What's the deal with those very expensive coolers?

[Mikado463]

I've had a few of these fancy injection molded coolers and they're pretty great. Are they worth the money? Not really. I've read tons of reviews to see who really is the "best" and it boils down to how they're made. Kodi (HEB brand) is awesome, but has some special features.

Yeti is great too, but you're going to pay. Rtic is awesome and MUCH cheaper than the others. Interestingly enough the "best" cooler right now is a Wally world special which is Lifetime.

As @BoredSysAdmin said though, none of them will hold Ice for a week. If they're in the sun performance sufferers quite a bit.

The key to holding ice for a week.......... use block ice !

 

[Eppie]

The key to holding ice for a week.......... use block ice !

Yes, block ice lasts much longer than cubes. We use rectangular margarine containers to make block ice. I picked up a Woods camping cooler last year. While much cheaper than the Yetis it was still four times the cost of the cheaper coolers but ice lasts 3 times longer than in my old Coleman. The higher rated coolers do work better in my experience. I did grab it on sale, though. Retail prices are silly.

 

[panteragstk]

Yes, block ice lasts much longer than cubes. We use rectangular margarine containers to make block ice. I picked up a Woods camping cooler last year. While much cheaper than the Yetis it was still four times the cost of the cheaper coolers but ice lasts 3 times longer than in my old Coleman. The higher rated coolers do work better in my experience. I did grab it on sale, though. Retail prices are silly.

I try not to pay retail for anything if I can avoid it. I got my cooler on wheels at a great discount because of father's day. It was still expensive though, but it has the best wheel/tire combo I've seen on a cooler so I guess it's worth it.

 

[Eppie]

I try not to pay retail for anything if I can avoid it. I got my cooler on wheels at a great discount because of father's day. It was still expensive though, but it has the best wheel/tire combo I've seen on a cooler so I guess it's worth it.

I got mine with wheels as well as it's a 100 Litre cooler so quite heavy when fully loaded. Woods is made in Canada so I'm not sure if they're available in the U.S. A little more money than the 100L Coleman but better quality and worth the extra when you find them on sale. Swerd only needs a 16 quart I imagine. Igloo makes some decent coolers in that size (not the Playmate but one with a hinged lid).

 

[highfigh]

I did some more research, and it seems like no coolers, even the fanciest ones, will hold ice longer than 5-6 days.
With that in mind, you'd have to find a way to cool the medicine box at least once every 1-2 days. Maybe replace the ice or something. I think it shouldn't be too hard, as most gas stations will sell bagged ice.
The video is somewhat crappy, but it does provide some info:

Complete Cooler Comparison Chart | Coolers On Sale

Our Complete Cooler Comparison Chart was built to help you visually see which cooler is the best cooler for your needs. High End Coolers don't come cheap, so be sure to review our chart to help you decide which is best.

www.coolersonsale.com

On the other hand, If I were you, I'd plan a two weeks vacation; I would make sure to time it right between the need to inject the meds.

I'm not sure why anyone would expect to last more than a few days- coolers are for temporary cold storage. If someone wants long-term cold, they'll need to dig a hole in permafrost or a powered freezer. That said, if someone travels in a van, truck, etc- some of the new portable ice makers don't use a lot of energy and can be powered by a battery & inverter. With solar charging, a source of water and a good filter, they could stay in the wilderness almost indefinitely.