Check out the
Coleman Xtreame cooler. Rated just as high in cooling as the Yeti and Pelican for less than $60.
Close....I have 2 Xtreme Marines, 1 Pelican and 1 Brute.
The Pelicans/Brutes are better, but ROI on the Xtremes are obviously better...
Latches on the latter are much better though.
Shell is tougher, and I would say at least 10lbs heavier...more insulation/density
There is a reason they are cheaper. I have seen first hand how long they last...not impressed one bit. You get what you pay for.
I bought a 70 qt. Coleman extreme when they first came out. I'm still using it and I've replaced one hinge in all that time. I don't know what you guys do to your coolers that "they don't hold up" but mine has...
Before that I had a more std. Coleman 100. Actually two of them. Those needed the extra 30 quarts of space for the ice they needed. And by the end of a week long trip It was almost all gone except for cold water sloshing around...
Their is a trick to getting the most from any cooler, but I can tell you this: I use two, maybe three ice blocks made from freezing paper quart milk jugs, and peel them for the bottom, but I'm getting ahead of myself:
Here is an article I wrote, but haven't posted in my blog yet I will add if you are an outfitter, and constantly having these beat around in trucks and being manhandled by thugs, er, the hired help, then the Yeti class is probably a better bet, but I strongly doubt they do any better for keeping things cold (see below). It's more the way you manage them than the difference in the case:
Good Ice Box/Cooler Chest Habits:
The Colman Xtream 5 and 6 are GOOD coolers. However you can beat yourself if you don't follow some good cold food practices:
Always start cold and it’s easier to stay cool. NEVER put warm things in and expect them to get cool and not eat your ice. Soda and (warm) beer/soda cans are particularly bad for this.
Freeze things where possible before packing them (fresh meats, bacon, sausage, etc...) Get EVERYTHING that goes in the cooler cold FIRST!
I use a combination of block and party ice. I make my own block ice: Quart size cardboard milk cartons frozen with water; then peel the carton off before use works great. Two or three of these go in the end furthest from the drain, and I pack the frozen food on top of, or beside the block ice.
Some use the plastic jugs with frozen water and think it's like "Blue Ice" (are these still made?) I don't think it works very well to keeps things cold. I'm not a fan of Blue Ice or other "reusable" ice substitutes either.
Keep delicate foods, (eggs, fresh veggies, etc.) in a tub or basket on top. I have a plastic basket/tray that is just the right width to run on the lip inside. This basket was from a former plastic craft drawer setup. I place a thin strip of wood on the front edge (to bridge the odd “outdent” they made; no clue why they found that to be needed...), and the delicates go in there so it's suspended. This also makes it easy to lift it out to get to the frozen meats.
Tall drink containers (milk juice etc) go in the drain end.
Open air space/volume is bad. Every time you open and close it you lose cold air and it costs you ice. So I will pack all the cold foods, and then fill the rest with party ice almost completely.
Leave a reasonable amount of the melt water in the cooler. It gets cold and will help things stay cold, as takes up air space. Not that you will see much unless it’s pretty hot. I’ve gone five days and had maybe a cup or two of water in the bottom in reasonable weather. I've never failed to go 5 or more days in any weather.
Done like this you can go a week or more and stay cold, unless you leave it out in the hot sun. If it has to be outside, cover it with a tarp or moving pad at least. You could also get some of that reflective foil backed insulator sheet to cover it. (Hardware store or big box home center) Or one of those silver tarps. If you use a tarp, put something under it so there is an air gap, it all helps!
How hot is the floor of your vehicle? If really hot, use another pad under the cooler, or even put a piece of Styrofoam under it.
If you need two coolers, use one for soda and drinks exclusively, and you won't be opening and closing the "food" cooler as much. It's also usually less of an issue if the drinks gets warmer than you like (Milk is an exception…).
Plan ahead and they work great. Throw warm stuff in and you will lose your ice VERY quickly.
If you need to cool things like soda, you can pile ice on them and sprinkle salt on the ice. Pay attention though, because you can freeze them fairly quickly. It's FAST. ( I froze an entire open cooler of room temp soda before a party this way once...) This could be done in a cardboard box. You could also freeze meat this way separately from the cooler chest while on the road or in camp. Laying a towel over the open box helps retain the cold air. DON"T do this in your rig! The ice will melt (and re-freeze fairly solid), but the run off...
