Ice chest vs. TJ

I don't buy ice. Bought the cheapest refrigerator with an ice maker at Home Depot years ago. Its in the garage, right where I need ice.
 
The refrigerators are cool, but I can't throw it in my truck, or someone elses truck or move it 100 yards away from the vehicle it's plugged into.

Someday maybe I'll have an overlanding setup with one though. The dryness is pretty sweet.

Edit: FWIW, Yeti aren't US made any more.
I do use mine even on the work rental vehiclenever an issue. Moving it away has it limitations but can be done!
 
The LIFETIME coolers at Wal-Mart are starting to show there worth around here. Among several RTICs, a Yeti and a Pelican cooler. I was actually very inpressed with it. It managed to keep ice for about two days with 95 degree weather and in the sun most of the day.
 
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I built a platform for more storage, never considered it an issue with heat in the back. I like my Rtic but truthfully, it’s big and verrry heavy even when empty. Last trip I ended up leaving the cooler in the hotel and using our cooler bag for trips out to the beach. Having the extra storage underneath is very nice though.
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I bought a used Yeti 45 on Craigslist for $200 and strapped it down to the top of my Tuffy box. I make my own ice, both for the Jeep and for offshore fishing. A couple of Big Ice Trays will make a dozen 4” ice cubes and I can add a few more pounds of ice cubes from my home refrigerator. This mix will easily work for an extended weekend, especially if you employ some of the common sense ideas that have already been mentioned (like keeping it closed as much as possible).

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I bought a used Yeti 45 on Craigslist for $200 and strapped it down to the top of my Tuffy box. I make my own ice, both for the Jeep and for offshore fishing. A couple of Big Ice Trays will make a dozen 4” ice cubes and I can add a few more pounds of ice cubes from my home refrigerator. This mix will easily work for an extended weekend, especially if you employ some of the common sense ideas that have already been mentioned (like keeping it closed as much as possible).

That tire mounted work table is badass! More info on it?
 
I keep my Engel MT45 12v fridge (same as old style ARB) in my Bantam trailer. At 25.5" x 14.3" x 20" and 66 lbs. empty I find it too large and too heavy to carry in the jeep. I once considered putting a single rear seat and a slide out for a fridge in the back of my LJ, but for now the fridge will stay in the trailer.

My little Ozark Trail 26 qt. roto molded cooler measures 21.5" x 13" x 15.5" and weighs 18.5 lbs.
 
Precooling is key with yeti’s or the like. It certainly helps with all coolers but the normal Coleman’s and stuff don’t have nearly as much insulation which retains whatever temperature they are exposed to... So since a *insert your brand roto-molded cooler brand here* has more insulation, it will hold more heat when not prechilled; therefore instantly melting ice. Prechilled they last a dang long time (as long as the lid stays shut).
 
Also anyone that says this or that brand cooler beat the other in a test... the only way to TRULY test them is to put both of them in a walk in freezer over night and then preform the test with ice that was also stored in the same walk in freezer over night. Otherwise some variances will occur.
 
Also anyone that says this or that brand cooler beat the other in a test... the only way to TRULY test them is to put both of them in a walk in freezer over night and then preform the test with ice that was also stored in the same walk in freezer over night. Otherwise some variances will occur.
Or put the same temp water in them in the walk in box and see which one freezes first.
 
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I bought a $10 garage sale Kooltron cooler. I unplug it at night. It holds at 42 on a 10 day trip, no space lost to ice, heck it cost less than the ice.

The best practice camping, make sure everything you put in is already cold. Buy cold beer, cold pop, etc.


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Or put the same temp water in them in the walk in box and see which one freezes first.
actually Cabellas put a solid block of ice in several Ice chests, opened 1 time per day with an average daytime temp of 100 degrees, yeti made 6 days, Cabellas went 8
 
actually Cabellas put a solid block of ice in several Ice chests, opened 1 time per day with an average daytime temp of 100 degrees, yeti made 6 days, Cabellas went 8

Had the Cabella cooler not won, what are the odds the results would never have seen the light of day?

Just wondering.
 
I can no longer afford the latest high-$$$ coolers like the Yeti or Cabella. I have a 5 day Rubicon Trail trip starting in less than 2 weeks and will be using my trusty 30 year old Coleman eXtreme chest. It really keeps things cold in hot climates so long as it has a big block of ice in the middle.

But I'll be adding to its insulation before leaving with the below. I'll drill 12-15 holes all over the inside and inject this expanding foam into each hole. It'll expand throughout the inside and eventually expand out the drilled holes. 10 hours later a razor blade will be used to trim the overflow off.

There are several YouTube videos on doing this where I got the idea. The Rubicon trip will be a good test. :)



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That tire mounted work table is badass! More info on it?

Looks like @Mr. Bills already found it online and posted the link. I got kind of lucky and bought two of them from a guy on Facebook Marketplace for $50 each (gave the other one to my buddy). $139 seems a bit steep for the obviously Chinese made table with about the same amount of work and materials as my ATV basket that costs $70. If you can find this tire table for anything less than $100, I’d say it’s a good purchase and perfect for a gas grill. I set up a mounting system for it where it’s bolted to the passenger side of my Tuffy box, so it always stays in my Jeep and takes up very little space.
 
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