What Is The Best Cooler For Going Fishing With And Bringing Back Fish For The Money

The contenders. Jim Golden

Not long ago, a good cooler kept ice for a weekend, perchance. Today's premium rotomolded coolers have quadrupled that flow, but at the cost of a new truck payment. With and then many dollars on the line, you lot need to know exactly what you're getting. To that finish, nosotros started with a dozen loftier-end chests, and after x days of measuring ice melt, tossing the coolers off a pickup at 45 mph, and carefully weighing the pros and cons of every latch, hinge, handle, and human foot, the all-time ones of the bunch emerged. Hither they are, ranked and reviewed.

How Nosotros Tested the Coolers

Three buddies and I first measured each cooler'due south truthful capacity by weighing them, filling them with water, weighing them over again, and doing some math. Nosotros then filled each with 1 pound of ice per quart of true chapters, put them a temperature-controlled room, and monitored them remotely for x days. Nosotros charted when each hit 32 degrees (the indicate that ice starts to melt), 40 degrees (when meat starts to plow), and 42 degrees (when beverages taste warm).

That done, we timed how long it took 5 gallons of h2o to bleed, and then measured the residual H2O. Each cooler was and so tossed from a pickup truck going 45 mph to gauge durability. Nosotros compared features and handling, and, finally, we combined the length of the warranty and whether or not the libation was made in the UsA. to arrive at a service score. Ice memory was given up to 50 points, features thirty, immovability 10, and service and handling 5 points each, for a total possible score of 100.

ane. Best of the Test: Cabela's Polar Cap 40-Qt. Equalizer

Full Score: 87 Specs:

• 38 qt.
• 28.8 lb.
• 1-year warranty, made in the U.S.A.

The Polar Cap kept ice longer than any other cooler and didn't striking our warm-beer threshold of 42 degrees until 8 days, 20 hours. Its molded-in handles were a tester favorite, and the single-pin hinge was about bulletproof. The bleed, too, was fantabulous and fastened with a metallic wire lanyard.

Hits: Testers liked the pressure release valve, which makes the lid easier to open up when tightly sealed, also equally the glow-in-the nighttime rope handles that snap to the cooler's side, out of the style. Latches double every bit canteen openers.

Misses: One tester felt that the rubber latches were too strong to manage in the cold, especially for older or arthritic easily. The warranty is less than stellar.

The Skinny: A rugged breast that keeps absurd longer than the competition, all at a fair cost.

Update Cabela'due south just dropped the regular price of this cooler to $250, making it a Best Value, likewise.

2. ORION 45

Full Score: 86Specs:

• 45 qt.
• 31.three lb.
• 5-year warranty, fabricated in the U.South.A.

The Orion 45 is loaded with smart features. Testers loved the nonstick hat pad, which prevents gear from sliding. In that location are bottle openers on the corners and six reinforced necktie-downs. An integrated rail system lets you mountain a phone, GPS unit, camera, and more. The internal sectional divider doubles as a cutting board.

Hits: Information technology'due south tough. A 45-mph bounce off a clay route barely scratched it. The latches also scored highest.

Misses: The Orion placed fourth in our water ice-retention test. Had it done better, it would accept run away with the test.

The Skinny: If y'all don't need your beverages to stay cold for more than eight days, this may be your cooler. 2 testers named information technology their overall favorite. It's expensive, but quality comes at a toll.

3. Yeti Tundra fifty

Total Score: 85Specs:

• 43.7 qt.
• 29 lb.
• five-year warranty, made in the U.s.a.A. and Philippines

Yeti started the rotomolded trend and remains the libation all others are typically compared to. The Tundra 50 scored middle of the pack on ice retention, just it was completely unfazed by our roll exam and does all the little things right. If you desire a UsA. make, all you have to exercise is inquire.

Hits: Unproblematic and rugged. Latches, hinges, handles, and feet are all stone solid. The drain was tiresome, only left almost no water behind.

Misses: Needs an attached bleed plug. Testers did not like that truthful capacity was less than 45 quarts.

The Skinny: When you lot call back of a quality cooler, you probably think of Yeti, and for practiced reason. This thing is indestructible. It'due south the standard-bearer, but that standard doesn't come up inexpensive.

4. All-time Value: Igloo Sportsman

Total Score: 84.6SPECS:

• 54 qt.
• 30.4 lb.
• 5-twelvemonth warranty, made in the U.South.A.

The Sportsman was ane of the largest coolers in the exam and yet still handled quite well. It scored fifth out of 12 in our ice-retention exam and held its own in most other categories, too.

Hits: The big quick-detach drain with metal lanyard moved water fast. Online, the Sportsman can be found for less than $200, easily making it the exam's all-time deal.

