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Author Topic:   Another inexpensive cooler data point

kmev posted 09-03-2012 01:58 AM ET (US)
Just returned from a week at Isle Royale. Due to the space constraints of two divers living aboard a smooth-side 21 Outrage for a week I elected to leave the Igloo Marine 94 at home and instead take a maroon Coleman Polylite 48 that was manufactured in the 1980's that I had purchased at a garage sale for $2 last summer.
The cooler was loaded with two one gallon water jugs and four 1 quart Nalgene bottles that were all filled with water and frozen to form block ice. Any meats that could be frozen were, which included one pound of homemade meatballs, some Andouille sausage, and some ham. The rest of the cooler was filled with eggs and vegetables.
The ice did not melt completely until day 5. On day 6 we added one bag of crushed ice, and we still had cold food on day 8. We did not take and special precautions about opening the cooler and did so whenever needed.
I was eyeballing Yeti coolers before this trip, but am now convinced I don't need anything that expensive.
jimh posted 09-03-2012 08:22 AM ET (US)
Thanks for the cooler narrative. We also make our own block ice by freezing water in large bottles. As the frozen ice melts we begin to drink it as water.
What seems to be missing from your narrative is any mention of beer in the cooler. We often take along a case of beer in the cooler, just to fill the space in there with something cold and liquid, rather than leave it with so much air gap between the vegetables.
dcarson87354 posted 09-03-2012 10:29 AM ET (US)
I agree that most of those high end coolers are over priced and hold ice just as good as their coleman counterpart. The thing that made me go for the high end was durability. I realize that hinges and other replacements parts arent expensive for the cheaper coolers but I like knowing that Its not likely I will have to do last minute repairs on or during a trip. It is also bear resistant which can be a plus for some. I went with an ENGEL 65 and it fits perfectly behind the RPS on my Montauk which leaves me plenty of room on the bow.
kmev posted 09-03-2012 01:32 PM ET (US)
There wasn't any free air space in the cooler, which I'm sure helped keep the ice longer. We put a case of beer, a case of cola, and two ten liter MSR bags of water in the forward fish locker. Usually, we put what we intend to consume in a weighted mesh bag and hang it below the thermocline to cool. Given that the surface temp was 64 degrees and went down to 130 feet, we didn't bother with that and just drank it at ambient temp. They weren't very cold, but they weren't warm either - but you have to rough it a little bit in a wilderness.
All other food storage went under the sleeping platform I built in front of the console. At over six inches deep, that's a lot of space to fill. We ate extremely well (not at all due to my cooking ability).
I had intended to drink the frozen water as it melted, but found that 20 liters of water was plenty and only refilled once when we got fuel at Rock Harbor.
Russ 13 posted 09-04-2012 07:19 PM ET (US)
I like my coolers bear proof, as I run into so many wild bears while boating in FL.
The durability & insulation are really the key factors.
* And yes the "good" coolers are WAY overpriced, but hey they do come with stickers.:-)
David Pendleton posted 09-04-2012 09:03 PM ET (US)
Oh, I'm quite sure your cooler is quite safe from a bear...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/ Bear_damage_to_car_door.jpg

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Author	Topic: Another inexpensive cooler data point
kmev	posted 09-03-2012 01:58 AM ET (US) Just returned from a week at Isle Royale. Due to the space constraints of two divers living aboard a smooth-side 21 Outrage for a week I elected to leave the Igloo Marine 94 at home and instead take a maroon Coleman Polylite 48 that was manufactured in the 1980's that I had purchased at a garage sale for $2 last summer. The cooler was loaded with two one gallon water jugs and four 1 quart Nalgene bottles that were all filled with water and frozen to form block ice. Any meats that could be frozen were, which included one pound of homemade meatballs, some Andouille sausage, and some ham. The rest of the cooler was filled with eggs and vegetables. The ice did not melt completely until day 5. On day 6 we added one bag of crushed ice, and we still had cold food on day 8. We did not take and special precautions about opening the cooler and did so whenever needed. I was eyeballing Yeti coolers before this trip, but am now convinced I don't need anything that expensive.
jimh	posted 09-03-2012 08:22 AM ET (US) Thanks for the cooler narrative. We also make our own block ice by freezing water in large bottles. As the frozen ice melts we begin to drink it as water. What seems to be missing from your narrative is any mention of beer in the cooler. We often take along a case of beer in the cooler, just to fill the space in there with something cold and liquid, rather than leave it with so much air gap between the vegetables.
dcarson87354	posted 09-03-2012 10:29 AM ET (US) I agree that most of those high end coolers are over priced and hold ice just as good as their coleman counterpart. The thing that made me go for the high end was durability. I realize that hinges and other replacements parts arent expensive for the cheaper coolers but I like knowing that Its not likely I will have to do last minute repairs on or during a trip. It is also bear resistant which can be a plus for some. I went with an ENGEL 65 and it fits perfectly behind the RPS on my Montauk which leaves me plenty of room on the bow.
kmev	posted 09-03-2012 01:32 PM ET (US) There wasn't any free air space in the cooler, which I'm sure helped keep the ice longer. We put a case of beer, a case of cola, and two ten liter MSR bags of water in the forward fish locker. Usually, we put what we intend to consume in a weighted mesh bag and hang it below the thermocline to cool. Given that the surface temp was 64 degrees and went down to 130 feet, we didn't bother with that and just drank it at ambient temp. They weren't very cold, but they weren't warm either - but you have to rough it a little bit in a wilderness. All other food storage went under the sleeping platform I built in front of the console. At over six inches deep, that's a lot of space to fill. We ate extremely well (not at all due to my cooking ability). I had intended to drink the frozen water as it melted, but found that 20 liters of water was plenty and only refilled once when we got fuel at Rock Harbor.
Russ 13	posted 09-04-2012 07:19 PM ET (US) I like my coolers bear proof, as I run into so many wild bears while boating in FL. The durability & insulation are really the key factors. * And yes the "good" coolers are WAY overpriced, but hey they do come with stickers.:-)
David Pendleton	posted 09-04-2012 09:03 PM ET (US) Oh, I'm quite sure your cooler is quite safe from a bear... http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/ Bear_damage_to_car_door.jpg