Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Suggestions for ice coolers for hauling game

I'm looking for a cooler that will be able to handle a couple hogs should average 150-200 lbs on the hoof! I know YETI, was wondering if maybe there is something of equal quality, for less money! Also, what size?

See the thread on here about RTIC.

I've been pleased with Igloo Marine Coolers

If you get much above 100 Qts you will need help to lift it.

http://www.bing.com/search?q=Igloo+Marine+Cooler&go=Submit&qs=ds&form=QBLH&scope=web

paladin cooleres.com He is a vet. Has posted on this site. Coolers are made in USA. His have wheels,which should help with the heavy loads.

Freezer and generator?

Bought 2 - Igloo 120 qt coolers (IIRC) almost 15 years ago for our move from Nebraska to Arkansas. Loaded them from our freezer on a Thursday and put the contents back into the freezer on Sunday - after it cooled down. It was over 90* all 4 days and lost NOTHING, frozen veggies and such were loaded last and they didn't even hint at thawing. Did fill any gap on the top of each cooler with newspapers and sealed any potential air infiltration cracks and seams with packing tape. These can still be had for well under $100 ea. They fit sideways in the bed of my S10 PU with no problem.

I have since transported field dressed, but otherwise whole (including head and legs), antlerless deer in them with no problem.

HINT - load them in the vehicle before filling them . . .

BTW - NO extra ice was added.

Any cooler will work....just add ice

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

THIS


I bought a big ass Igloo " 5 day" cooler which holds 4 boned out hogs and ice from Texas to montana. Gotta add more ice every couple days in hot weather. Cooler was well under $100..ice is $2 bag...

Rather pay that than $500 on a Yeti to save $5 on ice...

I've been using Coleman Marine coolers for many years in my boat.
If something does break, parts are very easy to get, and their made in USA.


http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cole...Tz7-1i9ICFYePswod7HAD_A&gclsrc=aw.ds

As stated, 100qt is very heavy when full.
There's more than one model of the marine coolers. I think the "Pros" are the best, but I've had the regular Coleman Marines last for many years of rough service.

Absolutely! ^^^^^ All we ever use to haul elk back to Texas from Colorado every year! Never an issue.

Ice cooler

Yes I was thinking the same kaywoodie

Taken in 2011 I've since started using a bed cover to hide my gear during a road trip.

This was the leaving day picture on a two week hunt that culminated in 5 deer....just quarter and add ice

Yup. That's what a lot of folks use who have to travel long distances for subsistence fishing.

Get a 10cf or so freezer, a small generator and proceed to fill with fish or animal parts.

Once full and frozen, it should last for a couple days travel.

I have a Coleman 150 qt. Extreme that stays locked down in the bed of my truck from September through January 15th and the end of our deer seasons. The cooler has some channels molded into the interior and on the one closest to the drain plug I made a partition with that 1/2" blue foam insulation board cut to fit tightly. A lid was made from the same material and I now have a cooler within a cooler. Inside the small partioned off section I keep iced down drinks and lunches. The big open portion stays dry until we kill a deer. We gutless debone and pack our deer out and once we have a deer in there we add ice to cover and chill it. That's nice on those warm mid-September early October bow hunts. That takes the urgency out of making a kill in warm temperatures. The rest of the cooler is plenty big enough for a couple deboned whitetails and enough ice to keep it deep chilled for days. If there is a deer in there I pull the cooler out and set it on a slope and pull the drain plug to let any bloody water drain out. Add ice if and when necessary. When I get ready after letting it age, I pull the meat out and process it, wash the cooler out with a water/bleach solution and back in the truck it goes ready for the next one. It's a good system for my family and our hunting.

I own this cooler....it is small cooler best suited for cold beer

Probably any of the biggest cheap igloo or coleman ice coolers you could buy at walmart would work. A trick I use is leave the ice in the plastic bag it came in, or even better, put the ice in freezer bags like ziplocs. It will last way longer in the bags inside the cooler versus just pouring it into the cooler...

RTCI has signed a consent order with Yeti to cease selling coolers until they redesign them. Igloo roto-molded ones test the same as Yeti and RTCI for about 1/2 Yeti price.

Igloo's work well for the price. They get beat up going back and forth to deer lease.