[cataraftgirl]

I guess if you beat the shit out of your gear, the cheaper coolers won't last long. But we have a 98 qt Igloo that we've had for 5-6 years and it is still doing fine. As cataraftgirl says, dimensions are key. A lot of those more expensive coolers are just too tall for how we have our boat rigged, so I'm happy sticking with my cheaper cooler and making my own ice (yes, tupperware and chest freezer). Thanks for the reminder, I often forget far in advance enough to make my own ice and end up using bought ice. I have fine luck with bought ice though, even though it is just pressed cubes. I do want to make my own this time, I'm hoping I can find perfect dimensions of little tubs that are bigger (and deeper) than my tupperware. What is a hospital bath basin?? For finding people with big freezers, check with people who have big gardens (freeze lots of vegi's) or are hunters. Maybe rabid couponers also, but I doubt they have their freezer seasonally empty.

The plastic basins you get in the hospital for bed baths & puking. They give me a block of ice about 12in X 9in X 4-5 in deep. If I can, I'm going to go with only home made ice on the Main Salmon in two weeks to see what kind of mileage I get over the pressed blocks.
KJ

 

[BoilermakerU]

I just don't understand why anyone would bother with a cooler that's going to last two or three seasons before the hinges blow out. You'll be back on the buzz, the coleman will be in the landfill with the hundreds of other colemans and rubbermaids, and you'll be out spending the money on another junk cooler. Three junk coolers over the next ten years, plus the frustration and poor insulation, or just throw down your credit card for another two hundred and get a Yeti that'll last twenty years. Seems like a no brainer.

Really? I have a couple of OLD Coleman and Igloo coolers. I did have one hinge fail after God knows how many years. It cost me about $10 with shipping to replace it. I can buy a LOT of hinges every 10 years or so for the cost of the more expensive brands.

I know it doesn't hold ice quite as long though, but with some ice management, you can certainly get by. I just bought another "cheap" cooler of the 120 qt variety (Igloo). It had ice in it on day 6 on the San Juan, and I forgot my towel to drape over it to keep it wet. Unless you need it for 18 days on the Grand, these coolers will suffice. This most recent purche was $70 plus shipping from Amazon. It was on sale.

 

[eideho]

I have the 128 Qt Igloo - about 4 years old - I had to order replacement latches and hinges as well as a new top. If used as a seat, it compresses the insulation and you can feel the cold on the top. A cover cushion is a must or some foam cover applied to keep ice. I am very disappointed in Igloo response for spare parts - a reason I got Igloo. I ordered the parts in June, got a lot of I am sorries, finally asked to send at least the latches and hinges - much poorer quality than the originals. I have still yet to get the top. I have another trip planned for Sept down the Main Salmon in Idaho. If I don't get the top, I am replacing the Igloo....You do get what you pay for. The Engel is steep, but I have seen it keep ice much longer than the Igloo equivalent.

 

[caverdan]

I borrowed a Galaxy cooler for a two week camping trip in Glenwood Springs. Four of us were using it and we were going through a 20 lbs bag of ice a day. I was disappointed that it didn't hold ice better than it did.

IMHO.....the best coolers to buy for rafting are the Rubbermaid with the molded in handles. They hold ice better than the Galaxy I borrowed, weigh less and are way cheaper. In a flip they stay with the boat. The secret.......molded in handles!!

 

[John_in_Loveland]

We have a 128 qt cooler, either Igloo or Coleman. I don't think it matters much between the two. We keep ice great even on super hot 8 days trips by using foil-faced bubble wrap above the ice, and then also above the food. I also started lining the cooler with this, when I recently used a tiny cooler on a warm summer trip. I liked the results and it only took up a tiny bit of space.

Where do you find foilbacked bubble wrap?

 

[John_in_Loveland]

There are a lot of posts about ice. Here's a good solution for high quality ice. We buy gallon bottles of water at the store...Safeway has some that are almost perfectly square, and resuse our gallon milk jugs. We then freeze these in our home freezer. They work great in the bottom of a cooler, keep melt water from building up and contaminating everything, and are used for drinking water as they melt.

 

[lhowemt]

Where do you find foilbacked bubble wrap?

Hardware store, used as insulation.

 

[lhowemt]

There are a lot of posts about ice. Here's a good solution for high quality ice. We buy gallon bottles of water at the store...Safeway has some that are almost perfectly square, and resuse our gallon milk jugs. We then freeze these in our home freezer. They work great in the bottom of a cooler, keep melt water from building up and contaminating everything, and are used for drinking water as they melt.

Good God, then you can't drain your cooler and you're melting your ice faster! The horror!

 

[Ladderboy]

The company I work for, use yeti 180qt ******** for are muti-day trips. (4-6 day trips) those coolers are the best coolers I have ever used, they keep ice like you couldn't beleave and guides are pretty tough on gear and they are holding up really well. But on the other hand they are realy expensive but well worth the money. I am still saveing to get my first yeti.
As for my personal coolers I use a 80qt. And two 60qt Colman coolers. I do all my own ice. I use what cataraftgirl uses. The hospital wash basens, some big water jugs so as it melts you have drinking water and for cubes ice I use the cubes that my refrigerater makes. I just get a garbage bag and start filling it every few days for a couple of weeks and store it in the freezer and I have enough cubed ice to top off my coolers. With solid ice and a little cooler management my colemans hold ice for a good 6 days.

