DIY
talk abt bang for your buck…
Check the R values* of megabucks coolers
vs a cardboard/fiber/walmart vinyl storage box 6 sided with HomeD foam .
in vehicle ? tuck a sleeping bag over foamed box.
Boxes condense atmosphere water vapor…it boxes weep.
calc available online.
Prob get a quantifiable reading on cooling from 10 pounds ice
in the megabucks cooler
vs the DIY
I see 2.5 days from a 1" slab foamed n bagged Wal cooler at 80/70 degrees vs 1+ day unfoamed.
Had a cardboard 2" foam cooler with dry ice good for weekend hot dogs n eggs at 80/90
*replaceable