The very first thing to think about when shopping for a cooler is how you are going to use it. When you aren’t heading out for days at a time, you most likely do not want an costly high-end cooler. All of the coolers we have suggest above are able to holding issues at a protected temperature for a day, offered you retain them within the shade. Equally, for those who’re navigating rugged terrain, you may want beefy wheels—and for those who’re simply going to the seaside, you won’t want them.
Laborious-sided coolers: These vary from the outdated inexperienced Coleman coolers—as soon as a staple of each tenting journey—to Yetis, which price as a lot as vehicles did when Coleman began making coolers. You would possibly surprise why the Yetis are so costly. That I can not reply, however Yeti did upend the cooler business by introducing rotational molding, or “rotomolding,” the place melted plastic is molded over foam insulation in a single piece. Rotomolded coolers supply seamless, uniform density of their partitions and lids, which drastically improves a cooler’s efficiency. In distinction, these historic, inexpensive plastic coolers we have all used have thinner partitions, leaky seams, and fewer insulated lids. Whether or not you want the additional insulation is determined by what you are doing and the way scorching it’s once you’re doing it. Need to study extra? Our In-Home Know-It-All has a more thorough insulation explanation.
Laborious-sided coolers usually have the luxurious options you need, like leakproof lids and drain plugs, and a few are even bear-resistant (verify this listing of bear-proof products for those who’re headed into ursine nation). The draw back is that these coolers are usually enormous and heavy.
Smooth-sided coolers: Smooth-sided coolers embody every little thing from well-padded, impressively insulated sling luggage (just like the Yeti Hopper Flip above) to roll-down, dry-bag-style coolers excellent for these delicate seaside days. The very best gentle coolers are simpler to hold, pack away simply when not in use, and have a versatility that conventional laborious coolers lack. (I’ve used dry-bag-style coolers as, properly, dry luggage.) Ice would not final as lengthy, however for brief outings the place you do not want a big cooler, these are what we suggest. Our older choose was discontinued; we’re on the hunt for an additional.
Electrical coolers: Positive, they don’t seem to be essential, however for those who’re headed out on longer adventures and have entry to energy, you will by no means have to fret about your ice melting.
Different Options to Look For:
- Drain plug: This tremendously simplifies life by making it straightforward to empty the water out of your cooler. When you’re shopping for a big cooler, make sure that it has certainly one of these.
- Divider: Certainly one of our prime suggestions for long-term cooler use is to have two coolers: One you deal with as a fridge and hardly open, and one other for drinks. If that is not attainable, you’ll be able to obtain a number of the identical by getting a cooler with a dividing wall in it. That approach you’ll be able to pack one facet tightly with ice to maintain that meat at a low temp, and use the opposite facet for chilling drinks with cubed ice.
- Wheels: Coolers get heavy and wheels are superior. They will not all the time work (good luck wheeling your cooler over tree roots), however after they do, they’re utterly value it.
