Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Roto Molded Cooler Advice

I don’t think they can be beat at that price point.

I believe that the Pelican IM Elite and the Otter Box are great coolers, but as stated, they're too bulky for my intended usage. As you can surmise from this thread, I did a great deal of research and I'm happy with my purchase/informed decision to get a Techni Ice 47, the price I paid would be extremely hard to beat for a super premium cooler.

Congrats! I would say you will be very pleased! I came back to clarify a few things after reading some of the replies. My Canyon is the 35qt model I think and like I said, it lives in my work truck bed. Sometimes its in the sun and sometimes its in the shade. On work days it probably gets opened at least a dozen times and it doesn't always get latched back shut. 4 days on a bag of ice and still having cold drinks is fine with me. The Orca is a 140qt model and its used for storing frozen meals on hunting trips. The Yeti is a 65 qt and it gets used for drinks on hunting trips. I AM NOT a cooler snob, out of the 4 I have, (I also have a 50qt yeti that's never had anything in it) I only bought ONE of them, the Orca. The rest of them I have won at QDMA and NWTF events.

Huntaholic: Thankyousir. I'm sure your're correct that I'll be happy with the Techni Ice for many years to come. Good to know that your Canyon performs so well for you. Opening the cooler that many times during the day and leaving it unlatched speaks to it's efficiency if you're able to get 4 days of ice retention under such conditions. Under more favorable conditions (keeping it latched and limiting the number of times it's opened during the day), I'm confident that ice retention would increase a few days at a minimum.

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My Walmart 55 qt Lifetime has a made in USA sticker--and I did not put it there so I assume it's made is made is USA--$100.00 price tag. I will be putting it to the test in a few days. I cannot bring my self to pay $250.00 for a coolie. I am sure they are high quality but that is quite a bit of money for a cooler. Yes I realize they go (price wise) up from there-I saw a 200 qt the other day for $900.00+ -can't remember the brand however.

Philos: Yes, I was incorrect about Lifetime coolers, they are indeed made in America. I agree with you that anything above about $250.00 for a cooler is bordering on the ridiculous. After much searching to find the best price on the coolers I was interested in purchasing, I'm happy with the price I found/paid for my Techni Ice 47, which is only a bit more than the Lifetime and IMO the Techni Ice is a much better cooler. I could not find a comparable price on Orca, Canyon, or Engel.

If anyone is interested, below is the comparison sheet I used to help me make my decision. Perhaps it will help some fellow forum members. The prices represent the best I could find:

Cooler Comparison Sheet

Techni Ice Signature 47: This is the cooler I purchased
Ext: W 26.4” x H 18.1” x D 16.9”
Int: W 21.1” x H 11.8” x D 11.4”

• Made in Australia
• Lifetime warranty
• Stellar ice retention
• 47 true quarts
• Dual seals (one freezer grade & one flex seal)
• Includes a dry basket
• 3 recessed stainless steel draw clasps
• Oversize 2" recessed insulated bung
• ~3.5" thick lid and bottom, 2.9" walls
• Elevated feet
• Everything is recessed and the cooler is very square with nothing protruding, so it packs well with other gear where space is limited
• Techni Ice touts their coolers as the best in the world today
• Retail price: $239.00 - $289.00. I paid $156.00 delivered

Orca 40 (40 quarts) $229.98 delivered
Ext. W 26 1/4" x H 17 5/8" x D 18 1/8"
Int. W 18 13/16" x H 11 7/8" x D 11 7/16"

Orca 58 quart $276.98 delivered
Ext: W 27" x D 19 7/16" x H 19 3/8"
Int: W 19 7/8" x H 13 1/8" x D 13 7/16"

• Made in USA
• Lifetime Warranty
• Excellent ice retention
• Rubber latches
• Freezer grade seal
• Fairly trim design
• Cargo net attachment on back of cooler

Engel (ENG50) $249.99 delivered:
Ext: W 24" x D 17.5" x H 18.5",
Int: W 18" x D 11.875" x H 13.25"

