I wasn't sure what forum to put this question under, but here goes. I'm in the market for a new premium cooler. I have the choices narrowed down to Yeti, Orca, and Grizzly. Any preference? They all claim to keep ice for about a week, so I'm wondering if any of y'all have experience with hinges, latches, gaskets, etc.

And all three made here in the USA (although Yeti has a manufacturing facility in the Philippines as well).

I have two Yeti's (24 and 105 qt)and an Engel (35 qt). All hold ice very well. Summer here in West Texas can get rather warm (100-110 is pretty normal). After a week, the water is cool to the touch. No ice lasts that long in any of mine. Compared to the old coolers (coleman's, Igloo etc) they will hold the ice and keep things cold in those summer-time temps for about 3-4 days, depending upon how often you open it.
I prefer the Yeti's latching system since I'm less likely to break one off by packing stuff around it or by snagging it on something. The Engel uses a good latching system but it is possible to snap it off if you catch it on something hard enough.
The hinges on both work quite well with nary a problem there.

I appreciate that. I need to look at the latch system on the others as well. Whatever I get will be doing double duty as a fridge during hurricane season as well.

On little tip I learned about Yetis...if you use them as a casting platform . Reverse the rubber latches...they don't stick out as far that way and wont snag fly line as easy...just and FYI...

Thanks Ingwe, I'll keep that in mind.

I think.

I use the Yeti's here in SE Texas, they hold ice very well and yes you can use them as a casting platform. Be careful if your needing a large cooler and will be moving it around some. The Yeti's are very heavy and when loaded down they can be back breakers.

Randy

Amen! I've wondered why they don't put rollers on the bigger ones.

I've had a 65 qt Yeti bouncing around in the back of my pickup for over a year and it has held up well. It will keep ice longer if you "pre-cool" it first. And the previous posters are correct it's heavy.

I won a 48 Yeti that I fill with ice blocks for drinks on our 8-9 day fishing trip each July. It will provide beverage ice for the entire trip if I keep it in the shade and covered with a tarp.

Our daytime temps are 60-80 usually.

I have a 65 and 125 Yeti. Great for keeping ice on longer trips. I've no bear around to test the latches, but it clearly is sturdy

One shop in town is carrying Pelicans, which are a similar premium cooler. I'm thinking I may grab a smaller one to keep in the back seat for drinks, snacks, etc. They cost quite a bit less than the Yetis.

I'm sure these coolers are great at keeping things cold but I was looking at them the other day and I was shocked at internal to external dimension ratio. The cooler looks big enough for food and drinks for a week but you open it and there's barely enough room for a 6 pack!

I have an ORCA 26qt...They are very similar to the Yetti...It is a good cooler, however, a friends Yetti 35 will keep ice a little longer...not much...so I was disappointed....

Call thebestcooler.com and quiz him some....I would look at the extreme series cooler...the bigger ones also have wheels....These have more insulation so thicker walls and weight.....

Hope this helps.....

I don't have a Yeti, but have Cabelas equivalent from what I can see. Damned expensive and the inside is way smaller than the outside, that being said it kept ice from Nebraska to California + over a weekend. Also bought a Coleman extreme artic? Did just about as well for keeping cold but at a third the price. However the Cabelas Yeti was much better built and should with some care last forever. The Coleman is much lighter construction.

I wanted a Yeti but found a Yeti clone with several features I liked better than the Yeti!! (Handles, drain plug, latches, etc)
It is the Igloo Sportsman 55 Qt Cooler at Sams Club $199. Been using it all fall and am very impressed with it. Past years I would need to make one or or trips off the mountain during my fall trips but this cooler I add 2 10lb blocks of ice and it keeps everything cold for a week.

Yetis perhaps have the best customer service out there. Grizzly coolers have better gaskets and keep things cooler for longer times. Engel has a Reefer cooler that can cool things down below zero. PM me if you want insight on the Yetis but I don't know much about the Orcas or the other high end versions.

Sincerely,
Thomas

For a 10 day trip we bought some dry ice. It was exremely compact and kept everything frigid. I figure that I will be ahead cash and space wise if I continue this as needed.

Fuzzy

Yetis here,packed one of them up yesterday for our Halloween block party Friday night. Well worth the money,just plan ahead to get the best use of its capabilities....

Love my Yeti coolers and would recommend them, best advice I can give is to get one the correct size for your needs. They dont work nearly as well half full as they do completely full.

As long as every gas station on the highway sells ice for a buck, it will be a cold day in he!! when I spend many hundred dollars for a Yeti, or similar. Heavy to a fault, and with a ridiculously-tiny internal capacity, such Cadillac coolers are the triumph of clever, aggressive marketing campaigns.

I suppose a 10-day hunt in the hot desert might call for such a cooler, but you would have to upgrade to a 3/4 ton pickup to haul the heavy beast....

I can see where some applications, depending on the individual situation, the extra expense might be justified.

But for the way I use coolers, a cheap Igloo makes much more sense.

Actually that's the website I've been surfing. Lots of information and choices there.

This will also pull double duty when hurricanes come and we're out of power for 10+ days (as we were in Francis and Jeanne in 2004).

I buy the more affordable coolers and then just wrap the thing with an old sleeping bag when it's really hot out and keep the thing in the shade, keeping any cooler in the shade and how much you open and close it will make all the difference in the world on how long it will keep things cool. Food items should be kept in a cooler that won't get opened and closed much and use a separate cooler for the more frequent use items such as drinks and or snacks. Keep both in the shade and wrapped during hot weather and you'll be fine and have less money going out of your pocket. My .02

Pelicans seem to get the nod from some of the folks I've spoken to locally (mostly offshore fishermen).

Good advice.

I have a Yeti 45 and I love it. It's smaller inside, but all that insulation has to take room somewhere. It also has rubber feet on the bottom that keeps it from sliding around in the bed of the truck, which is great in stop and go traffic, but not so great when you have to get it out of the truck. Also, fully loaded with ice and drinks, it's HEAVY! it's very sturdy, and the top is nice and flat, with a textured surface that makes it nice if you want to stand on it (fishing, etc.).

i would like to add or amend to my previous post that IF I was using a cooler for rugged commercial use or in a boat where it would be used often as a seat or casting platform then I may want to rethink what brand/quality cooler I bought and for how much $. but as far as just keeping stuff cold and fresh, I do think if one's pocketbook is thin then a few common sense enhancements can go a long way to extending your ice time in even the hottest conditions.

If you want to save a bit and not buy the name per say, Ice Kool is worth a look as well:

http://icekool.net/