However, this is just speculation and not something we witnessed during our extensive testing. The Igloo BMX also has T-grip latches with slightly different shapes and thicknesses that both get the job done just fine. The IGBC specifically states that this does not mean the product in question can’t be opened or destroyed by a bear, nor does it mean the product is leakproof. That said, even the minimum construction standards coleman instant tent required to deter a hungry 10 foot long, 900 lb grizzly lend a lot of credibility to the durability of a product. Models we reviewed that are IGBC certified include the Yeti Tundra 65, Orca 58 and 40, Pelican Wheeled 80 and Elite 20, Engel 65, Arctic Zone Titan 55, and RovR RollR 60. These products proved to be very durable, despite the fact our team was unable to find a grizzly bear willing to test each of them rigorously.
Simply put, if you want a low-cost, relatively effective ice chest for most typical outdoor excursions then Coleman has just the product for you. Quite frankly, most people don’t need a cooler that can hold ice for 6 days and be able to survive a bear attack. Their ice chests are designed to last for many days and you can put them through the extremes that nature can throw at you and they coleman sundome will typically come out the other side unscathed. There are also some unique features exclusive to Yeti as well as some accessories that harness their power. But you will pay a very high asking price to enjoy this Yeti experience. Oh, and if you’ll be spending lots of time camping in a place where bears are a concern, then you’ll probably want to invest in a bear-resistant cooler.
If you’re wondering what kind of foam your cooler has, a good rule of thumb is to try to squeeze the foam with your fingers. If your fingers can compress the foam more than 75%, you’re probably dealing with open-cell foam. If the foam feels denser than that and doesn’t compress much at all, you probably have your hands on closed-cell foam. As with all soft coolers, you shouldn’t leave the RTIC Soft Pack Cooler out in the sun or resting on very hot surfaces like the back of a pickup truck or on top of a picnic table for a long time. Although the exterior of the cooler is made of a durable, thickly coated nylon—waterproof and tough—the sun and heat will degrade the material and slowly wear it out.
While all these things will help extend the life of your ice and, therefore, the freshness of your food, it’s unlikely that every consumer will follow these stipulations for each use. So we tested these coolers the way that we, and most consumers, would use them. We bought some ice, filled each model coleman instant tent about ⅓ full, and put a mixture of cold and room temperature cans in them. Then we simulated a hot summer trip by sealing them in a heated room for over a week while tracking and recording each unit’s internal temperature. For the ultimate in portability, the IceMule Pro is where we turn to.
And for wheeled models, of course, we considered how that pair of spinning discs affects the chest’s usage when you’re not actively pulling it around. Ease of use is a critical factor in your overall happiness with any given product. We gauged how easy each cooler was to open and close — whether or not the lid fully shut after closing, latch maneuverability, ease of loading, capacity, and if it included any convenient features like dry bins.
Other high-end coolers are becoming more popular as well, such as those from Engel, RTIC, and Grizzly as well as the Igloo Yukon and Coleman Xtreme. The Company Store is located in the lower level of the Werner Enterprises Global Headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. We have satellite stores located in the Atlanta, Dallas, Fontana, Joliet, Lake City, Lehigh Valley, Phoenix and Springfield terminals. Payroll Deduct, Safety credits and Credit card payments are allowed at all terminal locations. For web orders returned in store, please take the item in original packaging, along with invoice to any
Camping World retail locations for a refund or exchange. Refunds
are issued to the original form of payment; some exclusions may apply.
I also took each cooler’s design and features into consideration as I tested and kept an eye out for durability concerns. I wasn’t impressed with the lid on the Igloo Latitude wheeled cooler, for instance. Give it a modest yank and the whole lid comes right off — and the cheap plastic wheels didn’t leave me impressed, either. To that end, I carefully filled each cooler with water to the point that closing the lid would cause some water overflow. Then I measured out the exact number of quarts each cooler could hold — important information to have when you’re dealing with large quantities of melted ice. If anything, the smaller, cheaper models were mostly conservative in their estimates, with ones like the Coleman Xtreme and Igloo Latitude wheeled coolers coming in several quarts more sizable than advertised.