Cheapest off brand Yeti

I am looking for the best/cheapest off brand yeti. Plan on head to Mt. Hood next month and need something to keep my beer cold but not break my bank.

 

$400 for a cooler is crazy! RTIC coolers, Magellan coolers and Ozark Trail Coolers... These are some comparable brands.

 

Ozark trail at WM.

 

+1 for ozark trail from Walmart. I was very impressed with its performance over my “older style” Coleman.

I know there is tons of tests and information out there if you really want bang for buck. Not sure if the Ozark is high on that list but it works great for me.

 

I have a Pelican cooler and like it but they are overpriced. I also use a Yeti and pelican tumbler and my wifes Ozark trail tumbler holds ice longer and I swear it's made the same place as my expensive ones.

I saw an OT cooler in WM the other day and i was impressed for the price.

 

Yeah.. China haha

 

LOL, pretty much. Alas I am a brand whore!

 

Check out canyon coolers. I like that their coolers are very boxy, makes packing more efficient and no odd protrusions on the outside. I have the 55 and like it a lot.

 

i like the rtic but ozark cooler seems to work well too

 

Cabelas has a cooler for $200 and it's badass, absolutely love it

 

Roto molded ice chests like Yeti and others are way way expensive. I don’t think any ice chest is worth $300 to $600+. I do a lot of multi day fishing, hunting, camping, boating trips and use an Igloo marine ice chest. I can buy half a dozen Igloo marines for the price of one roto molded ice chest.. They last for years and keep ice for days. The key for keeping ice no matter what ice chest you have is how warm the outside temperature is and how often you open the lid.
Most people use ice chests for a day or a weekend. Sometimes for a week camping or something. For the average person something like an Igloo marine will suit their needs just fine for a quarter or less of the price of a roto mold chest. Just my opinion. If you want to spend a lot of money on a ice chest because on a occasional week or longer trip it may keep ice a day or 2 longer, go for it.

 

Have you in fact owned a $300 plus cooler?

 

check out www.monoprice.com - Pure Outdoor coolers. Pretty much a good Yeti Knock off for $150 for a 50L. They have sales from time to time. Picked up a 50L closer to $100.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=15638

 

Hell no I haven’t owned a $300 cooler. Generally when it comes to outdoor equipment and tools I buy the best there is or the best I can afford but I make some exceptions like in the example of Yeti style coolers. A cooler is a pretty simple piece of equipment, it’s an insulated box with a hinged lid and handles. My Igloo marine will keep ice for several days. So what if I have to replace ice on day 4 instead of day 5 or 6. I like most people seldom use a cooler a week or longer. It’s mostly day, weekend or 3 days. I’d rather save a couple hundred bucks and put it toward something else. But again that’s just my personal opinion. If paying hundreds of dollars for a cooler makes you happy then do it. I certainly am not trying to tell anyone what to do, I’m just expressing my opinion.

 

Lots of good information here...

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/extreme-or-high-end-coolers.343579/

 

For $300 I would expect a vacuum insulated stainless steel cooler.

 

I'm in this camp as well. I do have a direct comparison with my Coleman 36Qt Xtreme Marine vs a Yeti. On a 5 day late June/early July fishing trip 2 years ago, there was no discernable difference between the two at the end of day 5. I'll stick with my $70 cooler and use the saved $$ on other things.

 

i have 2 yetis. they are the bees knees. I also bought them before they had any competition. I would get rtic or something else though if i were buying today. Maybe an ozark trail, i have several of their tumblers they are great.

something about their coolers just dont seem very rugged.

 

I have a yeti and and ozarks trail and the ozark does just as good as the yeti. I will never pay that much for a yeti again. Ozark trail for me.

 

I had my pelican in Ridgecrest in 110 heat last summer. My cooler lived in the back of a black SUV and did not need the ice refreshed for 7 days. The other things people miss is the difference in construction, the yeti/pelican and so on actually have plastic with sealed pores. This allows you to neglect them without getting that bad smell and if you do it cleans up and goes away. Also you can throw fish and raw meat in them when hunting and fishing and don't ruin the cooler.