Premium Cooler Suggestions
Contributors to this thread:Community
From: RudyRifle
09-Apr-17
Hello all, I am generally new to the whole forum world so please do not shame me all at once. I am currently on the hunt for a new cooler that will retain ice, drinks, and or product for extended periods of time. A buddy of mine told me that the brand Yeti was the way to go, but I am a little hesitant because of the price. Does anyone have any knowledge about Yeti, and if is really worth the price? If not, do you guys recommend any other cooler brands that are cheaper and or better?
From: Mike the Carpenter
09-Apr-17
Go to Rtic.com and check into their coolers. I bought the hard sided 65 and soft 30 when they had their liquidation sale earlier this year. They lost a lawsuit from Yeti and now have to redesign their coolers. Price will still be MUCH lower than a Yeti.
I also have a 45 Grizzly and couldn't be happier with any of the 3. My Grizzly cooler kept ice for 9 days at Moose camp in 2015. I became a believer right after that hunt.
From: kentuckbowhnter
09-Apr-17
Rtic. i got four of them and a couple yetis. i wish i had not bought the yetis. rtic just as good half the price.
From: Mike the Carpenter
09-Apr-17
No offense taken.
I work hard for my money and spend it wisely, so that it goes farther.
If Rtic can do it for 1/2 the price as Yeti (profitably), then in my opinion, Yeti's are over priced.
From: RudyRifle
09-Apr-17
Pig Doc, I know that Rtic was sued by Yeti for many many patent infringements, but I can't help but be drawn by that price tag. I've been looking into the matter a bit further online and a ton of articles like this one here are pretty much saying what Kentuck and Mike have said. It looks like I'll be going with the Rtic even though sizing seems to be a bit limited. Anyone know where to find a good deal on these? I've checked my local craigslist and couldn't find anything.
From: RudyRifle
09-Apr-17
Pig Doc, I know that Rtic was sued by Yeti for many many patent infringements, but I can't help but be drawn by that price tag. I've been looking into the matter a bit further online and a ton of articles like this one here are pretty much saying what Kentuck and Mike have said. It looks like I'll be going with the Rtic even though sizing seems to be a bit limited. Anyone know where to find a good deal on these? I've checked my local craigslist and couldn't find anything.
From: RudyRifle
09-Apr-17
Oops... Did not mean to post that twice, sorry about that still new to the whole forum thing
From: WV Mountaineer
10-Apr-17
FWIW, you might ought to go to You Tube and look at the numerous video's showing which brand holds ice longer. I've watched about a half dozen of them and it has never shown the premium coolers to be more efficient than the Coleman Extreme as far as cooling goes. Where they are superior is in their design for longevity. If you have kids or use them a lot, the premium bands probably offer you a better deal as they will simply way out last a cheaper cooler for frequent use. Opening a cooler takes a toll on the plastic door hinges cheaper models come with. As far as throwing them around and such, I know which one will last longer but, no one treats there stuff like that so, it doesn't need stated.
I told you this to help you make the best decision. I'm not jockeying for best brand or what you should buy. A lot of guys who buy these expensive coolers get worked up over these facts. But, the number of test that prove the ice holding capabilities are simply not superior in the higher end coolers are so numerous it's impossible to deny it. So, buy based on intended use if you are basing it on performance. God Bless
From: RudyRifle
10-Apr-17
Hey thanks for the tip. I've been through so many of those Coleman coolers at this point that I'm looking to take the plunge and invest in the best. I'm not necessarily looking for cooling speed, just ice longevity and durability cause my outings tend to last a few days at a time.
From: sportoutfitter
10-Apr-17
If your looking for durability, check out the Pelican. About the same price as the Yeti but built much tougher. Strong and held ice for 9 days on a canoe trip last year. Worth the $$ to me for that alone.
From: dm/wolfskin
10-Apr-17
Patents are overrated.
From: Gray Ghost
10-Apr-17
2 weeks ago, we did our own cooler comparison down in the Everglades of Florida. We had one Yeti and 3 cheaper Coleman style coolers on the boat. All were filled with ice for 4 full days on the water.
The Yeti out-performed the other coolers by a LONG shot. It also doubled as a casting platform on the bow of the boat, which the cheaper coolers wouldn't have held up to.
