The coolness of the cooler is really just dependent on your whole color scheme. Does the cooler look cool? That is the most important factor in cooler selection.

 

I had the same issue. Go with the one that matches your boat. It'd be better to have warm beer than a boat that isn't color coordinated.

 

If they had a black one that would be sick...I bet it would hold ice really well too.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Steel-Cooler-Matte-54-Quart/dp/B00DP67KZ4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1445481110&sr=8-2&keywords=black+cooler

I'd get one to match the Neo Hyside! Weight though21 lbs

 

Haha......you guys are funny! So it's either sarcasm or there's no difference between white and tan. I'm far from color coordination, so there's no point!

 

Sorry, I just struggle to believe that a minuscule difference in color will do anything more than offer a minuscule difference in the rate of ice melt.
Plus, I can't help but harass all you rafters in the cooler threads that pop up once a week.

 

I agree, but my question was to the point. I didn't think it made a difference, but I have zero experience.

 

Plus when you run out of ice on a multiday trip(happened this year), and you're going to spend some money on a better cooler, just want to make sure. Not looking for cooler option or "best way to keep ice".

 

seriously? one word for you: albedo - the darker something is in the sunshine, the more energy it will absorb. tan will absorb a little more heat than white, but not as much as brown or blue or black.

i get it, you're really just trolling to make rafters look like idiots to all the kayakers, right?

 

I have always wondered why they made coolers in any color other than white,it's a cooler why attract heat?


Sent from my iPad using Mountain Buzz

 

Solar Gain



The perfect color is a mirror. The least perfect color is black with a dull matte. The sun has a finite amount of energy at the contact surface...depending on several variables. You choose to accept or reflect it.
Back to the cooler though. Have one of these gents make you a big aluminum or stainless box. Line that box, lid, and floor with 5" of dense polystyrene, glass the inside to hold water. Your box will be twice as efficient as the aforementioned Engals cooler. The net effect is your ice burden is cut in half. Your money went to a us fabricator in lieu of melting off as water.

 

CoBoater.....I'm sure you wouldn't respond to me like that in person, not a very respectful response. I've kayaked for 20 years.....

I'm not asking between other color, obviously blue, BLACK are going to attract heat. The question was simply between white and tan, which isn't a huge color difference. Anyone with any experience care to reply.

 

CoBoater.....I'm sure you wouldn't respond to me like that in person, not a very respectful response. I've kayaked for 20 years.....

I'll bite - have you tried contacting the manufacturers of coolers that interest you to ask your question(s) about color, etc.?

I don't think anyone could respond to you in person. It's next to impossible to see you in person and it must be prearranged at least 1 week in advance to get you to pick up your phone. Anyways....

 

Contacted Engels directly, they state no difference in performance.......but I've learned never to trust manufacturer's

 

I used my Tan Engle on an 8 day san Juan trip with average highs over 100 degrees. I used some dry ice on bottom, but bottom line, I still had ice at takeout.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLKhxjfG03A

 

I bought a tan Yeti, the bottom line: it sucked. Thankfully, it got hot enough on a trip and the lid warped, I sent it back and they shipped me a new, white one last year. Keeps
Ice very well. Btw, their customer service was excellent, it didn't cost me a dime.


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Thank you very much, wildh2onriver and denali for the feedback.

 

Any color other than white will get hotter in the sun. However with thick and good quality insulation, the difference in energy that actually transfers through the insulation into the cooler might be insignificant.

However, and this may actually be where the performance evens out, is that a color other than white will have a higher emissivity, meaning it radiates energy (cools down) faster once it stops absorbing energy (from the sun). So as soon as you take your other-than-white colored cooler out of the sun, it will cool off faster. And the insulation behind the exterior will cool off faster because the outside will be radiating more energy.

I bet the difference in performance over several days in 8 hours of direct sunlight would be hours worth of ice. And the number of times you open and close your lid, and the way you pack your stuff, will probably be a much bigger factor.

It would be cool to do a heat transfer simulation of 8 hours of sunlight with 8 hours of no sunlight and compare different colored surfaces with identical insulation backing and look at a graph of heat transfer over time, with a total amount of energy absorbed at the end. Anyone have time and means to do that?

