What is the best size yeti cooler for camping

MacGyver

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That would depend on how much food and drink you need to keep cold and how long you need to keep them cold.

Of course, being the opinionated person I am, I have to add that I think the Yetis are way overpriced. Evidently, there are a lot of people who agree with me on that because there are dozens and dozens of sites comparing Yetis to other less expensive products. Whatever size you decide to get, and before you plunk down your hard earned money, hit your favorite search engine and look for "coolers like Yetis" and you'll find some great alternatives. Engel and Grizzly are names that seem to come up a lot.
 

Cappy

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When it comes to coolers my max size is 48qts. Any bigger they get too heavy. I would much rather have 2 48qt than one 100 Easier to handle. Also packing frozen stuff in one ya can only open it when needed and far extend the ice life. Drinks etc should be in a separate cooler
 

MacGyver

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When it comes to coolers my max size is 48qts. Any bigger they get too heavy.
You got that right - especially if you're talking about the so-called performance coolers. A few years back, I bought a Pelican cooler because I wanted something to keep ice longer and thought it would be cool (no pun intended) to get something that matched my Pelican Storm cases. That was the absolutely worst mistake I've made in buying stuff for camping. I forget exactly what size it was, but it was the size of a 100 quart with something like 4 inch side walls. So the interior wasn't anything close to what I needed. On top of that, the thing was so bulky it was a pain in the *** to move around even when it was empty. I paid a fortune for it and took a helluva beating to pay to ship it back. What I have now is way more manageable. I don't take a lot of perishables out with me, so I actually get by with two 28 quart Colemans. MUCH easier to load in the truck.
 

Grandpa

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We divy stuff up by the day into cheap coolers. Our ice is frozen water bottles so stuff don't get wet. Tape the later coolers shut and the ice lasts 5-7 days. One of those long lasting coolers might sure be nice but we get along just fine.
 

Roybrew

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Yes I think the Yeti stuff is over priced. The last cooler I bought was a Coleman. It was supposed to keep ice for 4 days..... ha, does great when it's below 50F degrees.

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MacGyver

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In hot weather, I've found that a Space Blanket draped over the cooler, reflective side up, goes a long way to work great to keep the ice longer. To go even more high tech, I've seen online where people are making Reflectix liners and jackets insulation to go either inside or outside of the cooler.
 

ppine

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I will never own a Yeti because it would be the first thing to get stolen. I have all different sized of coolers. The 48 quart is a handy size, but so is a 75 quart. For a week on a river a 100 quart cooler is just the ticket. There are now more imitation Yetis and knock offs all the time. I might spring for a better cooler one of these days. Space blanket, insulating material or even a wet towel make ice last a lot longer. I like the coolers with a small hatch in the lid. For a week I line the bottom of the big cooler with blocks of ice, and add several more. Large capacity is needed to hold all of that ice. Frozen water jugs can be used up as they melt.
 

jason

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I will never own a Yeti because it would be the first thing to get stolen.
There is an image going around on the local fishing sites. Someone put razor blades on the handles of their Yeti. All you saw was a ton of blood on the Yeti from where someone tried to steal it.

Wal-Mart sells Ozark Trail stuff. I hear they have a cooler that is pretty good. I have their tumblers and they work just as well as the more expensive brands.
 

adairlawrence

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I love camping during my holiday's with my families sometimes my friends. I carry my tents, medical kits, and a big size ice bag for cooling purpose. It's gonna be very big problems to carry a large ice cooling bag with us. Recently I purchased an YETI Roadie 20 Bear Proof Camping Cooler after good reviewing for me, my families, and my friends for cooling purposes. It works fine. Its usability is very easy and quality is very high. This is my best cooler I have ever used.
 
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Miellane

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I apologize for bumping...just my two cents in this old thread....

I have a 125 Yeti Tundra that I've had for about 3 1/2 yrs, and it basically looks new as well. They do make a good product, but wish that they had a longer warranty. I've never actually seen a Frigid, so can't speak to their quality. The next smaller cooler I buy will be a Pelican though, and I probably would've bought it instead a Grizzly if they were shipping...I think they just started shipping last month. The form factor of the 65 Grizzly I have is awesome though, and I plan on using it as a casting platform too. The only thing I don't like about it is the drain plug, which is not well thought out IMO. I know why they did it, and it's very functional, but you need 2 hands to open and close it which is not always convenient. You can put it on the inside as well though to eliminate it as a line catch, which is a great option although having to put 2 hands in ice cold water is not fun when you want to loosen it up...just a trade-off in the design.

Grizzly has AWESOME customer service BTW and I was able to talk to the guys designing them and gave a few tips. They were also very willing to explain why they chose to do something a particular way as well, which was nice. They can even do custom designs, so very flexible if you've got the cash.
 
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Roybrew

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I normally end up going during cold weather, so a cooler ain't much of an issue. I always look at them when I go to sporting goods stores.
 

Cappy

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Dont matter about the brand much but the size is important as I age. Much over a 48 qt is just too heavy and hard to handle. I have 6 48 qt igloos and have ahd them for years the hinges and such have all been replaced at some point and thats a plus easy access to parts. I dont use them all at once much these days but they sit at the ready in my shed cept for the one that lives in my jeep
 

ppine

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For a raft trip the cooler might be 100-120 quarts, but they stay in the boat. You gain access to the cooler by going to the boat. We never move the cooler, but it is big enough to carry many blocks of ice, plus food and drinks for a week even in hot weather. There is usually no place to resupply with ice. I close them with straps at night and on the river and have never had an animal get into one.

I also have used the big coolers for hunting trips like antelope and elk which can start in late August or September. In the warm weather it is important to get the meat in a cooler. By boning out an elk, they will fit in two 100 quart coolers.

Big coolers are handy for parties of more than 25 people.
 

Cappy

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Each to his own but I would rather and do pack deer in 2 sometimes 3 48qt chests that I can lift and carry stead of one big cooler that I cant. Went run trot lines with a friend once and we loaded his big ole cooler to the brim. When we got back to the landing I hadda get out a couple of my coolers to lighten the big cooler enough to lift outa the boat.
 
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