Coolers/Ice chests

[garrett]

What have you got and do you like it? I've been looking for one for months now and can't find one I like. I want one with a latch, everything I find just has the lid compressing into the main box... do those hold tight well enough?

What has everyone got?

[slosurfer]

Check out "marine" coolers for boats as they usually have latches on the lids.

[Bob98SR5]

i have a coleman double wall

or just use racheting straps to keep the lid down. most coolers do not have good seals so you can always modify and put a thin rubber seal or silicon gasket on one side too. double wall is best

[97t4rnr]

I have the Coleman SS with the latch. Holds ice in for 3 days no problems in 75* heat.

[garrett]

by SS do you mean stainless steel?

not wanting to pay THAT much for a cooler

[4x4mike]

The topic has come up before but I'm not sure it would come up in a search. My wife and I have this one, http://www.rei.com/product/687914?vcat=REI_SEARCH.

It's kind of small but has always worked well for us. We have some friends that have the next size up and it does seem to work as well. If we out grow ours I'd be temped to just buy another.

[97t4rnr]

Yes, SS means stainless steel.

[4x4mike]

75* isn't heat. That maybe shade but it's nothing like the inside of a car or sitting at a campsite. At least for me. I know 4 or 5 people that have the SS coolers but that's only because they were returned to a store for not working. Well, not working as well as a $150 cooler should. The nice thing about the SS coolers is the interior space and integrated bottle opener, oh and it's nice to sit on unless it's been in the sun. And if it's been in the sun it's likely your ice is melted.

[97t4rnr]

I know 75* isn't much, but it was in the direct sunlight for the 3 days we were camping. Outside did get pretty warm, but the ice still stayed fairly intact. As for hotter days, I had it at the beach in the back of my 4Runner for the entire day with not much decay of the ice (90*+ outside).

So far I have no complaints. And mine was not a return, bought new for $89.00 four or 5 years ago. Interior space is a plus, but mine doesn't have the bottle opener integrated either.