Misses: While all the other top coolers have a single-pin swivel, the Igloo utilizes a less durable two-pivot design. The rigid plastic side handles are more likely to break, compared with rope handles.

The Skinny: The bare-bones Sportsman excels at its 1 large job—keeping things cold. And it does and so at a can't-be-beat price.

5. Pelican Elite 45QT (Tie)

Total Score: 84.6Specs:

• 44.1 qt.
• 35.9 lb.
• Lifetime warranty, fabricated in the U.Due south.A.

It looks as if you could drop the Pelican Elite out of a helicopter and keep a dozen eggs intact inside. And so it was a big surprise when one of the hard-plastic handles broke in our roll test. Otherwise, it would accept placed 2d overall.

Hits: It was 2nd in our ice-retentivity exam, and it has the best warranty in the business. Then if yours ever breaks, they'll transport yous a new ane.

Misses: Ane of ii models to suffer damage in the roll exam. The bleed plug is non built to the same standard as the residuum of the libation—flimsy at best.

The Skinny: The Pelican could exist a contender if information technology works out a few small quirks. Rigid plastic handles are more prone to breakage, and it's begging for :a drain-plug redesign.

6. Engel ENG5

Full Score: 84.2Specs:

• 45.2 qt.
• 23.8 lb.
• 3-yr warranty, fabricated in Thailand

Engel brought the showtime mod rotomolded cooler to the U.Due south. market place. The new ENG50 was the tallest cooler in the examination and tied for second place on ice retention, going eight days and three hours before hit 40 degrees—the point at which meat starts to plough.

Hits: The best drain of the examination, it dumped 5 gallons of water in a minute and 37 seconds, and nosotros had to squint to see any moisture left backside. Its size-to-weight to- water ice-retentivity ratio was besides amidst the best. A silicone, non safety, seal likely contributed to information technology'south loftier ice-retention marks.

Misses: No one liked the latches, even though they double as bottle openers. It opened on the curlicue examination. The warranty is subpar.

The Skinny: The ENG50 is lightweight and easy to handle, with bang-up ice retention and a keen drain. If information technology had a amend warranty and was made in the The statesA., it would have placed much higher.

vii. Orca Coolers 40

Total Score: 84Specs

• 38.8 qt.
• 28 lb.
• Lifetime warranty, fabricated in the U.S.A

Tennessee-made ORCA Coolers are extremely popular in the South, and for skilful reason. This minimalist chest—similar to a Yeti—started potent, holding ice nether 32 degrees longer than all but 2 other coolers in the test. Merely it lost ground in the race to 40 and 42 degrees.

Hits: The offset-rate drain plug dumped 5 gallons of water in less than two minutes, and left backside less than an ounce. A cargo net along the outer back wall is handy.

Misses: Testers didn't like the elevated, somewhat slick plastic feet. The nylon tug handles secured with aluminum pins prompted questions of immovability.

The Skinny: It'southward a solid all-around performer that'south made in the The statesA. and comes with a lifetime warranty. If yous haven't seen an ORCA at the boat launch yet, you volition shortly.

eight. Frostbite R48

The Frostbite R 48
$280; Frostbite Coolers Jim Gilded

Total Score: 83Specs:

• 45.6 qt.
• 26.2 lb.
• 5-year warranty, made in Thailand

From Loftier Performance Coolers, the company behind Icey-Tek (see below), the Frostbite R48 is a well-built chest that does a lot of things right at roughly $80 to $100 less than other loftier-end models.

Hits: Solid single-pivot hinge, expert latches, rubberized anxiety, and respectable water ice-retention scores.

Misses: The bleed system took more than 5 minutes to dump 5-gallons of water and left 3 ounces of water backside. The fit and terminate was also rough. The hat warped slightly in our gyre exam.

The Skinny: This no-frills libation lost ground in the drain exam, merely with some re-engineering and a little polish it could be a player downwardly the road—especially at this price.

9. Canyon Coolers Outfitter 50

The Coulee Coolers Outfitter
$290; Coulee Coolers Jim Golden

Total Score: 81.8Specs:

• l qt.
• 24.3 lb.
• Lifetime warranty, made in the U.S.A

While many of the smaller libation companies announced to be chasing Yeti in their design, Flagstaff, Arizona-based Canyon Coolers is cut its own path. The thinner-walled Outfitter 50 is durable, lightweight, and easy to handle.

Hits: The Outfitter scored loftier marks for its durable lid swivel, portability, and overall adroitness.

Misses: The Canyon placed in the bottom four in the ice-retention test. The latches opened upward in our curlicue test. The cooler itself suffered no impairment, merely you lot'd exist picking dirt off your venison quarters.

