The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
I've got one that I picked up on sale for $75 - Works great for a $75 cooler.
Pre-chill the day before. Put ice on bottom and foods frozen. Worked.
James Pepper: There's no law west of Dodge and no God west of the Pecos. Right, Mr. Chisum? John Chisum: Wrong, Mr. Pepper. Because no matter where people go, sooner or later there's the law. And sooner or later they find God's already been there.
My son and I each have a 55 quart and so far it has proven worthy. No way is it up to the quality of the seriously expensive units, but it is lightyears ahead of the usual junk coolers. A lot of the better brand construction "upgrades" work against you when the flanges make it too big to fit in certain vehicles. I borrowed several similar size better-brand coolers to test for fit that way, including Yeti and Orca. For $107 it was no contest as far as which one made the most sense.
Pre-chilling makes a big difference. Also, eutectic ice packs at the bottom do more than most folks realize. Because their melting point is significantly colder than ice. As water forms the colder packs refreeze the water to retain the latent heat value. It makes a big difference.
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
They're made right here in Utah, so we generally get first looks at new Lifetime products. The ones I've handled seem well made and sturdy. They run about one third the price of a Yeti and are lots better than the price would indicate. I ignore so-called "ice retention tests" because they aren't very realistic. In the real world, we put ice in, throw in food and drinks (not always pre-chilled) and then open and close the lids often.
I have 2 of the 55s. They work very well. Like all cooling, airspace is not your friend. Fill them and fill the gaps with ice. I used them extensively this summer. They will hold for days if you keep them filled.
Broncos are officially the worst team in the nation this year.
I just bought a Lifetime 55qt last week and took it with me to my son's ranch in Junction,TX. I kept my beer in it and had to add ice every day ,but, I did not keep it full of ice. I will try that next time. I have a 90qt Yeti that I totally hate.The damn lid will not stay up and constantly crashes down on my 73 year old arms!! I have a Rtic that I hate because the lid won't open til you crack a drain plug. A total PITA!!