High End Cooler Test by SportsmanGuys.com I always get asked about my coolers when rafting for extended trips and what I would recommend. It kinda goes with budget. I ran across this video, some good info.
Not just for camping. How about when the power goes out? That could save your bacon, venison and salmon from needing to be eaten, canned or otherwise preserved to prevent spoilage. Think Hurricane, Tornado, tree touching a power line in Quebec.
Just a NOTE, here: If you freeze some Gallon Jugs of water, in your Chest Freezer... and then put one in each cooler, of BugOut Food, you will get significantly farther down the road before needing to worry about your food needing more COLD. ..... YMMV...
I have a Coleman Extreme, and an "industrial" Igloo. I used bags of ice in both during the 3 week power outage after Ike, for drinks and stuff the used frequently, in order to save the cold in the fridge and freezers. We froze and keep 20 gallons of water in "recycled" milk jugs in the upright freezer. 4 per shelf, 4 shelves and the bottom most basket. Anyhow, we loaded the two coolers with 20 pounds of ice (10 in each) and they were opened frequently in 90+ degree weather. We only loaded ice 2 times in 3 weeks, the Friday before the hurricane made landfall, and 2 weeks later. The Coleman Xtreme and Igloo performed like champs. With 4 people in the family (my youngest had not been born yet), these coolers were opened frequently during the morning, day, and evening. Yet, I had solid ice in them at the end of 2 weeks, as in ice cubes floating in water, but ice none the less. I would recommend them to anyone.
No high end coolers, got 3 Coleman coolers. They have served me well and will use frozen milk jugs myself for the coolers that have food in them. Beer cooler nothing but crushed ice, milk jugs take up too much room. You can't be running out of beer outdoors, too far to get more. There is nothing worse than running out of cold beer camping or floating a river.
I got me a pair of canines for a reason. Growing season isn't the longest but the herbivores do and excelling job of converting grasses, leaves and other vegetation into tasty meat. I couldn't do the same, wrong gut enzemes to digest woody plant material.
