Best Cooler for Multi Day Camping...

[Kraken23]

Any recommendations for the best affordable cooler for multi day camping. I dont want to spend hundreds of dollars if I dont have too and I also dont want to get one of the electric ones just yet. Would love to hear what everyone is using.

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[13MikeH]

I've used some of the newer igloo rated for 72 hours. Really the key is ice, and keep it closed as much as possible. Helps to make some gallon milk jug ice blocks. They last longer than just cubes
Also if it's going to be hot I wrap my cooler in a military wool blanket for added insulation. I'm not one to spend $900 on a yeti/flavor of the day COOL-ER

 

[PaulOinMA]

I have several restaurant supply places bookmarked on my laptop. Will post tomorrow. Search outdoor cooler. High quality commercial product for a fraction of the cost of Yeti.

 

[PaulOinMA]

For example, search Outdoor Cooler here. Webstaurantstore.com

 

[Bluejaye]

Any recommendations for the best affordable cooler for multi day camping. I dont want to spend hundreds of dollars if I dont have too and I also dont want to get one of the electric ones just yet. Would love to hear what everyone is using.

Coleman Extreme

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AU6GB2K/?coliid=I1RIGP4A61PUDE&colid=6ESYW96IPD04&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[JohnSilver]

Pre chill the coolers. But I wouldn't expect much without dropping a couple hundred bucks.

We use a rovr 45 and if I leave ice in it overnight before a trip it'll last a couple days in fair conditions. Obviously draining and re icing. But the dry bin where food is stored stays cold enough to not worry about spoiling anything.

 

[Jmuns]

Pre chill the coolers. But I wouldn't expect much without dropping a couple hundred bucks.

We use a rovr 45 and if I leave ice in it overnight before a trip it'll last a couple days in fair conditions. Obviously draining and re icing. But the dry bin where food is stored stays cold enough to not worry about spoiling anything.

This is the key. To really maximize any long term cooler you need to start cold and this is often overlooked.

 

[BourbonRunner]

FWIW, if you consider the cost of the cooler, having to constantly buy ice, and potentially ruined food the 12v fridge/freezers are a much better option even with the higher up front cost.

My HD Colemans claim 5-7 days of ice but that's all BS. Even if I use reusable ice packs or frozen jugs I'm still adding bagged ice halfway through a 5 day camp, hunting for more ice in town and trying to salvage soggy food. We did a 12 day overland trip in California back in March and the trucks we rented had fridges. Everything was cold, nothing was wasted, and it was a total game changer. Far as I'm concerned it is a must have.

A lot of the overlanding community likes the IceCo brand, they're more affordable than ARB/Dometic.

 

[MJE]

FWIW, if you consider the cost of the cooler, having to constantly buy ice, and potentially ruined food the 12v fridge/freezers are a much better option even with the higher up front cost.

My HD Colemans claim 5-7 days of ice but that's all BS. Even if I use reusable ice packs or frozen jugs I'm still adding bagged ice halfway through a 5 day camp, hunting for more ice in town and trying to salvage soggy food. We did a 12 day overland trip in California back in March and the trucks we rented had fridges. Everything was cold, nothing was wasted, and it was a total game changer. Far as I'm concerned it is a must have.

A lot of the overlanding community likes the IceCo brand, they're more affordable than ARB/Dometic.

https://www.igloocoolers.com/products/versatemp-28-qt-cooler
Thanks for the tips on brands to look at. If I ever need to replace my little costco day trip one I know Where to look. Became a huge fan of the 12V coolers when I lived outside the city & they were useful for costco runs.

 

[BourbonRunner]

I really like those little portable 12v coolers like you mentioned above @MJE but ran into an issue years ago using one camping in the summer: they usually drop about 40 degrees or so off ambient air temp. Camping in the summer my beer got warm and my hot dogs? Let's not go there. No bueno!

 

[NMhunter]

On a September hunt, we kept ice for 10 days in an Igloo cooler. Kept in the shade with faom pad and a tarp over it. I've also heard of a 5 gallon jug dripping onto a towel over the cooler to keep it cool.

Big block ice is what you want. You also don't want to let the ice sit in the water. Cut all but about 3 inches off a milk crate and invert it to hold the ice out of the water.

The real key is block ice. I freeze 30 lbs of water in a plastic jug. It will easily keep for 5 days in desert heat. If you don't have a freezer, find a store that sells block ice. We sometimes buy dry ice to put on top of the ice block. That will get the ice down to below zero. Four 1 gallon frozen milk jugs work well also, but will last better if you make a hole in the bottom to let the water drain out.

The best insulated cooler I ever had was syrofoam. It was about 1-1/2" inch thick. It was a bit fragile and obnoxiously noisy inside a vehicle, but superior to even a Yeti in my opinion. An empty Yeti weighs more than my full ice chest.

 

[Randarmax]

Any recommendations for the best affordable cooler for multi day camping. I dont want to spend hundreds of dollars if I dont have too and I also dont want to get one of the electric ones just yet. Would love to hear what everyone is using.

I highly recommend a cooler by the brand "margaritaville" and they have a couple of 54 qt models. Runs about $125. There is a stainless steel version with the actual margaritaville logo, but they also make one with the Landshark beer logo and it is yellow. I did a lot of research and found this brand to have the best reviews. I recently loaded up with 20 lbs of ice and three six-packs for tailgating before a concert. In the back of my Bronco Sport in extreme Texas heat, like last week extreme with 107 temps etc, the ice lasted two days. On day three the ice was melted but the water inside was still like ice cold. I removed the remaining beers at that point. As others have mentioned, the key is keeping the cooler closed as much as possible. I'd recommend covering it with blankets as well, somewhere out of direct sunlight. I just searched on Home Depot's website and they have the Landshark edition. The only thing I'd caution on is the little chain they put on the drain plug. Mine broke, which probably happened while putting in and out of the vehicle.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Margaritaville-54-Qt-Landshark-Lager-Painted-Cooler-TC54MV-12-1/309293090

 

[gatornek]

There’s a lot of great tips here. I’ve been on many a camping trip and have employed many of them. I really don’t think there is a magic bullet cooler and really just boils down to if you know what you’re doing and are you prepared.

 

[jofer]

They're not rotomolded, and they're therefore less durable, but the Lifetime coolers are actually really really good at keeping ice. They're significantly cheaper than a yeti, but they're also not particularly cheap. https://www.lifetime.com/coolers

 

[cprcubed]

I'll kick in with Joe regarding the Lifetime coolers. We use 2 for camping and they work well. They are fairly bulky and heavy though. Cheers!

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