(Part 2) Best camping coolers according to redditors
We found 346 Reddit comments discussing the best camping coolers. We ranked the 202 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Get a small insulated lunchbox like this, take the lid off, fill it with water, and leave it in the freezer for 24-36 hours. You'll have a big block of almost perfectly clear ice (and some water).
Get an ice pick, and break it into beautiful clear craggy ice cubes. Rinse them under the tap to shine them.
If that's too much work, get some silicone trays. They aren't truly BIFL, but they last quite a while.
REI has a very good camping checklist. Of course it's a US site and REI sells high quality stuff that is usually out of the price range of most beginners, so use it as a general guide on what you need, not necessarily the exact items you want to buy. Last time I was down under I was a shocked at the markup on imported US brands, so make do with what you can get down there.
I'm assuming you're going car camping; driving up to a campsite and unloading the gear. And I'm going to assume family of five means three kids say 8-14 or so. With older teens or more adults you'll need to pack more food and might need a bigger cooler, need a bigger tent or different sleeping arrangements.
Here are some recommendations for the basics. I'm linking to Amazon so you can see the products, and hopefully find something similar locally.
Tent - Coleman Montana 8. It's a well regarded tent for the price. Big enough for a family, can fit a couple of queen size air mattresses in there (kids can share a full size mattress or bring smaller inflatables). Whatever tent you get, make sure you take it out of the bag and try setting it up a few times. When setting up the tent, make sure you take out the poles and stakes and set them in a specific location, so they don't get lost and they don't get stepped on (and broken). If anything is confusing, get it sorted out before you go!
Sleeping bags - depends on where you are going and when. You can buy Coleman synthetic bags pretty cheap at most outdoor stores. Synthetic bags are generally heavy and bulky, but will get the job done. The rating on the bag is generally the extreme rating... as in you probably won't die at that temp but it might be a cold miserable night. Mummy bags save some weight and some bulk and are warmer, but some don't like the constrictive nature of the bags. Bring pillows from home to make things more comfortable (but note that you may have to wash them when you get home). Throw pillows will work, probably better than "backpacking" pillows. Or you can bring pillow cases and stuff them with spare clothes and jackets... I generally use throw pillows car camping.
Mattress pad - if you're car camping, don't bother with backpacking pads. Bring full size Coleman air mattresses, or even a queen. Remember you'll need some way to inflate the pad; a battery operated pump will work but is slow. You can get a pump that plugs in, but you 1. need an inverter in the car, 2. need an extension from the car into the tent since the inflated mattress probably won't fit through the door of the tent. Make sure you get the dimensions of all the air mattresses and the dimensions of the tent and make sure everything fits with some room to spare. Remember that you also need room for gear; of course the car is right there and you can always leave gear in the car, but on a chilly morning it's nicer to just open your bag and get a hat rather than run out to the car.
Stove - Camp Chef Everest dual burner propane stove. The Coleman dual burner stove is a classic and works well.
Cookset - I use full size pots and pans for car camping. You can just bring what you have at home (not too big, the stove won't fit big pots and pans), or maybe find cheaper stuff in the clearance section of some stores (if the stuff at home is too nice to bring camping). Along with the pots and pans, bring your usual utensils. You can bring paper plates, plastic cups and forks/knives, or buy "camping" stuff. Don't forget the spices and condiments, trivets for hot plates, coffee, tea, bottle/wine opener...
Water - Is there potable water at the campsite? Are you bringing your water or do you need to filter? I generally bring a couple of Coleman 5 gallon water jug. They collapse until I need them... but you really can't fill them all the way up since they're really difficult to carry. Or you might be able to buy water at the grocery store and just bring what you need - 1 gallon per day per person should be fine, more if it's hot and you're being very active.
Washing - if there's no washing facilities, you want to bring a wash basin to clean up the dishes and utensils. Don't forget the dish soap and sponge for cleaning pots and pans.
Cooler - Coleman Xtreme 70quart. Or the Igloo Max. I prefer something smaller since I've got a smaller sedan and will run into town more frequently. If you're only going overnight, you may only need a small cooler, but if your kids drink lots of milk or only cool juice, you may want to invest in a good size, well rated cooler.
Headlamps - it's good for everyone to have their own headlamps. The Black Diamond Spot is a good headlamp from a great company. You can a cheap Energizer Headlamp for under $15 for young kids, they're not great but work well enough.
Camp lantern - Coleman propane lanterns are the ol' standard, work great and cast great light. Uses the same 1lb propane tanks as the stove. But many are going with LED lanterns... these Cheap camp lanterns on Amazon seem like a pretty good deal, I've got some like them and they work fine. Very bright and very white, but cheap and effective.
Packing/hauling - Rubbermaid tote. These tubs make a great way to haul and store gear. I also store food in my tubs; make sure you can secure them so critters can't get in.