 

As a guy with an LAS background, I'm always appreciative of the engineers and scientists on this forum. When you guys drop some knowledge, it's usually pretty interesting.

 

I would hope that someone doing a multiday trip in hot climate would have the smarts to either:
1. keep the cooler shaded at all possible times. aka bimini. aka umbrella.
or
2. keep the cooler directly covered. aka paco pad. aka mexican blanket. aka bikini clad female sunning themselves.

I have white and grey coolers. No noticeable difference in icemelt rate.

 

Thank you for taking the time for the explanation Mattoak. Everyone can agree that in theory white would be cooler, but reality can be different from the expected. But hey some are great at posting videos and star trek pics.

The rivers I'm on are too windy for biminis or umbrellas, covered with a pad, which ironically is blue in cooler!

 

What kind of wind are we talking about here? I ran my bimini on the dreaded Snake lake in some pretty serious headwind, and it shed the wind really well, no real noticeable difference with it up compared to down. Sidewinds have a small tendency to catch a little, but the worst that will happen is you'll spin if you have your oars out of the water.

 

The cooler has to be green otherwise it does not work

 

Many elite coolers companies(Yeti, Engel, Grizzly, Canyon, etc.) carry both white and tan coolers, I would imagine that they wouldn't compromise their ice retention capabilities with the tan color would they? Mattoak gave excellent, informative feedback, wildh2onriver stated that his tan colored Yeti "sucked", I hope he can elaborate on why. Some chose to have a myopic response, Stanford and Waldorf(Muppet characters) come to mind, I was even referred to as a troll......thanks. I guess I should've asked if anyone NOTICED any difference between the 2 colors(white and tan), but many commented on the colors of blue, black, green??????

 

Look at the second page, and you'll have your answer.

Really Scott......you need to use a US website to take a shot??? Thus once again, a lesson on being respectful. Thanks.

 

Really Scott......you need to use a US website to take a shot??? Thus once again, a lesson on being respectful. Thanks.

Look at the Irony of what you said - that he wouldn't say what he did to your face? You took that as a sign of disrespect somehow (but how is he supposed to respect you, he has no idea who you are? and quite frankly your question could sound silly to some - I think it's just semantics but anyhoo, it's important to you to the extent that you felt like asking about it) And I responded that he would never see your face, you're hard to get ahold of, etc. (which is very true, you are hard to get ahold of) That is ironic don't you think?

And it's a friendly sentiment, - a bit of ribbing/jabbing at who you are. You're a busy guy, got lots on your plate, and hard to get get ahold of because you live a dynamic life balancing your family as the only breadwinner, personal responsibilities as a father/husband and living a life trying to get out on the river. An insecure person IMHO would take it as a shot. If you are secure with yourself, and just accept that right now those are your circumstances, you'd say: good one Scott - thanks for knowing me enough to give me a hard time and point that out. I think you've been driving with ear plugs in your ears too much lately!

Just remember - sometimes, water is thicker than blood.

 

If you DON'T know or have any experience with the question asked, why would you respond? The point was if I asked CoBoater face to face, I don't think he'd respond the same way. I easy to make sarcastic comments on the Internet when there's no accountability.

There's a lot of things I would like to say to you, this is not the place to do it, and only reinforces why I suggested we go our separate way. I still wish you well, and hope you can move ahead.

If you have any experiences on coolers, then respond.

 

If you DON'T know or have any experience with the question asked, why would you respond? The point was if I asked CoBoater face to face, I don't think he'd respond the same way. I easy to make sarcastic comments on the Internet when there's no accountability.

Coming on here all high and mighty like you own the place is only going to get you the answers you deserve, and not require. It's ironic that you speak of accountability of others when don't hold yourself to that same level of accountability.

As for your other comments, check your email. Oh, and I will say it to your face. It's just slightly easier for me than CoBoater - not as long of a drive.

 

Thanks Mattoak for your informative response!

I'm not willing to risk going with the tan color, lack of info, I'll just stick with good old white.

 

This sure is a. Strange Brew

 

I agree! I asked a question about cooler color. I just asked to be respectful with answers that's all.

Speycatr........sorry no longer engaging.