Link to that test? I'd like to see that!

 

You mean considering you can get a Coleman extreme 120qt for $50

 

I've got the Engel 123 and I love it

 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...?v=6-TE4RnqT0U&ei=AhXSUa3nGOnvygHD8YCQCg&usg=AFQjCNEPWph_2Z9maURoiwCxZu5AK9FL1w
Here's that link to the test.

 

I've been happy with my 123 Engle, I had some dry ice in there and the cooler got so cold it froze soda cans on the bottom solid after two days one can blew up, the cans were not completely frozen pre trip meat was still frozen solid mid trip with semi good management still had ice when we got home after 7 days in the desert. I've also had good performance from my igloo 120 if I don't open it things stay cold for a few days but the hinges broke off so now I have metal door hinges on it with bolts. NRS' new coolers look like a copy of Engle's design.

 

Thanks for the link, interesting! Engel it is!

 

not to beat a dead horse but from Engels web site as far as recommendations

Do not drain the water from the cooler – the cold water from melted ice helps keep the items inside colder longer

ENGEL USA - AC/DC FRIDGE/FREEZERS | PERFORMANCE COOLERS - - Keep Ice Longer

 

Best if the cold water (thermal mass) is in jugs -wwhhhiinnny

not to beat a dead horse but from Engels web site as far as recommendations

Quote:
Do not drain the water from the cooler – the cold water from melted ice helps keep the items inside colder lo

 

You might want to look at Canyon Coolers as well, if you are looking at Engel and Yeti

Premium Coolers, Canyon Coolers

What Avatard says I agree 100%, the lids on more expensive coolers is what you are paying money for. Hard solid dance platform!

 

Ya I just checked them out, I like them, and they have the dimensions I want, which some of the other brands didn't, plus the price is great, well better anyway, not to mention I couldn't find the dimensions on Engel's site whats up with that???

 

Canyon was my first choice. They are sold out in the size I need, and most sizes for that matter.... and forget about white. I got 10 xtra quarts, a divider and free shipping with the Engel for the same price. Speaking about lid strength: pretty sure I read Engel's had i-beam construction and is certified bear proof. Not to mention they have some sweet-ass custom seat cushions you can get that would probably increase insulation(foam).

 

For dimensions go into additional information. Very detailed measurements.

 

+1 on Canyon coolers. I have two of them. A 105 and a 52. Both are sturdy and hold ice very well. The selling factors for me were sizes that no one else carries, and slightly lower prices. I searched forever for the biggest cooler that would fit my frame, and not kill my wallet. Canyon had what I was looking for.It is true that they are hit and miss on availability and color choices.

 

I have the Engel 123, the thing that bugs me about it is feet in the corners. It's a PITA to slide across rough surfaces when loaded. I also have a canyon cooler (smooth bottom which is lovely) which is half the size of the Engel and works as good as the Engel at keeping things cold.
My opinion is shop your desired size in both and buy the one you get the best deal on.

 

10% better cost 40% more

 

I wish that were true. Sure would be easier on the wallet to surf the costco/walmart websites for gear instead of nrs/cascade. Btw have you seen rubbermaids new line of dryboxes?

 

Amazing ice chest. One of the best there is for the money. The next step up would be something like the Grizzly coolers...both better than Yeti. And certainly far better than any Coleman or Igloo coolers out there. The Igloo Yukon is also a great Roto-molded cooler. That would be my 3rd pick.

A authorized Engel USA dealer is - Engel Coolers | Engel Freezers | Portable Refrigerator

You can check out specs on all top name ice chest coolers at www.TheBestCooler. com

They are authorized distributors so you'll be covered if there's any issues with the coolers when purchased which people should be aware of. God forbid you buy one from some joe smo online and happen to need another cooler/warranty due to a defect or something which is inevitable with any product.

Anyways...Engel coolers rock!

 

I have an Engel. I chose it because it was the best fit in my 16 foot Vanguard boat. It makes a good passenger seat with a Silverback pad over it for padding and to help keep it in the shade. I would have bought any of the high end coolers that fit the space between my tubes. Engel 123 fit the best. We tested one of the new Black Rock Coolers (150) on our Grand trip and it also performed well. It made a good rowing seat on my friends cat.

We also had an Igloo 150 on the trip. We packed it as the first cooler to be emptied. It was empty by day 4 or 5 but it seemed to work fine for that time.

Ice was frozen into all the coolers and different amounts of ice were frozen into each cooler so it would be impossible to compare the different coolers. We had great ice retention on the trip and it can be attributed to freezing the ice into the coolers. In some of the coolers food was frozen into the ice. This also worked very well. My friend ate a steak that has been frozen in the ice of his Black Rock Cooler 23 days after the cooler came out of the Walk in freezer. His cooler was frozen to within 2.5 inches of the lid. and was planned to be the last cooler used.

Plastic Bins filled with meat were frozen into the ice with their tops just above to level of the ice. Foam was placed over the meat and the top was sealed then the top was covered by more ice. The very top of the cooler was filled with yogurt. The space could have been filled with dry ice. For a mid summer trip that might be a good idea. The cooler wouldn't evens start melting till day3 or so! Walk in cooler is a great thing to have the use of when packing for a Grand trip!