Tarp - bring a couple. It's good to have one tarp to hang over the cooking / eating area. You'll need some rope or cord to tie these up.
Folding chairs and tables - bring 'em if you've got 'em. It's much easier to cook standing up at a table.
Firewood - call ahead or check online, some campsites have firewood restrictions; some places you can't forage for wood and you need to buy it locally.
Garbage bags - bring a couple of big ones, a bunch of smaller bags if you need to pack up smelly stuff.
Well, I hope that enough for a start. Good luck!
Ya don't. Not really. But you bring tons of cold water with you and just keep hydrated. Get yourself 2 or 3 of these and every night fill them 2/3 and put them in the fridge, and top them off with ice in the morning. Maybe even 1/2 and half. That'll get you cold water all day.
I traveled the country for 4 months this summer and have a few things that I found really useful that I'll be taking on my next trip.
A few things I took with me that helped:
I don't know what kind of gear you were thinking, if you were thinking more camping gear or what, but these are things that I would totally travel with again. You're gonna have the best time, safe travels!
To add to this - if you want a lot of storage space for cheap, check out this cooler.
I’ve used a Coleman Xtreme cooler for the past 3 years at firefly. It cost me around $50, I normally only have to refill ice once(maybe twice if it’s really hot out) throughout the festival. I’ve also used dry ice in the cooler and that works well too!
https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Xtreme-Portable-Cooler-Quart/dp/B00AU6GB2K/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527647488&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=coleman+cooler&psc=1
You can get growler/crowler/bullet fills as well as cans at most breweries, but better to stock up on Saturday. You can not bring glass containers into IMS. I am taking two of these with sippy lids (remove the straw) along with a few frozen bottles of water in my backpack cooler.
-Park at the Hollywood and Highland complex. Go to CPK or another restaurant and get validation, you don't need to eat there or anything, they'll just give you validation if you ask. Walk up the hill to the Bowl. Or just take an Uber/Lyft.
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-There's a smoking section near the bathrooms on the left side of the bowl (when facing the stage). You can smoke joints there pretty easily, and cigs too if thats your thing. Be prepared to share, as some people will ask for a puff or two. I always take extra for that reason. Ideally though, take your vape pen. It's much easier, much more discreet and you can use in your seat.
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-You can grab drinks at the liquor store that's on the walk up to the Bowl. Its in the little strip mall where the Subway (sandwich shop) is. Can also grab a couple subs for easy portable eating. Good idea to take a portable soft shell cooler like [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Bag-15x12x9-Insulated-Compartments-Polyester-Insulation/dp/B013QBQ4VS/ref=sr_1_11?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1497477639&sr=1-11&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A2760690011), fill it with a bit of ice, grab some beer or wine and you're good to go.
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-Rent a seat cushion from you and your girl, they rent them out in little stalls as you're walking to your seats. They're like $0.50 each. Definitely worth it because its bench seating with no padding.
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-Generally speaking, the Bowl doesn't fill up during the week, so you'll likely be able to sit much closer than your actual seats. Give it about a half hour after the show starts, you should see large pockets of empty seats. When you see a good pocket thats closer to the stage, head down there and take a seat.
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The Bowl is easily one of my favorite venues, been going for over a decade and have never had anything but great experiences there. Be polite, be respectful and be willing to share and you'll have an amazing time.
Have fun!
It's easy!
That's it. I've made hundreds of ice cubes this way and it's quite reliable.
I bought a $20 Igloo cooler from Dick’s sports but they are also available on Amazon for $30:
IGLOO Island Breeze 48 Quart Cooler- Majestic Blue
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A1BVQYW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pqi3Db32QDF9V
I have the basic Anova $100 unit.
I had a 2.5” hole saw already, so I made a hole through the top left side and the Anova drops in there perfectly. No need to use the holder either.
It held the heat no problem.
The only you have to do is put something heavy on top of whatever meat you are cooking to keep it from floating all over the place. (I use a brick)
For $20 it was worth trying. And it worked so good now 2 of my neighbors now have the same setup as me.
I LOVE MY COLEMAN Seriously. It looks retro and keeps ICE for me for at least 3 days.
Giantex 64 Quart Heavy Duty Cooler Ice Chest Outdoor Insulated Cooler Fishing Hunting Sports, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073LRMP2H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PNnPCbQGQSXQE
I'm afraid with 3 kegs and ice the handle or wheels will break. I don't think trashcans are designed for that much weight. It may quickly become a stationary party kegerator, but that's OK too.
I use the basic Igloo Ice cube cooler it fits 2 kegs JUST barely, and i just put an emergency blanket (looks like aluminum foil) over it and always have cold beer.