The Skinny: All the testers really liked the Canyon, and were disappointed that it did poorly in our ice-retention testing. The loose latches were panned, but the portability is a big plus. And it merely feels similar a high-quality product.

x. Grizzly 40

Full Score: 80.2Specs:

• 36.3 qt.
• 23.9 lb.
• Lifetime warranty, fabricated in the U.S.A

Grizzly Coolers is bringing smart ergonomic design to the water ice-chest market. This cooler was well made and comfortable to carry. The thin, divide-latch design looked flimsy, but try equally we did, we couldn't break them.

Hits: Good latches, hinge, handles, and anxiety. The nylon tug handles were especially strong and felt made for the hand. Nice fit and finish.

Misses: Water ice-retention killed this comport. It came in last identify by hitting 32 degrees in just over two days. It remained in last place at the forty- and 42-degree markers, besides.

The Skinny: Had this cooler done a amend chore of keeping cold, it would have been a top contender. It checked all the boxes, except the most important one.

xi. Bison Coolers 50

The Bison Cooler 50
$329; Bison Coolers Jim Gilt

Full Score: 80Specs:

• 49 qt.
• 30 lb.
• 5-year warranty, made in the U.Due south.A

Fort Worth-based Bison coolers are tough, and have a long lineup of available accessories, from carts to traction pads for the lid and custom graphics. Texas-flag cooler anyone?

Hits: A 45-mph tumble down a dirt road didn't phase the Bison. Testers loved its unique latch design, which was rock solid and piece of cake to use with heavy gloves or weak hands.

Misses: This acme-heavy cooler wouldn't stand upright with the heavy chapeau all the fashion open. Poor bleed operation. It as well came in second to last at the 40- and 42-degree markers, and tertiary to last at 32 degrees.

The Skinny: The poor ice-retentivity results were excpected, as Bison advertises v-day ice retention instead of the 10 days many others merits. That said, they're doing several interesting things, similar their latch blueprint, that other companies are not.

12. Icey-Tek 55 Long Box

Total Score: lxx.9 Specs:

• 57.9 qt.
• 25 lb.
• 5-year warranty, fabricated in Thailand

Different its sister libation, the Frostbite R, the Icey-Tek Long Box has a way to become earlier it'southward competitive in this crowd.

Hits: Relatively low price.

Misses: The corner sidewall of the Icey-Tek split during our 45-mph roll exam. It was the only cooler rendered inoperable during the procedure. The 2 bleed holes are well above the bottom of the cooler, which resulted in very slow drainage and more than ii cups of leftover Water. It also finished bottom of the pack ice retention, and has 3 exposed hinges.

The Skinny: The two drain plugs are overnice, equally there is no demand to spin the libation to get at one side. But the drain placement is odd, forth with most of the design choices on this cooler. It's simply not in the same form equally the others. ––Michael R. Shea

Keep Your Cooler Colder with Dry Ice

Dry out water ice is nada more than than frozen carbon dioxide, and zip less than the solution to many cooler woes—regular water ice that melts too fast and creates a nasty fish-slime slush. Since dry ice sublimates, or goes straight from the solid to the gaseous state, it creates no meltwater. It'south also extremely cold—almost minus 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

But dealing with dry ice takes some planning. Handle it with insulated or leather gloves, or it will burn your skin. Dry ice as well expands to about 800 times its original volume as it sublimates, so cooler lids must be vented. And take intendance to crack a window if you bulldoze with a cooler of frozen CO2. Here'southward how to turn your fishing cooler into a deep-freeze for the long run:

How to Pack a Cooler

1. Two x-inch-square blocks of 2-inch-thick dry out ice (a standard 10-pound block) will keep 20 pounds of frozen foods frozen for approximately 3 days. To make dry ice last longer, fill up dead air space with wadded newspaper or regular ice frozen in milk cartons.
2. Dry ice keeps frozen items granite hard. Deport an empty small cooler to thaw out foods as needed.
3. Beverages and nonfrozen items volition remain cold for extended periods in a cooler with a one-to-4 ratio of dry ice to regular ice. Wrap the dry ice in newspaper outset.
4. To ship game and fish, use dry ice exclusively to forbid water spoilage of trophies. Be conscientious to wrap the specimen in a towel to preclude the dry out water ice from creating freezer-burn spots. Or mix dry water ice and regular ice to save on shipping weight.
5. Dry water ice is available in grocery stores in many southwestern states. Other vendors include ice companies and ice cream shops. ––T. Edward Nickens

Source: https://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/fishing/2016/03/ice-chest-throwdown-12-top-end-coolers-ranked-and-reviewed-2/?con=hoc

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