Coolers advice

[Sanitari]

I have been getting a lot of "advice" about coolers . Depending on who I ask. Can anyone recommend the best cooler?i know yeti has the name. But also the price tag. Is it really that much better than orca or rtic? Are there any other brands I should be looking at? Looking for a medium size 24-32qt https://under-the-open-sky.com/best-coolers-for-boat/ . All the higher end coolers seem to be the same. How can I tell difference of which is the best. Take yeti out because I'm not spending $400 on a cooler. Thanks guys

 

[Chillaxin]

Real happy with Engel good price right through company website

 

[Uncle Joe]

I bought a soft Artic cooler for day trips.....I am a bit underwhelmed.

 

[Ky Grady]

Yeti here. Can't help you with the others.

I've got the Flip 12, Roadie 20 and Tundra 45.

45 is heavy when loaded, couldn't imagine a bigger one. I use the 20 a lot. 45 will stay on boat when loaded.

 

[Chillaxin]

The Engel cooler color coastal white match’s the newer Grady very close looks great and performs great in my 209 fisherman

 

[SkunkBoat]

I stopped bringing a cooler and now use the ones built into the boat.
Saves room and makes fishing a pleasure.
I am regularly hosing away good ice after 3 days.

I have a few good old fashioned white "marine" Igloo coolers. 120 qt and a smaller one and a medium sized one with wheels.
When there is a sale, they are reasonably priced and keep ice for a day trip very well.
They don't weigh a thousand pounds like a yeti and hold more ice for their size. you can buy four of them for the price of a yeti.
Nobody has ever stolen my Igloos.
Stainless replacement hinges and plugs and handles make them last a decade.
I use them for carrying ice & bait between the freezer and the boat. They work fine.


Unless you are going on a multiple day excursions, often, in a hot location, I just don't see the necessity for a Yeti.

So, what you need the cooler to do for you is the most important consideration...
bring food & drinks out for the day
bring bait and chum out...overnight?..and return unused good bait to freezer?
Chill your catch and carry it home..
Carry just ice for 3 days or more to the Bahamas or some remote place?


I know I'm rambling on...

I just can't drink the Yeti kool-aid any more than I can drink the Yamaha branded kool-aid...

 

[gearadrift]

Check out the Ozark Trail (walmart) yeti knockoff. Solid construction, variety of sizes and not $400.

 

[phishead]

No question, YETI. Just put a 50qt on my Marlin. Perfect for weekend trips. Also have a 120qt(takes up deck space) but hold fish/ice for extended trips. Worth every penny.

 

[mhinch]

I use the built ins on the boat. No need for extended trips, etc. have a 325#/day Manitowoc ice machine 50’ from the boat. Scored it for $75 off local Craigslist.

 

[Ozz043]

You can always tell a bad eski ( cooler if you must ) from a good one, you can toss the bad one a mile but the good one is way too heavy .... the opposite happens to your wallet though when you purchase...it becomes very light if you get the good one

 

[Ky Grady]

The Yeti's are not my only coolers. I have many, most from Igloo, from years gone by. I've got the 120's for fish transport or storage for overnight till I can clean them. Multiple 54's and 48's for drinks, before the Yeti's, and icing down the filets. That's the one thing I won't do is put fish in my Yeti's, they are strictly for drinks. The Igloo soft coolers on the upper right were a total waste. They always leaked and didn't really hold ice all that well. The Yeti's are my go to cooler now, the others still have their place. When someone asks to borrow a cooler, I let them use the old ones, the Yeti's don't get loaned out.

As far as the othe brands mentioned, I see their claims on the internet of being equal to or as good as the Yeti's. Couldn't tell you if that's true or not, I know what my Yeti's do for my use and I'm good with it.

 

[everwhom]

Ky Grady: there's a program called Coolers Anonymous that you may want to look into

Seriously, I did a ton of research for a 150qt size cooler and I ended up getting a Grizzly which has been excellent and the best value that I found. I actually bought a Pelican first but it ended up being the wrong shape.

 

[cbartle60]

OMG - love the cooler collection Ky! I thought I had too many when I hit 8...boy was I way wrong. I’m scared to see how many fishing rods you have

 

[Ky Grady]

Here's some of them. I've added more since this picture was taken, these are my catfish rigs and saltwater rigs and now have Walleye rigs to go with these. Had to go to the overhead storage, ran out of wall space.

 

[Fishtales]

For a big cooler... The roto molded coolers are all fairly heavy and do the job well. I like them as you can stand on them, sit on them and they have good rubber feet so it doesn't slide around. If you get a big one, you can put a couple of throwable cushions on top and have 2 more seats. I went with the RTIC 145 for $307 a while back. https://www.rticcoolers.com/shop/coolers/roto-molded/RTIC-145-White

There are good videos on youtube with various cooler tests (just search cooler test). Personally, all the well made ones are all pretty good and tough to pick a clear winner. It really comes down to how much you are in and out of it. Unless you pre-chill and hardly ever go in and out, most will hold ice 3 days some close to 5. Do you really need that? Are you in and out a lot? Do you want a top wire basket, rubber feet, drain plugs on each end and other features? You can spend a ton of money if you want, or you can go cheap.

 

[Fishtales]

I bought a soft Artic cooler for day trips.....I am a bit underwhelmed.

My kids gave me the equivalent Yeti. I feel the same as you. Just an over priced heavy soft cooler that does the job but nothing special. I got a couple of basic soft RTIC on sale like a 12 and 24 can size and they work fine for a day or evening out.

 

[Halfhitch]

I stopped bringing a cooler and now use the ones built into the boat.
Saves room and makes fishing a pleasure.
I am regularly hosing away good ice after 3 days.

I have a few good old fashioned white "marine" Igloo coolers. 120 qt and a smaller one and a medium sized one with wheels.
When there is a sale, they are reasonably priced and keep ice for a day trip very well.
They don't weigh a thousand pounds like a yeti and hold more ice for their size. you can buy four of them for the price of a yeti.
Nobody has ever stolen my Igloos.
Stainless replacement hinges and plugs and handles make them last a decade.
I use them for carrying ice & bait between the freezer and the boat. They work fine.


Unless you are going on a multiple day excursions, often, in a hot location, I just don't see the necessity for a Yeti.

So, what you need the cooler to do for you is the most important consideration...
bring food & drinks out for the day
bring bait and chum out...overnight?..and return unused good bait to freezer?
Chill your catch and carry it home..
Carry just ice for 3 days or more to the Bahamas or some remote place?


I know I'm rambling on...

I just can't drink the Yeti kool-aid any more than I can drink the Yamaha branded kool-aid...

SkunkBoat sure saves me a lot of typing. His view is spot on my thoughts on this subject and on most topics for that matter.

 

[Fishtales]

Agree, I have a couple of Igloo marine coolers (medium and large - not as large as the RTIC). They work as good as others if you ask me. The only negative is the lack of rubber feet. They slide all over the place.

 

[Greyduk]

"Agree, I have a couple of Igloo marine coolers (medium and large - not as large as the RTIC). They work as good as others if you ask me. The only negative is the lack of rubber feet. They slide all over the place."

Fish, I'm sure you probably know that there are anti-skid mats that are available for under the coolers. I have used them in my boats and they work quite well.

 

[Fishtales]

yea, but I had to blow $300 on a big roto cooler versus getting the $20 mat......