For 1 keg in my cooler (or even your trash can) one amazingly clever insulating trick I picked up was this. Grease your kegs and the trash can, put the kegs in and fill the trash can with water like half way. Then get a couple of cans of Great Stuff, fill that bitch up about 4 inches with great stuff right on top of the water, then let it dry for 2-3 days. Use a knife to make the top flat, and Voila you have a removal insulating mold formed precisely to your specs.
The CO2 bottle is nice, I just use the tiny CO2 cartridges in a little contraption, I don't think they are very efficient though.
These work well: https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-C018-Soft-Cooler-Sleeve/dp/B00LGVTW5Q
I have the 70 Quart Marine cooler.
The only con's from me are the hinges are metal, and overtime stress the plastic, so I eventually just removed them as they were going to rip out the screw that was holding them on(metal screws into plastic).
There is a good bit of deadspace but I just tilt mine when I get to the bottom. I use the standard bazooka screen with a three piece ball valve on the other side, works fine. You do need an extra long shank though because the cooler is thick. Also because its thick and full of foam over tightening will cause a leak by compromising the plastic near the opening.
Amazon has it - LINK TO AMAZON
I bought this about a year ago. It lives on my boat which lives in the water full time. Has held up great and right on your budget. Unless you need to keep ice cold for a week yeti and similar are just not necessary.
Giantex 64 Quart Heavy Duty Cooler Ice Chest Outdoor Insulated Cooler Fishing Hunting Sports (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073LRMP2H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_P9GQDbSPWTWHR
If you have a tiny cooler you can make it yourself. Like this Fill it with water and toss it in the freezer for about 24 hours.
Clear ice.
For working out of town I bring this and my everyday work bag is this.
I ferment 2.5 gallon batches in this, which is great because I can close the lid even. Has been good for keeping temps ~10 degrees below ambient.
Might sound good in theory to your friend but after 10 minutes of dragging that thing around the sidewalks with a shit load of people it'll become a huge annoyance. Tell him to buy something like this http://www.amazon.com/OAGear-COOLER-SPORTS-PACK-GRAY/dp/B003I7CLB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409276214&sr=8-1&keywords=cooler+backpack it holds 20 cans
I've been using this for the last year:
link
I work doubles about 4-5 days a week and I could stuff all my meals for the day into it. It was tight but it worked.
Just this week I got a new one because the one above started to come apart... which I understand because I lug it around everywhere with me. here is the new one I got:
link
It's nice, but a little too small. I have to really cram everything in this one to fit it all. I pretty highly recommend the first one and a large ice pack.
Dry ice in a typical igloo cooler with already frozen food — half a week.
Best cooler? The free 48 qt Gatorade Igloo ice chest you get by spending $100 on Gatorade products at your local grocery store
Second best cooler... $20 Igloo Island Breeze 48 Quart Cooler- Majestic Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A1BVQYW/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_RbYmDbA831RC8
Without dry ice.... freeze milk jugs of water and add bubble wrap covers inside the chest to keep the cold in. Drink the water after it’s melted.
Cooler with telescoping handle and solid wheels 40 bucks
Rechargable hand blender - 100 bucks
https://www.amazon.com/TOURIT-Backpack-Insulated-Lightweight-Compartment/dp/B079JK6G2V?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_15968185011
To most people a full humidor means, "Time to stop."
To r/cigars, that full humidor just means, "You've got a good start."
Definitely tupperdor time...or my personal favorite, The Coolerdor.
So. Much. Storage.
That exact one is on Amazon.
Ha! Try something like this.
lol @ the Yeti suggestions. Those fuckers weigh so much. No one wants to carry in 40lbs of beer and cooler.
I have this: https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-2000025131-24-Hour-30-Can-Cooler/dp/B01C3VBD04/ref=pd_sim_468_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZHN686DGNDK5QGF8CGB0
It'll hold a 24 of PBR without opening the box, perfectly. And the little hand flap thing on the top is primo for getting beers out without actually opening the whole thing.
Works great, and you can buy a dozen of them for the cost of the expensive softside coolers.
>https://www.amazon.com/Polar-Bear-Eclipse-UV-Resistant-Backpack/dp/B01BLO362C/
What kind of capacity does that Polar Bear one have? I'm torn between one like that and one that is a bit more traditional backpack shape.
This is a popular affordable option: https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-2000013747-28-Can-Backpack-Cooler/dp/B00J0S019S/
I have one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Polar-Bear-Eclipse-UV-Resistant-Backpack/dp/B01BLO362C/ and it works quite well. I think I paid around $100-150 though.
The Aerocoast cooler/combo kit isn't big enough for my liking. It has the cooler space but lacking flight bag space. I use this bag from Amazon from a recommendation on our pilot facebook page
I use the top flap for flight bag stuff. It fits checklists on the bottom, I keep flashlight, battery pack, sunglasses and Bose A20's (not in the case) in the top section. Cooler section is good to bring at least a few meals with you depending on the size of containers you bring. I haven't had any real issue with it. The cooler liner can zip out so you can clean it easier, and even comes with a 2nd one as a replacement.
