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East of Broken Bow | I really like things to be kept cold, and the ice to last, but am not a 'cooler snob' in terms of needing one brand over another.
That said, we have 2 coolers I really like, in terms of keeping things cold, and for ice to last in them. Both of them were far less than a Yeti when I bought them (like 1/3 to 1/2 price) and both were made in the USA.
Believe it or not, a 'Lifetime' brand cooler I got at Wal-Mart on clearance last fall seems to work as well as my friend's Yetis. Theirs cost well over $200, I gave like $80 on clearance. It is USA made, and seems very sturdy. I do have one gripe with it, and that is the inside dimensions are a bit 'odd'. I mean if you pack it with soda either in cans or 20 oz bottles, there is a lot of wasted space. If it was just an inch bigger all around, you could get quite a few more in there. Also it tapers quite a bit to the bottom, so stuff can 'wedge' inside of it. It's ability to keep things cold is hard to beat, and the price was right. This is a smallish cooler, like for a family of 4 to last a couple days at most. Another odd thing is that it has no water drain for the melted ice. I guess that means it will never leak, but you must dump out the melted ice.
We also have a larger cooler, made by Pelican. It is IMO the equal to a Yeti, and it also made in USA. This is a big/heavy cooler that also keeps ice very well. Big enough for the family for several days, but it must weigh 30+ pounds empty. It is the kind you put in the back of the pickup, and then fill it unless you have 2 guys to load it. As far as keeping things cold, and seeming durable, it seems hard to beat, but from what I can tell, Yetis are quite a bit lighter in the same size. This one was about $170 when an comparable Yeti was around $300. Bought it in the fall at Dick's Sporting Goods, they were on sale right next to the Yeti's of similar size which made it a no brainer to me which one to get. Cheaper and USA made instead of China. | |
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Are you a cooler snob?