 

[cataraftgirl]

I talked to the Tour Ice folks in Orem. 10 lb block of solid ice for $1.25. But I'd have to drive down to Orem to get it, as they don't distribute to any stores in the Salt Lake Valley. Darn, back to making my own blocks I guess.

I tried the frozen water jug thing once. It kept my cooler cleaner & dryer, but the ice didn't last as long as the block ice. And NO, let's not get into the draining vs not draining the cooler discussion again. It make's my head hurt to remember the #900 post, never-ending dialog from last summer. PLEASE, let's not go there again.

As for the OP's original question. I'd say, buy the sturdiest cooler you can afford, that fits your needs & frame, and treat it well. If you can afford the high end ones and they fit your rigging scheme, then go for it. But just know that they aren't the only way to go.
KJ

 

[funrivers]

Where do you find foilbacked bubble wrap?

It's called Reflectix. Home Despot, Ace, TruValue all carry it.

 

[Osprey]

I borrowed a Galaxy cooler for a two week camping trip in Glenwood Springs. Four of us were using it and we were going through a 20 lbs bag of ice a day. I was disappointed that it didn't hold ice better than it did.

IMHO.....the best coolers to buy for rafting are the Rubbermaid with the molded in handles. They hold ice better than the Galaxy I borrowed, weigh less and are way cheaper. In a flip they stay with the boat. The secret.......molded in handles!!

Weird, we just had Galaxy's on the Grand (pro setup) and still had ice after 17 days. Seemed to work pretty well and I can't say our cooler management was the best it could be.

 

[BoilermakerU]

... If used as a seat, it compresses the insulation and you can feel the cold on the top...

Hadn't thought of that. I don't sit on mine. If you're going to sit on it, then I can see where the more expensive coolers are going to outlast the cheaper coolers. Although one of my OLD coolers was used as a seat back in the day... It's smaller though, so it's a bit more rigid than a 128 qt or something in that range.

Aren't cooler threads fun? LOL

 

[backwardsraft]

I have both a 70 qt Coleman Extreme and a 165 qt igloo max cold with the small flip top opening within the large lid. We use the 165 qt with the flip opening for drinks with the idea that if the ice melts down to cold water of 7 days that is ok because its the drink cooler.
We use the 70 qt Coleman for food. What we try do is fill it half way with water and work with a local small grocer to put it in their walk-in freezer for a week prior to the trip. It makes the ultimate "block" ice.

 

[fishguts]

I have run a Igloo Marine 128 with stainless hinges and latches for a couple seasons now. I row from my cooler and because of the softer lid construction I get a lot of air exchange every time I sit on it or stand up. You can hear the air move past the sealing gasket with any pressure change. This accelerates my ice lose. For 100 bucks more I could of had a cooler that has a much more rugged construction eliminating the issue. If i did it again Id definitely get a better constructed product than the igloo marine.

 

[riverjunky]

Because of my narrow boat, AIRE 156D, I am limited to about a 38 inch long cooler. At first I went with an Igloo Marine 94 with stainless steel hardware. I later decided that 94 quarts wasnt enough and returned the cooler. I was able to find an all white Igloo Polar 120 that will fit my boat perfectly and cost 20 bucks less. I plan to order a stainless steel hinge and latch to toss in my boat repair kit for when the plastic ones fail. I know my cooler will require some managment but Im ok with that for now. I just bought the boat so outfitting has been costly.

 

[riverjunky]

Just picked up my Igloo Polar 120 and dropped in the raft, fits perfect with a half inch to spare between the cooler and the tubes when fully inflated!

 

[okieboater]

Hint for Fishguts, glue on a 1 /4 inch plywood sheet sized to cover the lid on top of your igloo cooler lid. That will distribute the weight and might help with the sealing.

 

[caverdan]

Weird, we just had Galaxy's on the Grand (pro setup) and still had ice after 17 days. Seemed to work pretty well and I can't say our cooler management was the best it could be.

I took a good look at it before I gave it back. The lid is warped in one corner and doesn't seal proper. We just threw stuff in it and added a bag of ice each day. We never did fill it with ice or add block ice to it. Still it didn't perform as I hoped.....but it did keep everything from getting warm as it was really hot for those two weeks.

Glad I borrowed it and could give it back.

 

[cataraftgirl]

Just picked up my Igloo Polar 120 and dropped in the raft, fits perfect with a half inch to spare between the cooler and the tubes when fully inflated!

I think you will be just fine with that cooler if you follow all the sage advice in this thread.......don't abuse it, use some foam & reflectix inside, use a pad or cover on top that you can get wet, and practice good cooler management.
KJ