Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Yeti coolers vs. Orca coolers

Okay, not sure if I am using the correct thread title but wanted some experienced thoughts on this one if possible. I am looking into Yeti coolers for my elk hunting trip and wanted some advice on size and volume for hauling a quartered elk, say from the state of Idaho or Montana on the back of a trailer or pickup box?
Spoke with a couple of friends that traveled from Montana to NY and they mentioned with stops and rest they averaged 25 hours travel time give or take to complete the trip. After watching some videos on Yeti and Orca coolers with ice test the coolers were holding ice for about 4 days before any significant loss. Do any of you have experience with sizes and cross-country travels with this type of thing? Mind you I would be packing home a whole butchered elk. Unprocessed.

First, save half your money by checking out Rtic.

I've not done the trip you're asking about, but just for thought. I took an elk frozen from Oregon to California when I first moved down there. Meat was frozen before leaving, I put a piece of foam under the boxes, put blocks of ice around them, and completely covered the pile with sleeping bag, coat, etc. Not only was the meat still frozen after twelve hours on the road, but very little ice had melted.

Whatever coolers you use fill them to the top. Air sucks out the cold. Consider dry ice, insulate under and over if possible, keep out of the sun. Same as every other trick to make ice last in a cooler.

I have Yeti and Orca coolers. Smaller sized so I don't use for hauling home Elk. With that being said they ARE VERY SIMILAR. Don't think you could go wrong with either.

When I first started Elk hunting I purchased two very large IRP (Iowa Rotocast Plastics) coolers. I think one is 200 quart and the other 150-160 quart. These things are beasts. I believe they are called "grizzly" coolers now. Rotomolded like the yeti and Orca.

I could probably get a whole elk in the 200 no problem, but I am lazy and Just cut large pieces off the body and throw them in with some dry ice. 2 day drive from Wyoming to Kansas no problem. Elk meat frozen solid when I get back.

I hope that helps.

I wasn't sure how big a 250-quart yeti cooler was. They really don't give a comparison to anything that I could find on the net. Maybe a bull elk is about 300 to 400 hundred pounds of cuts? Cow elk maybe 250 to 350?

Ive been researching coolers for a while. All the roto cooler brands were able to make it to 5 days before temps broke freezing, they real differences came between 5-7 days. One regular style cooler, the Coleman Extreme even beat out the Grizzly coolers. The same 3 seem to always be in the top spots. Cabelas, Pelican and I dont recall the 3rd but they all had very similar performance for several days.

All that being said, it comes down to how much you want to pay to and how necessary it is to have 5+ or 7+ days of ice or maintained temp levels.

I was completely set on getting a Cabelas roto cooler, constantly scores well, lifetime warranty but after seeing how little space is in a roto cooler and the 499.00 price tag to get something usable other than a 6 pack...I ended up with a coleman extreme on sale for 71.00. I dont expect it to keep things cold as long as the the rotos but my trips are typically 2-4 days anyways.

Definitely, want a cooler that can hold more than a can of pop and a couple packages of venison.

I got to Cableas last week, and looked at the rotos.....literally going to need at least one(probably more) 120Q+ and those are huge, and expensive. Id like to get one to have one around but it will have to wait until I absolutely need it.

Scroll down and you can see how much space you give up interior vs exterior dimensions.

https://www.engelcoolers.com/engel-eng240-coolers.html

DIMENSIONS & CAPACITY

Exterior Dimensions : 51.5" x 22" x 21.5"
Interior Dimensions : 45.75" x 16.875" x 17.25"

Substantial differences but were looking at 2'' of foam all around the cooler.

The Pelican 250 qt. looks like a nice twenty-year investment too, something you could hand down.

Walmart now also sells a roto line of coolers, I got the 54qt last year and it works well Wally World

One will need a big assed cooler for elk quarters. Bone them out, and one can probably get an animal back in a couple 140 qt coolers. If well frozen and sealed with duct tape, one could easily do 4 days with low end Igloo's and all would still be hard as a rock.

I use Igloo's on extended trips and run out of ice at somewhere around day 14 to day 17 with moderate summer weather.