Front pocket I keep my Miscellaneous stuff: Pens, charging cords, sticky notes, mini germX bottle, Emergen-C packets, etc.
The back of the bag can slip over your suitcases handles so it rests on top of the suitcase which is how I carry it. Unfortunately its not really compatible with a "J-hook" from what I can tell. I dont like using my J-hook anyway which is why I really like this bag.
My advice is to take your humidor and place the whole thing in a cooler. I was having the same problem with a solid top humidor since my humidity is 30% or less. I am using this
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-3000000020-48-Quart-Cooler-Blue/dp/B00363RSUS/ref=pd_sim_sg_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JRTSEWCTTRP9QQ0AACT
I happen to use Xikar digital hygrometer.
If you decide you want to go the backpack route but think you'll need a cooler if you don't have fridge access most of the time, you can get a cooler backpack! I looked into this one before ultimately deciding to just use a backpack I already had. https://www.amazon.com/Igloo-60429-Marine-Cooler-Backpack/dp/B00URO1UDU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1495725753&sr=8-5&keywords=Cooler+backpack
Looks like an old style of COLEMAN coolers - here it is on amazon
I use something like this
I need a lunch kit! Since starting my job I have become less active and put on some weight due to poor eating habits because of scheduling. I am attempting to cook more and take food to work to get back in a routine and drop the weight and start working out again. Since I don't have a lunch kit, often I am in a hurry in the mornings and don't have time to grab everything and put in my work bag. This would make it easy to prepack and have ready to just grab in the mornings. Making me healthier :)
I bought this one last year and it worked great!
https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Xtreme-Portable-Cooler-Quart/dp/B00AU6GB2K/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1520623697&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=coleman+xtreme+cooler&psc=1
Coleman 70 Quart Xtreme Cooler
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00AU6G81Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?psc=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=thebigaawes06-20&linkId=4e031e1aeecacd437627d2ec5c7f3051
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41pBjtWkboL.jpg
Are you allowed to keep a small cooler of water at the shelter, like this? If so, secure some healthy perishables (fresh fruits, veggies, small bottle of lactose-free milk), double-bag them in Ziploc bags, put them inside, then fill the balance with ice. That'll keep everything nicely cold and you'll have a good supply of cold water as the ice melts, too.
With your medical conditions, shelf-stable healthy foods are going to be a bit difficult to come by. Peanut butter is a good mainstay but with your diabetes you'll need to stay with the all-natural (no sugar added) stuff. Nuts, seeds, and dried fruit mixes (trail mix) are a good shelf-stable option. "Trail bars" can also work but be aware that many of them have added sugars and honey to maintain the bar shape which may not work so well with your diabetes.
Proteins are tough but not impossible. Most packaged meat products are heavy in salts so check the nutritional information before buying. Jerky may also be a good but be aware of salt and sugar additions; molasses is a common ingredient in jerky.
Also consider MREs. They are readily available on ebay and many online stores and package a lot of calories in a shelf-stable package. Many of them also include chemical heaters for preparation, and dietary options (e.g., low sodium) are available too. They can be a bit costly; figure around $7-$10 per meal.
I have one of these things.
Works pretty well.
Tubes are pretty damned stretchy, and they'll form around the cooler nice and snug. If it's an especially large cooler, you may need an extra set of hands to stretch it around, or a larger tube, but once inflated, it won't go anywhere. It helps to use a tube that's been inflated and stretched a bit first, a brand new tube will be tougher to stretch out manually.
EDIT: These things exist, too. You could cut the floor out potentially. Or this thing might work if you want to leave your cooler at home.
I have one of these. It's pretty high quality and still cheap compared to renting from a company. The only complication is that you need two cars to coordinate rides. My friend also has one of these which lets us bring along a boatload of drinks and snacks.
If you stick with that brand, they have a great locking system to attach everyone together.
Here's the thing about a cooler / Ice chest: They are just an insulated box. It's really easy to make a decent cooler and also really easy to make one that is junk. We got the Coleman Steel Belted Cooler as a wedding gift and we're very happy with it. We had a BBQ at the end of summer and it was filled with ice and soda. We left it on our sun porch until the soda was gone about a week later. It was like having a second fridge that thing stayed so cold and this was on my sunporch!
My father was in the concession business back in the 80s and he still has his old Igloo (I think) cooler. The hinges are broken but he never replaced them; he just put some duct tape on the sides to keep the lid from flying off. It still keeps food cold.
If you're in the market for a cooler and there's one available at Walmart... this cooler keeps stuff cold for 5 days. It's amazing. https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Quart-Xtreme-Marine-Cooler/dp/B00DP67PZY