 

Great Post!



Great post!!!

 

Anyone know of a cooler larger than 100 quart, 36" or less length, that you can get dividers for?

 

You can always make your own dividers. Piece of Cake!

 

happening now!

The great "My cooler is better than your cooler" debate
repeat for 2013 begins................

 

When the hinges went south on a Coleman cooler we had we replaced it with an Engel. We have a Yeti also. I think the hinges are better on Engel and Yeti coolers than on Colemans. I like the latches better on the Yeti, our Engel lost one first trip. Also, our Engel has feet - which I dislike as they are always catching on stuff. Both the Yeti and the Engel do well with keeping river water out, you could use them as dryboxes, the Coleman often let river water in. My order of preference is Yeti>Engel>Coleman and the preference is based entirely on things other than keeping cold.

 

I had to go look at my Engel and yes they do have feet. I never noticed but if they had bothered me I'd take a saw or grinder or belt sander or some other tool to them and they'd be gone. But I'm a handy kind of guy so that's why I wouldn't think twice about making my own dividers.

Sorry you had a pro problem with the latches. Did the company help you out? Nice to know if Engel stands behind their product.

 

I had to go look at my Engel and yes they do have feet. I never noticed but if they had bothered me I'd take a saw or grinder or belt sander or some other tool to them and they'd be gone. But I'm a handy kind of guy so that's why I wouldn't think twice about making my own dividers.

Sorry you had a pro problem with the latches. Did the company help you out? Nice to know if Engel stands behind their product.

David,
The latch bail popped off, we found on the cataraft floor (lucky) and reattached it. It hasn't happened since - but the ease with it came off and was placed back on means it will happen again someday. We have been meaning to get extra latches. We haven't taken the feet off for fear that it will open up the cooler to water entering the interior of the cooler walls (if that is possible). I suppose we might call Engel and ask. I hate those feet.

 

Where is a good place to get the foam to put on the top layer inside the cooler?
I have a nice cooler foam cooler cover but would like to ad foam on the inside. Safeway sells a cooler bag we have been cutting the bag in half and using that to cover the top layer and works great its like a space blanket material.

 

Depends on exactly what kind of foam you prefer but Walmart sells blue closed cell foam sleeping pads in the camping isle 4 cheap. Easy to cut too.

where is a good place to get the foam to put on the top layer inside the cooler?

 

thanks Ill get the foam next time im at the evil empire.

 

Perhaps you could cut four circles of plastic out of a kayak and glue them over the softer rubber feet. They should slide better with the harder plastic kind of like those things they put under sofa feet.

 

NRS big sky 146, Yeti 160 and Coleman ultimate Extreme

Not to stir the fire but this was my experience from a 9 day deso/gray float with 3 coolers. The NRS and Yeti both had 2 3 gallon buckets of Ice. The NRS had all frozen food and 30+ lbs of bagged Ice to fill the cooler to the top. The Yeti cooler was not nearly as full of ice and had milk, frozen food, about 20 lbs of Ice and 3 baskets in the lid for things we did not want frozen. The Coleman Ultimate Extreme 100 qt had 2 4 gallon buckets of ice, 4 gallons of milk and 20+ lbs of Ice on top of it all. We were into the Yeti multiple times a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The NRS only once every couple of days, and the Coleman only 3 times towards the end of the trip. We had very little ice on day 8 in the Yeti but still had a couple of good chunks of Ice. I attribute this to the multiple times/day we were into the cooler. The NRS cooler still had cubed ice floating around at probably day 6. On day 8 I took the remnants of one of the 3 gallon blocks from the NRS cooler and added it to the Yeti. I don't think the Yeti could have made it another day plus travel home but may have made it to Green River for a top off. The piece I took out of the NRS was a bit smaller than a 7 lb block from the store. The Coleman extreme still had 1 gallon of milk and ice when we got home, but not much. The Ice from the NRS and Yeti were still on the front lawn when I woke up the next morning.

I thought the Coleman Extreme Marine would do much better. The first time I got into it it was frozen solid but once I took a gallon out it went down hill fast. The Coleman and yeti were always covered up. The only time we got into the Coleman was to retrieve a gallon of milk in the morning then the remaining milk went back into the Yeti. I'm convinced the high end coolers are far superior especially since we put so much ice into the Coleman cooler and only opened it up 3 times.

 

Igloo Yukon Cooler

Better late than never. Bought 120 Quart igloo Yukon for GC trip in March. Put in freezer prior to leaving. Ice lasted till day 22. When we hit Pearce Ferry there was no ice, day 23, but water was still very cold. Feet are reversible so it will slide out of pick up truck easily. Love 3 inches of insulation in the lid. I hope/believe it is as good a cooler as is out there if you are inclined to spend the money. Hope this helps.

 

There you go! Buy a cooler that best fills the bay of your boat. Buy a cooler that a 250 pound guy can jump on. For best results on a long trip freeze layers of water into the cooler and cover with a layer of foam that covers the food. Any food that can be frozen should be frozen. Keep the cooler out of the sun and remember to drain every day or is it don't drain every day I can never remember.