I factor that in too. One reason I decided on Cabelas or Peilican, both have liftime warranties. Being able to pass the cooler down to the kids will help justify the eventual cost. Then again in 5 years they may come out with some new super cooler that replaces the roto in terms of performance. Just wasnt a priority this year. I could swing an 80q now but something of that size will be of little help for the time I would need the extended cooling, like you, traveling with large game. I'll likely need a 140 or two so i'll jsut wait another year wain unitl I can swing one of the larger rotos. For now the Coleman extreme can handle anything I would need.

Really for me the only time I would need the longer cooling capacity would be if I tagged out on opening day and had to stay around camp while my buddies tried to fill tags. As for the driving, the Coleman could handle a couple days, even then if I had to I could grab ice when I get gas but I dont think it will be necessary. The roto would be the best choice for the scenario mentioned above where getting ice means leaving camp and heading into town. And one more point, the temps at camp may even extend how long the Extreme could maintain temp. I think the biggest advantage to the roto cooler is the durability, they're built like tanks. Im not hard on my stuff so its not much of a selling point but still something to consider.

Here is the chart from outdoor gear lab

I have used a Coleman Extreme for keeping Ice at deer camp and have used a Yeti for the last 2 years. The Yeti is far superior. The first year I used the Yeti I took vacation and was able to hunt for 3 straight weeks. I precooled it and filled it with bagged ice. We opened it only to pull bags of ice out and topped it off again when we went to town. After 18 days the original bags on the bottom were still 1/2 ice. Using My Coleman extreme the same way after 4 days all the original bags would be melted.
The Yeti besides it's cost has 2 big drawbacks It is heavy and you have to keep it locked up. People will steal them here like they would try to steal a good looking woman.

Really comes down to if that extra day or durability is worth an extra 300-400. Even from a durability standpoint the Extreme isnt that bad. You could buy 2 120Q extremes and still be at half the cost of one 80q roto.

Rtic is about the only roto company that bridges the price gap.

I agree, most rotos are superior. IF I were hunting for that long it would be a no brainer. My hunts are never more than 7, most family outing even less. The size and weight are indeed something to consider. I thought the 100Q rotos were heavy before ice...let alone packing quarters in them. No wonder they sell carts for them.

The full test if you havent read it in your won research:
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Cooler-Reviews#bicreview

I too was concerned that theft would be an issue. Ideally, I would leave the cooler in the truck box locked. There would be no way anyone could haul or want to haul a cooler of that size into camp. It would be awful inviting for people to look your vehicle over while you were away and see a nice $800.00 cooler and help their selves to it. Nearly impossible to hide something that big. I guess I could bring an enclosed trailer something like a snowmobile style and lock that.

I have a Pelican 150-qt bought from DVOR $360 delivered I think and love it. I can fit a whole elk in it but it keeps ice all week in 70-80 degrees.

Look around I think Amazon has some deals. Sorry i cant add to the ones you specifically asked about but they are worth the cost and weight. I hate have water only on archery hunts after the 3rd day.

Is the elk a full-size elk? If yes, how many pounds?

Pretty sure he meant to say "cant" no way you could after yo factor in ice.

Yes, full sized, de boned. You will yield between 150-350 lbs of meat. My previous cooler was a 165-qt Coleman and same thing.

Never seen an elk before....

I brought two elk home from Wyoming to Virginia by placing a Freezer on my utility trailer and using a 2000 watt generator to power it on the way home.

One of my sons needed the freezer anyway so the purchase of one for the trip was not problem and the generator was available. You can purchase a freezer cheaper than a Yeti Cooler.

Do you have a small generator? You can buy a small chest freezer for a lot less than a Yeti. Run it 1/2 the time and it will keep meat plenty cool. For comparison, there are 30 qts in a cubic foot so a 5 cf freezer will hold 150 qts.

I don't hunt alot in warm weather. With that said I cant see the value in a Yeti. The price for what you get is ridiculous IMO. Might be of more value to those in warm climates, but then the cheap chest freezer and a generator becomes attractive also.

[quote=VaHunter]I brought two elk home from Wyoming to Virginia by placing a Freezer on my utility trailer and using a 2000 watt generator to power it on the way home.

