Coolers are essential if you want to keep you meet fresh and and your drinks cold. They can also help keep wildlife from you camp by sealing in the smells of the food.
Obviously, they are only good for car camping as they are a pain to transport, especially when they are heavy with food and drink.
There is nothing better than coming back to camp from a long hike and picking out a cold beer. I highly recommend investing in a good cooler. There are many to choose from and I will try to help you pick the right one for you.
What should you look for in a Cooler?
- Size/Storage space – This will depend how many of you there are and what you will be doing. Going for a night with a few old friends? Then you will have to make sure you have enough room for your beers. Spending a few days with the family? You will have to try to work out if you will be just keeping meat and other perishables in the cooler or do you want room for drinks as well.
- This is a personal choice but I suggest getting something a little bigger than what you think you might need. There will alway be things you want to take with you that you haven’t thought of and you need to leave room ice or ice packs. The fact that you will be car camping means that having a slightly bigger cooler than what you need won’t make too much of a difference.
- Hard or Soft – My first cooler was a soft shell. They are fine for short camps but they just aren’t as good as the hard box for keeping things cool. They also aren’t good at keeping critters out of your food. I came back to camp one day to find my cooler ripped open by some animal. That is when I got a hard case cooler.
- Lockable – If you are going to be away from your camp during the day you will need to make sure your cooler is lockable. I’ve heard of peoples food being stolen in the past both by animals and humans. You will also need to secure it to something like a tree to make sure no one walks away with the whole thing. If you are camping in bear country you will want a certified bear proof cooler.
- Electrical cooler – Every time you open the lid of your cooler it greatly reduces the time it will stay cool. Some coolers come with a built-in cooler motor that will run off they 12 volt battery of you car. You just plug it into your lighter socket in your car. So you can plug it in maybe once a day if you think things are getting a little warm. I have even seen people take a spare 12 volt battery with them to their camp so that they can have the cooler cooling and not have to worry about running down their car battery.
- Wheels – Having wheels on your case is a good ideal but aren’t really needed unless you are using a large cooler or you intend on walking for a bit to get to your camp. You can get carts for coolers like this one.
My favourite three coolers
Yeti Tundra
Yeti are well known for their coolers and for good reason. It has three inches of insulation which will keep you stuff cold for days. It is also lockable and is certified bear proof. Which means a bear can’t even rip it open. Yeti coolers really are the best but they are expensive. If you have the extra cash then you should seriously consider buying one, you won’t be sorry. Click here for more information and to check the latest prices on Amazon
Polar Pack Soft Shell
I always like to add an affordable option for people that don’t do much camping. For that reason I am assuming that you will be only camping for a day or two so a soft shell cooler may be all you need. The Polar Pack is good option for short camps. It isn’t waterproof so you will have to use reusable ice packs, not ice, to keep your stuff cool. Use as many as you can to make the coolness last longer. Click here for more information and to check the latest prices on Amazon
Vibe Element Rotomolded Hard Shell Cooler
I love this cooler. It is very well made of sturdy material, Lockable and keeps things cold for days. Everything you need from a cooler box but without breaking the bank. It is just as good, if not better, than some of the more popular brands but you don’t have to pay extra for a brand name.It is able to keep ice for up to 5 days but if your are opening it a lot then this will drop to 2 – 3 days.
It is made from tough material so it will last you a lifetime. It can be locked and secured easily. This is also good for deterring thieves. I have a padlock on mine when I’m out of camp. Click here for more information and to check the latest prices on Amazon.
Which one would I pick?
Vibe Element Rotomolded Hard Shell Cooler
I once went on a fishing trip with a few of my old friends. I took a case of beer and ice. We had the beer the evening we arrived and when we caught fish on the second and third day there was still plenty of ice in the cooler to keep the fish fresh until we got home.
The cherry on top for me is the built-in bottle opener.