• Made in USA/Phillippines
• 10 year warranty
• Excellent ice retention
• Trim design
• Latches are fair – many do not like Engel latches and they can open under harsh circumstances
• Freezer grade gasket

Canyon Outfitter 55 (55 quarts) $239.00 delivered
Ext. W 27 1/2" x H 16.25" x D 15 1/4"
Int. W. 21" x H 13" x D 10 1/2"

Canyon Outfitter 35 $199.99 delivered
Ext: W 23.75” x H 17” x D 15.25”
Int: W 21” x H 13” x D 9.75”

• Made Thailand
• Lifetime Warranty
• Very good ice retention
• Trim design that packs well with other gear
• Latches – no complaints
• Neoprene gasket manufactured in New Jersey
• Currently the 150 quart model is made in USA and Canyon has plans to move production of all their coolers to the USA

Pelican IM Elite 50 $240.00
Ext: W 20.3"x D 20.4" x H 20.3"
Int: W 17.5" x D 11" x H 13.7"

• Made in USA
• Lifetime warranty
• Very bulky/heavy
• Excellent ice retention
• Some have mentioned that the drain plug is sub par

Lifetime 55 $97.00
Ext: W 26.8” x H 17.25” x D 17.67”
Int: W 20.4” x H 12.5” x D 11.5”

• Made in USA
• Good ice retention
• Seems fairly large/bulky in person
• Great latches

Otter Box 45 $224.00
Ext: W 31.39” x H 18.83” x D 18.76”
Int: W 19.3” x H 13.3” x D 11.67”

• Made in USA
• Lifetime warranty
• Excellent ice retention
• Very bulky

My ~28 year old Igloo Legend 54
Ext: W 24” x H 16” x D 14”
Int: W 21.5” x H 10.5” x D 12”

Other coolers such as Grizzly, Bison, Cold Bastard, Orion, Yeti, Kong, etc. did not make the list.

I was wondering if anyone with one of these roto molded coolers could check on something for me. Push down on the lid and see if any air comes out, I accidently did this to my Lifetime on Saturday and I could hear air coming out of it. I think it was coming out of the lid itself so that shouldn't be an issue but I am curious if these other coolers do it too.

I put 1 six pack and a 4 pack of cider and 2 six packs of beer in the cooler covered with 40 lbs of ice at noon on Saturday, checked it this morning and there's still a lot of ice left. It's been sitting in my garage which is about 65 degrees. Will continue to check it every morning until there is no ice left, I'll post it when that day arrives.

Grizzly 40 - $224.99
Made in USA
Lifetime Warranty
40 Quart Capacity
24 Pounds Empty
EXT W 25 ½” x D 16” x 15 3/8” H
INT W 19 ½” x D 10 ½” x 11 3/4” H

A great all around 3 day cooler with good insulating properties while not being overly bulky.

KENAI 45 (Designed by Grizzly) - $179.99
Made in USA
Lifetime Warranty
45 Quart Capacity
30 Pounds Empty
EXT W 28 ¼” x D 16 ¼” x 15 ¾” H
INT W 22 ¼” x D 10 ¾” x 11 ½“ H

A new cooler design with factory direct pricing.

Edit: in my comparison list, above, the Pelican 50 Ext width should be 30.3" not 20.3"

