Rob in VT

Hey Guys,

I have an old 150qt Igloo that is about 15 years old. The snaps on it have seen better days, but it has served me well since I paid $50 at Costco. Have packed a lot of deer, elk, and caribou in that cooler. In the near future I plan on going on a moose hunt and will need several coolers to bring back meat if I am successful.

So from experience, what do you think is the best large cooler around for the money? I would like to stay with a size close to the 150qt size. There are many out there these days from Yeti and Grizzly to Igloo, Coleman, and many more. Don't like the Yeti price tag, but am open to hear what works good these days. Will be traveling about 3 days.

Thanks for your opinions . . . Rob

muzzlestuffer

i have coleman 120 qt size and i'll never buy them again they don't stand up to our kind of use ! i'll be getting yetti probably i have to read up some more first.

Oldtimr

I have a Coleman Xtreme 120 qt and a Xtreme 150 qt cooler. I have used both to bring wild boar meat from SC to PA. and the 150 To bring a Bison that was cut, vacuum packed and quick frozen from MO to PA. With the hogs, they were hung cooled and quartered and put in the ice chest that was left in the walking for 2 days, then the cold meat was put on top of about 3 inches of ice with about the same amount on top. When I got home, about a 12 hour drive, when I got home there was about only a pint of water in the bottom of the ice chest. With the bison, the cooler was left in the walk in freezer for two days with the lid open, when I left the cut and vacuum packed meat was put in the 150 qt ice chest and after a 24 hour trip home, the meat was just as frozen as it was when I left MO. The key is, cold meat into a cold cooler. Most name brand coolers will do the job. I will not pay the price of a Yeti or knock off of same when my Coleman coolers will do the job for me.

Champlain Islander

Those white 150 qt coolers we all got served us well. 3 day trip back and frozen meat is still frozen and chilled meat with ice is still chilled. Never had any issue other than the snaps don't last. Ratchet strap them shut and they are good to go. A yeti would probably be a great cooler but you could buy 4 or 5 of the 150 qt for the price of one like we have. I'll loan you mine so you would be able to probably bring back 1 moose in 2 of those coolers. You could also build a meat box for the truck using rigid insulation. We saw quite a few of them on the newfi trips...remember. Where ya going?

Oldtimr

The beauty of the Coleman coolers is there is no snap closures. You just push down on the top and a bead on the top goes into a grove on the bottom. The downside is opening them. Once closed, they are tough to open.

Rob in VT

Most likely going back to Newfoundland. Found a pretty good place on the north side of the island. With my daughter and I, I am figuring we will need 5 150qt coolers to be able to bring back two moose (if we are both successful). Planning on 2018, so have some time to plan and get things together.

Thought about the meat box, but I think the coolers are more practical for future use.

Champlain Islander

You could make the meat box and take it apart laying it on the bottom of the truck. Put it back together if you need it. A cordless drill some 3" screws and a few L brackets. Five 150 qt coolers would take up almost the whole back of your truck. Nice to have but then what do you do with them? I only use mine for the occasional big game trip ...can't even put fish in it because I wouldn't be able to lift it. It mostly sits in the cellar gathering dust. My fish coolers are 70 qt. Only weighs around 100 pounds full.

Oldtimr

That is why there is a handle on both ends, two people to lift it when full.

Champlain Islander

Lifting those full fish coolers are tough...the best case scenario when there is plenty of help is me, myself and I. I am probably a hernia waiting to happen.

Ridge Runner

can you rent a small trailer with a reefer?
RR