I don't have any experience with the knock-offs, but I'm a believer in Yeti.
Matt
From: kentuckbowhnter
10-Apr-17
forgot to mention i have an orion 85 too and it is not nearly as well made as the rtics.
From: Scar Finga
10-Apr-17
I have Grizzly, and they are as good or better than YETI... I have heard great thing about Rtic and would buy them if I had to do it over again... Cheaper price, great quality.
Scar.
From: Fulldraw1972
10-Apr-17
The nice thing about Rtic coolers is there true to size compared to a Yeti. I have heard the design change on the new Rtic coolers is a cosmetic change is all.
From: Shuteye
10-Apr-17
Go to Cabelas and look at them all side by side and compare prices. Our local Cabelas has several brands, Yeti and the rest. Huge price differences. My Big Frig coffee tumbler keeps ice just as long as the real expensive tumblers and keeps coffee hot just as long. We have tried them side by side. Sometimes price isn't the determining factor. Sam's Club even has some of the coolers but even the cheap ones are very expensive.
From: Straight —» Arrow
10-Apr-17
I do not find them practical in terms of overall size vs. what they hold inside.
From: Chief 419
10-Apr-17
The Pelican ice chest's are worth looking into. They're built well as with any other Pelican product and about half the price of a Yeti.
From: Brotsky
10-Apr-17
RTIC. I have a 65 hard sided and a 30 soft sided. Both are excellent.
From: RudyRifle
20-Apr-17
Final update: I have chosen to go with one of the "best cheap coolers" as they call it - AKA The Rtic. Read about those chinese coolers breaking so easily that I'm gonna have to stick to my guns and go American on this one.
From: Mike the Carpenter
20-Apr-17
Smart decision to go with Rtic, but they are made in China.
From: Joey Ward
20-Apr-17
Two things...........1) RTIC website shows all coolers "out of stock".
2) Website also says coolers are made in China.
???
From: Scrappy
20-Apr-17
All these so called magic coolers are just like scentloc and scent blocker stuff. It's all about marketing, we hunters are so damn gullible. Hunter's could be sold a shiny turd if it's marketed right.
From: JLS
20-Apr-17
You can greatly extend the life of traditional/cheap coolers by replacing the hinges and latches with pieces of split garden hose and pan head sheet metal screws.
From: OkieJ
20-Apr-17
Pelican and Grizzly have lifetime warranty, yeti has a 5 year.
Pelican has been around a long time.
From: Hunting5555
20-Apr-17
I don't own any of them, don't have a reason to, but I saw a bumper sticker on a truck during the whole "Yeti Craze" that made me crack up.
"Nothing says more money than brains better than owning a Yeti cooler!"
From: Sage Buffalo
20-Apr-17
The high-end coolers were made for offshore fishing where cheap lightweight coolers aren't durable enough (and dangerous because they get tossed around).
Most guys don't need these coolers but want them because they are awesome. There are many much cheaper coolers that would work for most situations. Then again overkill can be fun.
As far as patent breakers - these are the scum of the earth. I guarantee you that Yeti now gets a % of each of their sales.
From: Shuteye
21-Apr-17
I agree that most people don't need these high end coolers. But they are head and shoulders better than normal coolers. They actually do keep ice for days and if you are traveling across country they really come in handy. When my son is here and heading back to Florida, we put frozen deer meat in a normal, good, cooler and add dry ice. It makes it to Florida, still frozen, but the dry ice cost a lot.
From: JLS
21-Apr-17
Orion makes great coolers too, and they are a sponsor of Randy Newberg's shows.
From: Don K
22-Apr-17
"Hunter's could be sold a shiny turd if it's marketed right." Thanks for the laugh!! And truth.....
From: ben h
22-Apr-17
I scored one of the Rtic's, before they got shut down by an apparent law suit with Yeti. I have 2 other Yeti's that we bought at a significant discount from a buddy who had a hookup. I'm not sure I'd buy Yeti at retail, but they are really nice coolers. We bought our coolers at a time when we were working remotely and used these coolers every week for several years getting tossed in the truck with a bunch of tools. We started out using cheaper coolers and quickly discovered we're going to be buying a lot of coolers if we didn't upgrade.
The Rtic we just bought because we wanted to turn it into the backseat of our river dory to give us more room. Turned out pretty good.