Took the Lifetime 55 camping last weekend. On Wednesday evening I put two large Newk's cups of sacrificial ice in the LT and the Yeti 50. Thursday afternoon about 2:00 there is still a hint of ice in the LT, none in the Yeti. I place a frozen gallon of Ozarka in each. I load the Yeti with food because it has the basket. I load pre-chilled DP's and waters in the LT. I'm holding off putting bagged ice in because the GF has stuff to add later. I go the hunt club meeting, then stop by GF's on the way out of town (about 3 hours time). She puts some food in the Yeti and was supposed to have pre-chilled her drinks but had neglected to do so. So we put about 20 un-chilled cans in the LT. Stop and get bagged ice, put one bag in each cooler. Travel to Hot Springs, AR for the night because GF needs some new paddling gloves (she's been getting blisters) Hot Springs has closest paddling gear store. Coolers sit in back of truck in camper shell overnight. Friday morning we get the gloves and we are ready to head to Spring River above Hardy, AR for ACC's annual School of River Paddling (River School). I'm the Shuttle Coordinator (5 years now). Grab a couple drinks for the ride and I notice that the LT ice has melted a good bit. Hot temps, warm drinks, cooler stored in camper shell on truck, so no real surprise to me. We pit-stop about 2.5 hours later at Bald Knob, AR. I decide to check the LT ice. It's pretty low, still a good chunk in the frozen Ozarka bottle though. Put a second bag in the LT about 11:30. About 1:30 we get to Riverside Resort and CG, unload and make camp. It's HOT all weekend. Temps in the mid 90's during the day and getting down to about 70 at night. We're in and out of the cooler a good bit getting drinks when we're at camp. Had to restock the water bottles with warm ones. Cooler gets partial sun during the day when we're not there to move it to the shade. Had planned to stay at Riverside till Monday and then make a leisurely drive home. Instead we opt to drive to Batesville, AR, eat supper with friends and get a room with AC and a good shower on Sunday night. So coolers sit in back of truck in camper shell overnight again. Get up late Monday morning to head home. I grab us some drinks about 9:00. Ice is gone, but drinks are still plenty cold. Last ice was put in about 11:30 Friday so it held ice almost three days with high traffic in/out of the cooler. The Yeti, with much less traffic (only in it 2x per day), and one bag less ice, was out of ice but still retained a very small chunk in the Ozarka bottle. For $100, I have to say I'm pretty pleased with the Lifetime. It's definitely not as robust as the Yeti, but it also wasn't >$300.

magshooter1: Thanks for the review and I'm glad to are pleased with the LT. Sounds like you have a big wknd.

I just received the Techni Ice Signature 47 cooler I ordered on 6/8. This thing is an absolute beast! I am very impressed with the overall quality of the Technique Ice. It sounds like a freezer when I close the lid. Definitely a very substantial cooler and I like the stainless steel draw clasps, which will undoubtedly last a lot longer than the rubber latches offered by most other cooler companies. The handles are enormous - 9/16" marine grade rope with huge black plastic handle inserts. I plan on putting it through it's paces a bit later this summer, so I will endeavor to write a report then.

Also, I just ordered a Canyon Outfitter 22 quart in Sandstone. At $99.00 delivered, it can't be beat. I will report back once I receive it.

I received the Canyon Outfitter 22 I ordered. I'm pleased with the quality, the fast shipping and the latches, which hold firm and are easy to operate. The latches seem durable enough and I am sure they will last for a long time. Definitely an improvement over my Igloo MaxCold personal sized cooler and larger as well. The walls, lid and bottom are not as thick as I thought they would be (~1.5-1.75") but I am sure they will be more than adequate for this size cooler and provide cold temperatures for several days, if not as long as the larger coolers with more insulation. I like the sandstone color more than I thought I would and overall it seems like a durable cooler. I also really like the fact that the large product sticker on the front of the cooler was simple to peel off and left no residue behind, which is an issue far too many companies overlook and I really appreciated not having to deal with a hard to remove sticker and a bunch of gooey residue. The carry strap is a simple 1", 1-ply nylon webbing with a rubber piece which will prevent it from slipping off your shoulder while providing a bit of padding, and it should prove adequate, but it's nothing spectacular. I think I read on the Canyon website that they are made by a rifle sling company. For the price of $99.00, I have no complaints. Canyon also offers a 22 quart called the Scout, which is $149.00 that has more insulation, tie down points and a "jungle strap," but it's several pounds heaver, has slightly different dimensions and is slightly more bulky. I'm happy with the Outfitter 22 I chose, which will fit nicely on the floorboard of my vehicle - the square shape with no protrusions is beneficial in this regard as well. I will be taking it on a road trip in a few weeks and I will report back on the performance.

Buy a $50 Coleman. Buy a slightly larger Rubbermaid ruff-neck container. Buy several cans of expanding foam insulation. Done.

What ? Fill the Coleman full,of foam and then use it for target practice?