For those who don’t know, Pelican is an industry leader in tough, dependable cases for storing and protecting everything from camera equipment and laptops to guns and drones. Therefore, the jump to hard-sided coolers was a logical progression. Like the venerable Yeti Roadie above, Pelican’s 20QT Elite here is a lower-capacity option for day trips on the water, strapping to the back of an ATV, and other short outings away from home. Stacked up against the Roadie, the Pelican is $50 cheaper (albeit with slightly less storage) but comes with functional extras like integrated cup holders, easier-to-use latches, and a more robust carry handle.
In addition to wheels, many Coleman coolers come with other special features, including cup holders and easy-to-use two-way handles. On top of some coolers being built for sitting, many of them are built for stacking, making them more easily accessible. Others are explicitly built for keeping your haul on-ice during a fishing trip. While most Coleman hard coolers are built with nothing more than handles, possibly making them hard to handle for one person, it also offers a few models equipped with wheels and built for rolling.
Having a cooler small enough to fit underneath the benches meant it would stay more chilled being tucked away and not take up precious living space in the van. A. There are wheeled versions of the Xtreme 5, but the one I tested did not have wheels. If that’s an important feature to you, check carefully when you place your order. The 70-liter capacity is enough room for food and drinks for several people.
The Coleman Xtreme is a non-rotomolded cooler with a single pair of end handles and an internal height that fits most wine bottles or 2L sodas. It features an integrated fishing ruler and four cupholders in the lid. Beach, lake, backyard or tailgate—bring the party in comfort with our Southern Comfort Coleman Cooler. Since dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide, it passes directly from a solid to a gaseous state, meaning no water to deal with as it melts.
Coleman soft coolers come in various shades, from drab green to red, black and silver. Coleman makes coolers available in every size you could need, from as large as 120 quarts of packing capacity to as small as a 5-quart personal cooler and a wide range in between. There are coolers fit to take on a day trip to the beach with the family, on a fishing excursion, hosting a small backyard party or even handing out cold cans to the neighborhood at a block party. Now let’s compare that to most of the newer cooler designs on models like Yeti, RTIC, Orca, Cabela’s or Frosted Frog that have rubber T-shaped handles you have to stretch to secure the lid. I asked three other adults to secure these handles and out of the four of us, two were successful, one unsuccessful and the last successful only after an excessive amount of struggling.
As we prefaced above, if your cooler must-haves include easy mobility, large capacity, and maximum ice retention, it’s best to consider a rolling hard-sided model. Downsides are even more weight (the RovR and Igloo weigh around lb.), bulk, and cost. Additionally, these wheeled beasts still struggle over rough terrain and may require carrying if you don’t have a defined path to follow. But for camping, days at the beach, or even tailgating, a rolling cooler can be a solid choice. For a full look at options, see our round-up of the best wheeled coolers. If you are looking for maximum cooling power, premium rotomolded coolers from brands like Yeti, RTIC, and Orca are the clear leaders in keeping ice cold for long stretches.
Performance is important, but design matters, too — and sometimes, it’s a deal-breaker. Oh, and if you’ll be spending lots of time camping in a place where bears are a concern, then you’ll probably want to invest in a bear-resistant cooler. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee keeps a running list coleman camping chair of certified options, which includes a number of coolers from this rundown. Several models I’ve tested from Cabela’s, Orca, Rovr, Magellan Outdoors and Yeti all make the cut. That’s all well and good, but I worried that a standard ice retention test on its own wouldn’t tell us the whole story.
While this metric is where the Coleman Xtreme performed best, it’s not without its downfalls. Additionally, the handles aren’t wide enough for two hands (if you grab a friend to help you lug it) nor reliable enough for heavy loads. The handle and wheels makes travel simple and easy to your destination. Coolers are undoubtedly expensive, but having a generous warranty can help ease some of the buying anxiety.
I wanted a cooler that would serve as my “mini fridge” that I could also easily store away. When it comes to van life without a fridge, the cooler you use can have a big impact on your van life meals. I’ll be comparing two of the biggest names – a Coleman vs coleman instant tent YETI cooler. That’s a lot easier to stomach than some of the trendy high-dollar coolers out there. It would be nice if I could just buy the best products available with no questions asked, but my bank account’s balance doesn’t have enough commas for that.