One of my sons needed the freezer anyway so the purchase of one for the trip was not problem and the generator was available. You can purchase a freezer cheaper than a Yeti

Good Lord! Never in person Sir.

In regards to the chest freezer, yes, I have thought of that myself once. I could pick a freezer up at Lowes or Home Depot for a couple hundred bucks and 5 gallons of gas for the generator. Constant temps and maybe a small Coleman Extreme cooler to boot. Eight hundred bucks is a big chunk of change for some for a cooler. Well thought out people.

I have used three $60 coolers to haul thousands of pounds of quartered meat for literally thousands of miles over the past two decades with absolutely zero issues.....big rotomolded coolers to haul meat in the fall and winter are a waste of money....but by all means please spend your money however you see fit.

Don't forget to buy a big window decal to show the world either

I don't imagine the added weight of the roto's would be a good idea for that setup.



Wheelie?


Assuming empty coolers in the pic?

Full....one Colorado mule deer and 3 Missouri deer on ice from last fall

I estimate around 500 pounds when full of ice and quarters

I thought the pickup would be squatting more, looks like it handles the weight just fine.

It's probably the angle because when it's loaded it definitely sits down low.

I mentioned the Pelican due to you can find deals, I would never have spent $600 for it! But at $350 or so delivered it holds ice well!

I like the small freezer idea though.

I use the same coolers. Always worked well for me.

Looking for some photos on the web with the coolers mentioned or the other alternatives mentioned being filled with elk? Before and after shots will be valuable. With ice. Pictures always take precedence and thanks for contributing.

You cut the elk into quarters then you cover it with ice......drive home

It really is that simple

Tedhorn where did you get the cage for the back of your pickup? How much weight could you haul or carry in it?

I believe RTIC is making coolers larger than 65qt now or soon... If they keep their price point I think that would be a winner.

My buddy lent me his Pelican 150-- I used it on a early OCT coues hunt in AZ.

Cooler stayed in the back of my truck (black w/ black topper) for 10 days and I still had frozen 1 gal jugs of water.

Adk,

I made the rack to fit in my Reese hitch. It will handle anything I would ever want to haul

Even if you didn't turn it on, a chest freezer is cheaper than a Yeti. They're well insulated so just fill it with ice. They have drain holes.

One of the coolers that Ted has will fit a cow elk boned out. Two will do it with the quarters bone in or a bull easily. I have done it, but I don't make a habit of taking pics of packed coolers.

Had to laugh out loud, good point, it being so obvious I never would have given it a thought.

I might take a few pics of a packed cooler just for future references. But yes, I understand the logic of not taking them as well.

Guess I never saw the logic of taking a picture of a cooler full of ice.

OP - the RTIC line is a good product for what you want to do.

The chest freezer is another good idea, but bigger, and will take up more room in the load planning for the trip.

It sounds like you are leaving a vehicle parked at a trailhead and hiking or riding into camp.

If one of your party tags on the first day, what are you planning to do for storing meat?

In Idaho, you may see temps in the 70-80s during elk season, or you may in 12 inches of snow. You'll have to plan for both, and what to do with the meat.

It sound like the worst case scenario is the guy that tags out the last night of the hunt, and you have to haul the meat the next day all the way back to New York state.

Am I somewhat on track with your plan?

Kind of what I was thinking....

Tedhorn, packed with elk meat and ice I hope. (References) Why? I don't know maybe just to have for occasions like this.

Ah64guy,
Leave a vehicle at the trailhead, hike into a camp maybe a drop camp. If I or we tag early we would have to store meat inside of cooler depending on temps I can assume we could hang the meat for a spell if needed. Most of these coolers seem to hold ice for 5 days, in turn, I could have ice in the cooler at the trailhead while I or we are hunting. Hunts seem to be planned for 7 to ten days depending on success. Uncertain how drop camps operate in the sense of coming to camp to help you pack an elk out. Could be an issue of distance and time. But I would rather have a horse do the work than my back if possible. (Chuckles).

Years ago here in ID, I shot a moose in 10" of snow on the 1st day of our hunt. 4 days later, the snow was gone and the NIGHTS weren't getting below 50. We drove 50 miles to a meat processor and paid him to hang it for a few more days while we tried to get my partner's moose.
Yup, plan for anything.

