As committed cooler enthusiasts know, the type of ice you use heavily impacts how much you’re able to store and how long it stays cold. Crushed ice is the most readily available—you can find it at most gas stations and supermarkets for fairly cheap. The major draw is that it easily fills the gaps between your food and beverages, cooling them quickly and efficiently. However, crushed ice is also the fastest to melt and you’ll likely need to replace it fairly frequently. Blocks of ice, on the other hand, take much longer to melt than crushed ice.
Whether you’re heading out on a multi-day adventure or just want to keep your snacks cold during a day trip, the Cabela’s Polar Cap cooler is an excellent choice for all your cooling needs. For those who plan to carry or move their cooler with any regularity, weight should be an important consideration. Even when empty, hard-sided options weigh anywhere from pounds for low-capacity models up to 50+ pounds for premium designs with 75+ quarts of storage. Once loaded down with ice, food, and beverages, that number skyrockets. And despite including carry handles, they’re simply too hefty to travel with for long distances.
The Coleman Xtreme features replaceable hardware, whereas some of the company’s cheaper models don’t. This is an important detail because the first thing that will wear out on a cooler is either a hinge or a handle, and having affordable replacements means a cheap repair rather than a brand-new purchase. At the moment, you can buy Coleman’s replacement hinges and replacement handles for less than $10 each. It’s also worth noting that the Coleman 316 Series Insulated Portable Cooler has also earned high praise from Yeti cooler loyalists. One impressed shopper said that it kept their food “nice and cold” on a camping trip and noted that the “Coleman kept up pretty well” with the Yeti cooler they also packed.
All that said, if you just need a reliable cooler for days at the beach or packing a lunch on the road, it’s probably a good idea to save your cash. But if you consistently head outside for days at a time, the investment is well worth it. Rotomolded coolers like Yeti’s Tundra above are made out of a single piece of continuous plastic, which is great for durability but means they typically lack built-in features and mounting locations. Tack on a price that undercuts the similarly sized Tundra 65 above by a considerable $135, and the Xspec stands out as a very well-rounded design at a great value. This makes it more comfortable to carry but also frequently positions the handle in a way where it inhibits opening the lid.
The washer you used should be okay for the wort chiller and the hot water tank though, just replace them if they start to show signs of corrosion. In this instructable, I will show how I installed a ball valve on a Coleman cooler.A cooler with a valve installed is the first step in building various equipment for homebrewing beer. Once the valve is on, this cooler can be made into a mash tun or a wort chiller. No matter if you are looking for a marine cooler, a beach cooler, a pool cooler, a hunting cooler, or any other application you could think of, Coleman has a product for you. Each of these products is designed around its particular application, so you know Coleman is looking out for your best interest. Remember, storage volume that you can’t use is just extra weight and storage consideration you’ll have to deal with!
We like the recent upgrades that Coleman has done on their Marine Coolers. This is particularly true in the Offshore Pro Series which cranks up the ice life and toughness. Also, many of the weak hinge issues they suffered from in the past have been corrected. Outside of the somewhat weak handles, these are solid-performing ocean-friendly ice chests that can be had at a reasonable price.
Yeti is one of the most recognized names in the game for a good reason. The Tundra 65 boasts one of the most impressive performances out of any cooler we tested. Through numerous rounds of our intensive insulation testing, the Tundra 65 continued to outlast most others in keeping contents at safe temperatures for consumption. This is one of many chests we tested with a bear-resistance coleman sundome certification from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC). It also comes with a removable dry basket inside the top to keep sensitive items out of melty ice water and can be outfitted with loads more accessories for all kinds of activities. The Tundra 65 is a reasonable weight for its size, and its low profile makes the last beverage easy to find.