The Best Portable Coolers on the Planet

[rickbrowne]

Gentlemen and Ladies - anyone have experience with the Kong Cooler? Please comment here or send me a msg. at [email protected]

[CandySueQ]

I'm a Coleman gal. I've had a Yeti, just didn't care for the weight and limited inside space (and ice is cheap!). Never heard of a Kong!

[rickbrowne]

You all will hear about Kong and get details on the Cabela's, Orion, and Grizzly coolers, along with the well-known Yeti . Upcoming review of them all, with some big surprises!!

[Potkettleblack]

C’mon man. I gotta know what the pros think of the Coolest.

[Spinaker]

You all will hear about Kong and get details on the Cabela's, Orion, and Grizzly coolers, along with the well-known Yeti . Upcoming review of them all, with some big surprises!!

Looking forward to this!

[Flat Rocker]

Are the reviews finished? I'm not finding them anywhere, any chance they'll be available in time to drop as holiday gift ideas?

[Sephon]

I'm also looking forward to the results.

[Brisket Syndicate]

My Coleman holds Ice just as well as my Yeti. The Yeti is quite a bit tougher than the Coleman though. I have had to replace my hinges several times. I've got 5 kids, and they can lean on the lids pretty hard when grabbing a soda water. They both hold ice pretty much the same, as long as you keep the closed.

[HawkerXP]

Pre cooling we've found is the key to keep things cold. Pop a bag of ice or ice blocks in the cooler the day before you will load it up really works.

[Sgt Tyree]

Coleman's. You can have Coleman's stashed on every patio and deck and they always work and never "wander" off. When not doing Coleman type stuff they make excellent extra storage for bags of charcoal, etc. They travel well and you can own a herd of them for cheap and spend the savings on a decent fly rod. But that's just me.

[JOE E]

I second Huskee's comments. Wish I could afford a yeti or cabela's.

[Jon Solberg]

I’m greatful for the review. It’s knowlege that someone else pays for. One of the greatest aspects of Amazing Rib dot com for sure is the wealth of great knowlege. Free knowlege to boot. Cant beat it.

[rototiller78]

I hear Pelican brand coolers work just as well as Yeti and they're bear proof.

[texastweeter]

As are Yeti

[Potkettleblack]

Bear proof might be a feature some folks have no need of. I don’t.

[rototiller78]

True, some folks may not need bear proofing, but if it's comes standard and works just as well and cheaper....

[fzxdoc]

I keep looking at Yeti coolers but their small interiors are so off-putting to me. No way could I get milk, ice cream, and all the other stuff I need to keep cold at one time in one of those unless the exterior was nearly the size of my trunk. I need a new one, since the one I use for erranding to the "big city" grocery stores has cracks on the inside sealed with duct tape. Maybe I'll look at Coleman--or just wait until Rick's evaluation comes out.

Kathryn

[texastweeter]

My wife and I both keep a soft sided one in each of our vehicles. I have the old zip top hopper, she has the new flip top. We love them.

[Sgt Tyree]

Not to be macabre or anything but I got to thinking that the best coolers would be the ones the organ recovery people use and found this link. Interesting.

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-534331.html

[Spinaker]

I think some of what has been lost here is the fact that the really expensive coolers are designed for extreme use. When we do our float trip in Alaska. We bring Yetis or RTIC. The ice lasts the whole float, they are rugged, the lids don't snap off or open when your unloading the raft and yes, they are "bear proof". (Although from some of the bears I have seen up there, they might be able to tear into one.) Yeti's work best when they are pre-cooled with ice prior to being packed. Then the ice won't have to cool the cooler too, which takes serious cooling power. I wouldn't trust a Coleman or discount cooler to make it down the river, nor would they hold the ice for the whole trip.

Could a Coleman do it, maybe. But who wants a busted cooler when you are in the middle of nowhere. And the "if it breaks, I will get another, or order replacement parts" thing doesn't play out well when you've flown into your location and the nearest store is 100 miles away. So using Yeti gives ME piece of mind. To me, the extra cost is more than worth it.

So are the expensive Cabelas and Yeti coolers ideal for a cambro or keeping stuff cold during a party. Sure! They will keep your stuff hot or cold. Are they waaaaay more than you need for daily use. YES! But they really aren't designed for everyday use. People say that Coleman or a comparable cooler will hold ice just as long as Yeti. Personally, I have never found that to be the case. But maybe I am doing something wrong. However, no one can argue with the superior build quality of super coolers.

[Potkettleblack]

I'm unclear on how you would do something wrong with a cooler... you throw the ice in, you close the lid.

Wife has an R-TIC cup that will keep ice cubes roughly cubic for 24 hours, no matter how much cold tea she puts on the ice through the 24 hour period. It's vaguely amazing.

[Spinaker]

Right, that was supposed to be a bit tongue and cheek. Potkettleblack

[Potkettleblack]

You never know. Minion method of ice placement?