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Post by hikerjer on Jul 6, 2023 17:20:47 GMT -8
A while ago there was a discussion on ice coolers. A number of people suggested RTIC coolers as an equal in quality and performance and a more affordable alternative cooler than Yetis. Anyone care to share their personal experience - good and bad -with RTIC coolers. I’m ready to pull the trigger on a new one.
Thanks much.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jul 6, 2023 19:42:50 GMT -8
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Jul 7, 2023 10:09:47 GMT -8
I have a 20qt RTIC cooler that's 5 years old. Looks just like the current one. The 20qt one is perfect for me for solo camping. I can still carry it when it's full (it's about 20lb empty I think) and it will keep perishables cold for 3-4 days, sometimes longer in cooler weather or if starting with more frozen foods. I really like that I don't have to resupply for long weekends, even in summer. I think it's worth considering the size carefully. Bigger is definitely not better for coolers. When I got it, aside from the price difference, I preferred the 20qt capacity over Yeti's equivalent, which was 24qts I think. Anything bigger, I would seriously consider one with wheels. Handy as a step stool when I have my boat on top of the car. It seems indestructible. I think the biggest cons are the "latches" and the handle, and it seems everybody else has redesigned/updated theirs so I'm obviously not the only one who feels this way. That said, the latches work. I also have one of the soft-sided Yeti's that I got as a gift. Really nice for day trips but I nearly fainted when I saw how much it costs. Definitely not worth it.
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Post by hikerjer on Jul 7, 2023 10:38:04 GMT -8
Thanks for the comments. Ya, I definitely can’t stomach Yeti’s prices. Lot of hype there and snob appeal as well, IMO.
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Deborah
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Post by Deborah on Jul 7, 2023 12:05:50 GMT -8
Blue cooler is another one that is in the same category but far cheaper than Yeti. bluecoolers.com/I bought their 55qt with wheels. I freeze 1/2 gallon milk cartons to use in it.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jul 7, 2023 16:59:31 GMT -8
The instructions that came with my cooler suggested to use ice house ice over home frozen. The reason they gave was that ice houses rapidly freeze their ice to lower temps than a home freezer. That makes for more ordered ice crystals. That's why their ice is clear. That lattice needs more heat to melt.
And one of the other things I have been doing is pre-chilling the cooler. They suggested throwing in a bag of ice in the cooler a day before you are doing the full pack to chill it down. Then throw out that ice and pack. I don't really know if this is necessary. The thing is so efficient. I guess if you really need ice for a week or so.
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Post by hikerjer on Jul 7, 2023 18:05:16 GMT -8
But Ice ain’t cheap, relatively speaking. And I can never seem to find block ice which I prefer since it lasts longer. I tell you, it’s getting harder and harder to get by in life anymore.
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on Jul 7, 2023 18:24:50 GMT -8
But Ice ain’t cheap, relatively speaking. And I can never seem to find block ice which I prefer since it lasts longer. I tell you, it’s getting harder and harder to get by in life anymore. Pining for the pioneer days, when ice blocks and super insulating coolers were cheap and plentiful for wilderness excursions in the summertime!
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Jul 7, 2023 21:22:21 GMT -8
The instructions that came with my cooler suggested to use ice house ice over home frozen. The reason they gave was that ice houses rapidly freeze their ice to lower temps than a home freezer. That makes for more ordered ice crystals. That's why their ice is clear. That lattice needs more heat to melt. Huh, that's interesting... I think everything I've read and heard says the exact opposite... My understanding is that the clarity of ice has to do with how much air is trapped in it. Clear ice mean less air and slower to melt. Ice makers, whether home or commercial, usually aerate the water to freeze quicker. Commercial ice makers prefer aerated water because it freezes faster and requires less water. The difference is really obviously if you try to crush or eat ice cubes from an ice-maker vs frozen in a tray. You want good frozen daiquiris? Use bagged ice. I've also read that slow freezing creates larger ice crystals which melt slower. And slow freezing allows more air to escape while it's freezing. The "best" ice is made by adding and freezing thin layers of water to make a block. The process traps the least amount of air. Outfitters for long river trips in hot weather build up food coolers by freezing layers of food and water in the cooler over several days. You get incremental access to food as the ice melts and "frees" the next layer of food (mostly meat). This is important on 3+ week Grand Canyon river trips. Who knows, maybe none of it makes that much difference in terms of cooler temperatures...
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jul 8, 2023 7:58:22 GMT -8
Wow. The prices of those things (I didn’t even LOOK at Yeti, if these are “far cheaper” ) kind of blow my mind. I can buy a lot of ice for the price difference between that and my Coleman cooler.
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Post by hikerjer on Jul 8, 2023 12:51:43 GMT -8
But there’s inconvenience and possibility of having no ice available if you don’t have a good cooler.
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Deborah
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Post by Deborah on Jul 9, 2023 8:04:57 GMT -8
I can buy a lot of ice for the price difference between that and my Coleman cooler. True, but on my road trip last year buying ice was not always easy. Lots of places on Newfoundland did not carry ice at all. I quickly learned to stock up when I could find it. Usually I could go 5-6 days before I needed to find ice again. Love you to pieces woman... it's ok to spend a bit for convenience.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jul 9, 2023 8:12:11 GMT -8
it's ok to spend a bit for convenience. To be perfectly honest, I'm less worried about the cost (though it hurts my inner cheapskate) than about the space issue--the super-insulated coolers have much thicker walls, and thus take up more room for less food storage space. Since I somehow almost always seem to fill my cooler full up at the start of a trip, I'm not sure about that. Or maybe I need to think about the two-cooler system. I can usually go 3-4 days on a hunk of ice with the one I have. Two days if I have to refill with cubes, which to be honest I usually do because I can put them in my ice container (Zeke recently got a Rubbermaid or some such that fits the blocks you can buy in the grocery stores--clearly that's what should be my next move).
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jul 9, 2023 10:46:52 GMT -8
I use two coolers. The super insulated and a small cooler. The small cooler is the working cooler. It is nice to leave the big cooler in the car and not open that much. The working cooler holds what I need for cooking and drinking short term. It's easy to lug. Also I found out the hard way that blocks of frozen food don't defrost much at all in a super insulated cooler. So the working cooler gets to be cooled sometimes by defrosting food.
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Post by trinity on Jul 9, 2023 11:12:38 GMT -8
Coming soon. I can't imagine myself actually buying one of these, but it actually looks pretty cool (pun intended). Flextail Portable Icemaker
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