For a limited time at Walmart, you can get your Ozark Trail 24-Can Soft Cooler Tote for just $8.88! Shipping is free with Walmart+ membership or on orders over $35, you can also opt for free store pickup where available. It’s not as expensive but it’s also not as good both in terms of build quality and performance.
Also, the stainless steel hardware and orange accents on the latches and handles look very sharp. We hope that in the future, Ozark Trail decides to expand on the color choices and perhaps have some customization options as well. We are impressed with the lineup of features you get to enjoy here. They include things such as non-skid feed, internal wire basket, fish ruler, and comfort-grip handles.
It doesn’t have a drain plug so emptying it of water can be a hassle. A vapor lock can form that requires you to open the drain plug to open the lid. If you are lucky and receive a model that has the quality issues discussed above ironed out, Ozark Trail Coolers are one of the best bargains in the industry right now. It is also worth mentioning that all of the metal components you will find are comprised of quality stainless steel. This helps to minimize the change of corrosion or breaking, even after many years of use.
These are perfect for sticking your cell phone, keys, wallet, or anything else that you don’t want to get potentially cold and/or wet in the insulated area. To start with, you will find an oversized drain that makes short work of any melted ice that is inside. The threaded drain can easily be removed and will be held in place thanks to the mounted chain it is on. The next essential piece to a cooler that can hold ice for long periods is a thick rubber gasket. Sure enough, Ozark Trail has sourced a freezer-grade gasket that is eerily similar to what you will find on much more expensive coolers on the market. Depending on what you’re using the cooler for, the leaky drain spout might not be a big deal.
Cooler’s have become somewhat of a status symbol in the outdoors and many equate the bigger brands with better quality. A higher price tag should mean a higher quality product, right? No, that is not always the case and any outdoorsmen, gear junkie, or general abuser of products will tell you the same thing. Every so often a brand will fly under the radar producing products that are not only a great value but also great quality as well.
The ice melted in the Coleman in 39 hours and the Ozark Trail in 73 hours. The water turned warm in both coolers fairly quickly after the ice melted. As soon as we realized the Ozark Trail was not going to work I got online and ordered an RTIC. RTIC Coolers can only be purchased from their website, which is why they say their price point is much lower than YETI. I made this purchase nine weeks prior to our vacation and the cooler is scheduled to arrive only days before we leave. That’s a little closer than I’d like but we need a better cooler.
However, the build quality and durability is not comparable to Yeti and Ozark Trail coolers come with no warranty. The hard coolers from this brand are built to be on par with the most premium brands. Ozark Trail’s lineup of soft coolers tries to adhere to their “affordability first” approach. This includes simple lunch boxes and tiers up to premium totes and cooler backpacks.
The tote and cooler backpack look much more progressive but are limited to just one color choice. We would welcome some additional color choices and perhaps ozark trail canopy a slight facelift to the more plain-looking models in the future. Our favorite feature of the Ozark Trail Soft Coolers is their additional storage options.
You will find an overhead stainless steel handle with a comfort grip on the 26-quart model and the 52/73-quart models will come with heavy-duty side handles with comfort grips. Ozark Trail’s soft-sided coolers have gone through quite a bit of variation over the past couple of years. Many of their models have undergone facelifts and new sizes of soft-sided coolers have also been introduced to the market. This model also contains a wire basket, four cup holders, and easy-open latches.