[LIforrelaxin]

I haven't thought a lot about coolers, I still have a probably now 50 year old cooler that my parents bought.... Its an old Colman..... It has always served us well. Although admittedly it is getting to retirement age.

I have been looking around some, as I know I need to replace it....

What I have found is that if you need the Yeti Label, go buy a Yeti.... If you really think you need your ice to last for days on end, go spend several hundred dollars....on a YETI, RTIC, etc.

But if you just want a decent cooler, just look for something well built, and make sure it can drain easily when full..... Buying ice is easy, unless your in the back woods.... And most people that go into the back woods, aren't bringing a big cooler.... Most people that are bringing a big cooler are barely going into the woods... (that includes me)....

Part of the camping experience is going to the store each day, buying a bag of ice and tossing it in the cooler, and draining the water out.

Personally I believe in the two cooler method... You have a constant access cooler, for Drinks... and then you have a storage cooler, that only gets opened at meal time.... even the worst of coolers, tend to do ok if you aren't in and out of them all day.... and when you are in and out of them all day, even the best coolers are ice melters.....

The things that really need to matter, are hardly ever discussed, Longevity of hinges and latches, as well as ease of draining water, after the ice melts.