Mobile phones are now more ubiquitous than wrist watches, we average 118.6 TV channels per household and the computer in your kid’s video game is more powerful than those onboard the space shuttle, so why are you still using that old ice chest that goes through ice faster than a hot knife through butter? These three ice chests are referred to as “five day” or “six day” models, meaning that they are rated by the manufacturer to maintain ice over that timeframe, and while your results may vary, all three of these coolers are a vast improvement over older designs.
All three of these coolers are available in varying sizes, from the gargantuan MaxCold 120 (38.32” long by 17.75” wide and 17.75” tall) to the 36qt. Coleman Xtreme (26” long by 14.75” wide and 14” tall), all with or without wheels. The popular 70qt. size is a good compromise between size and weight and is still large enough for several blocks of ice, along with most of your food and drinks. These coolers are all quite stout, standing up to years of camping with nothing more than a few scratches and a broken lanyard on the drain plug (why do they bother?). Speaking of drain plugs, the MaxCold is threaded, while the others are not and the Xtreme has a channeled interior floor that allows most of the water to drain without having to tilt the cooler. A nice feature when your cooler is tipping the scales at close to 100 pounds! Other unique features include positive-latches on many of the MaxCold models; I’m sure if my cooler had one of these my kids might actually close the lid, which would cut my ice requirements in half. The DuraChill coolers feature a unique center-split lid design. These are all great coolers and the best part is they’re pretty cheap, too!
Happy camping!