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Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by darelldd, Sep 3, 2007.

  1. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    It isn't like I just *decided* one day to like ice chests and heterosexual relationships. I was born this way.
     
  2. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    :bump2:

    Darell,

    It's summer again.

    Did you ever find or build that R50 per inch super cooler?
     
  3. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    I wish! I was just wondering where this thread went, too! Now I need to figure out what inspired my last comment before yours. ;)

    Was just out shopping. Sevearl thick-walled coolers out there, of course. But I've done nothing to improve my situation on this one, sadly. Maybe we'll get some fresh blood, and all my problems will be solved...
     
  4. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    Oh, and btw, you've under-shot this by a fair amount. Just the "hatch" or opening will cost about this much. Still then need the cooler! Insulation will be the same as 10" of the best closed-cell foam insulation. Man, that's good stuff!
     
  5. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    BTW, I just looked at the Frigid website that Pat Sparks and Phumpher linked above. Frigid's least expensive cooler is $485. They have some for over a $1000.
     
  6. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    Well, I just bought a new cheap "Max Cold" chest for my trip this coming week. Was desperate as I let this slide all winter long, of course. We'll see how "max cold" does at 110°. I love the rating "keeps ice for 3.5 days at 90°." What does that mean? That if you stuff it full of ice, that the last little spec of ice will still be there after 3.5 days? That ALL the ice will be there? Ha. Only spec I need: How long will my beer stay cold?
     
  7. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    For that kind of money, it would be cheaper to have the pizza and beer delivered. Unless you need something cryogenically frozen at your campsite. :)
     
  8. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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  9. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    There's no call for injecting logic or reason into this otherwise perfect thread!
     
  10. Wildkow

    Wildkow New Member

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    Waiting for cold beer, especially on a hot day, does not sound logical or reasonable to me! :nono:

    Wildkow
     
  11. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    The Powerboat-reports.com December 2005 issue tested the then $445 Frigid Rigid, the then $68 Coleman Ultimate Xtreme Marine, plus comparably sized coolers from Igloo, Icey-Tek and Rubbermaid.

    The report found that the $68 Coleman Ultimate Xtreme Marine tied the $445 Frigid for best ice retention (slowest melt rate).

    I think I'll try the Coleman cooler, either the Ultimate Xtreme Marine or the plain Ultimate Xtreme which costs even less and which Coleman also rates at 6 day ice retention.
     
  12. pkabalin

    pkabalin New Member

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    Following up on the Powerboat report there was one done last year by the same publisher ...Engel vs. Yeti vs. Coleman.
    In summary Engel coolers won quite easily. Coleman was second and Yeti was third.There is a link to the original article on Engel USA website.

    Engel also make the most efficient and vibration resistant AC/DC powered coolers that some of you were asking after.
     
  13. gramps

    gramps Member

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    This summer I bought a Coleman Ultimate Xtreme 50 qt ice chest. It is supposed to 'keep ice" for up to 6 days at 90 degrees.
    I got it on sale for around $50. it is a little big to tote around in the back of the Prius with 6 days worth of gear and the family.
    It doesn't even come near 6 days, usually by 4 days all the ice is melted. If I paid the sticker price of $75 I would be pissed.
    I am still glad I bought it , my old cooler the ice would not even last a day on the beach.:cool:
     
  14. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    Thanks gramps. The Coleman Ultimate Xtreme still sounds like the best cooler for the money. I'm going to pick up one before next summer when I hope to be taking a road trip or two.
     
  15. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    Thanks pkabalin for the heads-up. Here's the link to the cooler test report you referenced:

    http://www.engel-usa.com/PS0908_BigCoolers_reprint0808_WEB.pdf
     
  16. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    I'm glad this thread is still kicking. Great review!
     
  17. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    The Engel's $265 is a lotta shekels for a cooler. Think how much beer that is! With some sheets of foam, epoxy resin, and fibreglass cloth, a handy person could make something just as good or better for far less money. And everybody knows the stuff you put in should already be cold. Heck, we usually put in frozen stuff and it works great. OK, maybe not so great with beer. :D
     
  18. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    Not my wife. She puts warm stuff into the ice box, then complains that we didn't use enough ice. :rolleyes: She compensates for this behavior by starting with too much ice. Left to her own devices, the ice box on our boat can carry zero food, since it is completely filled with ice. Of course this obviates the need for the ice, since there is no food to keep cool. We could compromise by leaving the ice box empty, but we haven't tried that. ;)

    Our ice box is made exactly as you describe: 4" of closed cell foam, fiberglass, and epoxy. A drain with an air trap removes melt water. For loading, we start with a block of ice at the bottom, load the food, and pour loose ice over the top. Using this approach, and adding a bag or two of loose ice during the week, most of the block will still be there after nine or ten days of sailing.

    Tom
     
  19. MarinJohn

    MarinJohn Senior Member

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    RE: Toys with built in ice boxes, I'm thinking perhaps ripping off the cover of the built in and replacing it with the 'works' from one of those plug-in coolers. I considered a cold plate and even an automatic ice maker from an old fridge, but both require a compressor and all the works which takes up valuable space. Anyone tried that?
     
  20. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

    Yes, I have a thermo-electric cooler top for my boat icebox. For cruising we stick with ice, but in the marina we switch tops and use electrical refrigeration.

    In my case I built the cooler from the ground up, using a peltier cooler module, a couple of heat sinks, and a muffin fan. The unit plugs into a 12V socket above the counter.

    Practical Sailor has contracted with me to write a "how to" article about this topic, so look for it sometime this winter.

    Tom