I've got orca, pescaro, cabelas outfitter made by grizzly and rtic, all damn nice coolers, the big cabelas I got for a song at the Boise cabelas, pard and I bought the last 2 for $350ish out the door. Took it to Alberta last year, 2 boned out bucks, horns capes and all my gear tucked away in it, worked great. Going to BC with me this year on a moose hunt.

The King!

The pescaro is nice, they're made for England's marine here in Washington, and are reasonably priced. The big cabelas I just couldn't pass up for the scratch. Out of the 4 the orca is the best quality I think

I have:

Taken generator and freezer. Great plan if you are already hauling a 4 wheeler trailer, etc.
Used the big, cheap igloos. White ones hold ice for a good while. Green ones like in Ted's pick melt ice much faster because the absorb the heat instead of reflect it. Great way to go.
Picked up empty yeti and almost threw my back out. Way too heavy and not enough storage room for the size.

I've considered:

Building a storage box myself with insulated material.

If you are even considering a Yeti, look at RTIC and save money. Same cooler, but very good.

These new coolers from Maluna look interesting. I'm on their facebook group, but haven't backed them.

Maluna Kickstarter

All very nice coolers folks. Many choices and opinions to choose from but I think I am going with at least a two hundred quart model in a Pelican or an Orca 140 quart. Not the biggest but these coolers are expensive no matter what one we choose. I have ruled the Yeti out on too many other choices available and prefer to spend my money without the popular vote. Nothing personal with the Yetis.

Maybe a Coleman extreme 200 qt. and a Pelican mid-size as well, a combination of both. Only going to be iced for 4 days max coming home, so with dry ice and cubed ice and some cardboard insulation between the meat and dry ice it will be fine.

I've had a grizzly 150 quart that I've used for years to haul my boned out elk back to GA. Usually a three day return trip. Iced down, my elk always came back frozen solid until this past fall. We made a straight drive back, about 27 hours. When I opened the lid, my meat was thawed. Cool, but thawed.

I checked the cooler closely and discovered that the lid was warped about a quarter inch or so. Our 27 hour drive back resulted in warm air shooting into the cooler at 65-70mph. Luckily, the meat wasn't ruined, but I was pissed off nonetheless.

A call to the sweet lady in customer service resulted in a warranty replacement at no charge. They have upgraded their 150 quart model to 165 quarts with other "design upgrades" as well according to Grizzly. It's supposed to be shipped this spring sometime. Until the lid warped, it was perfectly fine. I'm curious to see how the 165 holds up.

Yeah, I would be ticked off myself, hopefully, the next one holds up for you.

That is the undoing of most mid-range and lower end coolers. Unmolested, near every cooler on the market has great potential. Two hundred fifty pound people using them for camp seats or raft benches eventually sinks the middle and lifts the ends letting air circulate. Duct tape all around is an adequate fix, but a PIA if there's much in and out to do.

Again, I get by with ice for up to 15 days with 160 qt white single lid Igloo's. I let it be known on the front end of every trip that my coolers WILL NOT be used as benches or step ladders. That is what our lawn chairs or buckets are for. I'm on about the 7th year with my present unit, and it's still quite tight. I'm well under $150 with that cooler and our 3 lawn chairs.

Thankful to finally see some common sense moving into the pricing realm. Some very nice units available and I suspect there's still some profit to be had.

I have a Yeti and Orca. I like them both. But if you are driving home hauling meat. You can stop and buy ice everywhere and anywhere you stop. As long as you keep it full of ice it will stay cold. A 40 dollar 100 quart will work for that. I put my quartered deer in a 40 dollar coleman and just add ice and drain the bloody water off daily. The 40 dollar coleman I use has probably been in use for 12 years. But when I want to have Ice for a long time I use the good ones.

this^^^^

And the meat ages, but not while frozen.

I have yeti's and rtic's, both good. Only thing is, I worry about people stealing them.

I have a rtic. I wish i could afford a yetty. Id get me another gun.

I grin every time i see a sucker driving down the road with one.

Speaking of yettys, i need another chest type freezer in the garage for about half the price of one.