Does anyone have experience with their Deep Blue coolers? They seem pretty sweet and slightly cheaper than the competition. Watched a test where they went up against Igloo Marine, Coleman X-treme, Yeti and another high end cooler(can't remember name). Both the Engel and the cheap Coleman out-performed the Yeti. Got the Engel Deep Blue 80 qt on the way. Cost was $379 w/free shipping from outdooroutfitters.com
Engel Coolers?
BryanS.
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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.
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.
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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.
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They aren't actually dry...saw my buddy's take on a good bit of water in splashy class 3. Not sure the point of calling it a drybox. It should just be a cooler. The price is great, just misleading.
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Yeah, seeing as an Engel 30qt cooler is usually $245, I'm thinking he meant the 13qt model (usually $49).
Edit: or maybe this one: http://www.buy-engel-coolers.com/engel-uc-30-qt-dry-box-cooler/ But no comparison to the Deep Blue insulated coolers...
We just used one on our recent MF trip and it was very dry. Even had it mount on the front of our cat, so it took the full brunt of the water. I'd been wanting to check this one out for a while. So far we're pleased with the performance. We used it for a day cooler and as a transition from the frozen section of the main cooler. I don't think it has much in the way of insulation. We got it from AKS for $60 and free shipping. $35 is a deal.
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Been wanting to add one to keep sandwiches dry on day trips and for a day/lunch cooler for longer trips.
Would also be great to leave at the takeout full of beer for kayak daytrips.
They don't look like they have as much insulation as the bigger Engels--but are they OK for 12-24 hours? (no worse insulation than $20 Igloos...but a good dry seal?)
Would also be great to leave at the takeout full of beer for kayak daytrips.
They don't look like they have as much insulation as the bigger Engels--but are they OK for 12-24 hours? (no worse insulation than $20 Igloos...but a good dry seal?)
Oh yeah. No problem.
It has a soft seal between the lid and base. The latches are SS (assumed), but I can see that they might wear to the point where they don't stay latched all of the time. We had a loop strap going over it that helped hold it in place, but it really didn't contribute to holding the lid tight. It stayed dry for us. Tappan Falls is a pretty good test for dryness, I'd say.
We brought our cheap Coleman 120 qt cooler (w/ a few mods) as our main cooler and wound up sticking the frozen margs & marinated chicken in the Engle for a couple of days due to space limitations. Your not going to have ice after 16 days on a summer GC trip with this cooler.
.....but, it didn't cost $500 either.
BTW, it is the 30 qt cooler I'm referring to. 19'' x 14''h x 12'' w
It has a soft seal between the lid and base. The latches are SS (assumed), but I can see that they might wear to the point where they don't stay latched all of the time. We had a loop strap going over it that helped hold it in place, but it really didn't contribute to holding the lid tight. It stayed dry for us. Tappan Falls is a pretty good test for dryness, I'd say.
We brought our cheap Coleman 120 qt cooler (w/ a few mods) as our main cooler and wound up sticking the frozen margs & marinated chicken in the Engle for a couple of days due to space limitations. Your not going to have ice after 16 days on a summer GC trip with this cooler.
.....but, it didn't cost $500 either.BTW, it is the 30 qt cooler I'm referring to. 19'' x 14''h x 12'' w
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:lol: GC is going to be a once- or twice-in a lifetime trip for me. I could always rent a cooler. :lol: More concerned about 30 daytrips and an overnight or two a year. Kids are a bit older now, so we might add a multiday a season.Your not going to have ice after 16 days on a summer GC trip with this cooler.
BTW, it is the 30 qt cooler I'm referring to. 19'' x 14''h x 12'' w
That's the cooler I'm thinking, too. I'd probably put footman loops on the bottom so I can strap it to my side boards.
As far as footman loops, it already has them molded on the sides and bottom. Not sure I'd trust the ones on the bottom for real white water though. Maybe have a loop strap handy when the big stuff comes up.
We are going on our 3rd GC trip(in 7 yr) this Sept. I hope to get a few more in before I hang up the oars.
We are going on our 3rd GC trip(in 7 yr) this Sept. I hope to get a few more in before I hang up the oars.
I've got one of these- My second, actually. I like it quite a lot. It has plenty of insulation for two or three days. It's a great size for two folks on a day trip. As far as the seal goes.... the reason I'm on my second one is that the first imploded the first time I used it. I left my home at 8300' and drove over Eisenhower pass to the Roaring Fork- when I opened the thing for my first cold one, most of the beers had their caps blown off- and the bottom of the cooler was fractured. The seal on these is so tight that I now place part of the strap between the lid and the box while I'm towing to the river- I remove it when I strap it to my raft frame for the day. The latches are stainless and quite sturdy- the material on the outside of the cooler is a harder plastic than a roto-molded Engel- and the inside is a little too hard from my experience. Easier to clean, I'm sure- but beware of the air-tight seal these develop. There is no drain- and I think that probably adds to the air-tight seal to some degree. It cost me a six pack- but fortunately the good folks at DRE were able to get me a replacement from Engel. Given what else is out there of this size and quality, I'd buy it again for sure. Wish I'd gotten it at the discount- that's a steal!
Oh, good point. We had similar experience, but we were only going from our house at 7000' to Boundary Creek. Not quite as drastic a change as you, so no damage and it was hauling frozen stuff anyway. It didn't take too much effort to open it. but prolly a good idea to open occasionally during the trip to the put in. BTW, we did use dry ice in it, but insulated the cooler from the super cold temps w/ some of the foil bubble wrap.
Nice idea. Would you just epoxy these on to the sides of the cooler?
No need- It comes with a set on the sides, and a set on the bottom.
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Thanks both, that's good to know. I looked at one briefly last week, but didn't look close enough.
I'd love to not have to strap the top for easy II-III, but would definitely throw a strap over it for bigger rivers. Thanks also, Osseous for the great testimonial!
For any Canadians looking for a deal, I found a retailer that is actually having a promo on them right now. They sent me a pdf with the following info...
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I'm not sure what shipping is going to cost yet, but I'm going to order at least one very soon so I can report back on that.
I'm not sure what shipping is going to cost yet, but I'm going to order at least one very soon so I can report back on that.
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