3 Reasons an Expensive Cooler is Better Than a Cheap Cooler

Ever since Yeti invented the high-end cooler market more than a decade ago, people have been asking themselves why anyone would need a $300 cooler? The only folks who don’t know the answer to that question are those who don’t own one yet. If you are still on the fence about investing in what may be the last cooler you ever buy, consider these advantages.

Colder, Faster, Longer

Thicker walls and advanced insulation allow a modern super cooler to preserve ice at least twice as long as most economy models. But there are a couple of pro tips for getting the most out of your investment. Whenever cold retention is of utmost importance, prechilling the cooler with a sacrificial bag of ice the day before you need to start refrigeration will maximize the duration of the cooler's thermal qualities. And if you need to get it seriously cold seriously fast, create a slurry of ice, water, and salt, which drops the temperature below freezing in a matter of minutes.

Game Care

For those who don't have the luxury of a walk-in cooler to age game, a high-end chest cooler will get the job done just as well. Simply place a bag of ice in the bottom of the cooler, stack boned-out meat on top so there is as much air circulation as possible, then prop up one end of the cooler and leave the plug open for meltwater to drain. In cool weather, one bag of ice in a pre-chilled cooler will last three or four days.

Poling Platforms

Anyone who has ever tried to use a standard cooler for anything more than refrigeration knows economy models have their limitations. But modern roto-molded plastic coolers are built to take the abuse. They make a great bench seat in a center console boat or can serve as a rugged poling platform in the stern of a johnboat or micro skiff.