Buying a camping cooler used to be a simple process when there were only a few options to choose from. Nowadays, things got a bit more complicated with the zillions of options all claiming to be the best one you'll ever own. More than just performance, many other factors go into choosing the right model. Here are the essential elements to consider when looking for the best match for your needs.
Types of Coolers
There are several different styles of cooler boxes available on the market, each with its pros and cons.
Soft Cooler Boxes
When it comes to portability, nothing can beat a soft camping cooler box. It generally has helpful carrying features such as a messenger bag style traps, hip-friendly shapes, or even backpack designs. They are often smaller in size and recommended for 1-4 people for a single day of use. The downside of this cooler style is that it has less insulating abilities than a hard chest, which means they aren't suited for long-term food storage. They are great for personal usages, such as one-day camping, bringing beach snacks or carting cold beers to your buddy's barbeque.
Hard Cooler Boxes
This is a popular cooler type that comes in a wide variety of sizes and shapes and prices too. Hard cooler boxes are typically less portable than soft cooler boxes and they tend to be larger. They are a great option for spending a few days camping with your family as well as for keeping all your friends' thirst quenched at the tailgate party. Most of these coolers have a high potential for getting your ice to last several days.
Powered Coolers
Similar to a fridge, powered coolers often don't require ice to keep your camping trip meals perfectly chilled. They plug into the DC outlet of your car, and some models can even keep the contents frozen. But this dependency on electricity makes these coolers less portable, and perhaps not the right fit for individuals unwilling to risk draining the car battery just for one weekend of fresh food. The best models can also be pretty expensive.
Cooler Construction
Although you can still buy simple polystyrene foam versions of coolers, most traditional models are now made from two pieces of plastic holding a layer of thick hard foam in between. Depending on the thickness of the plastic and foam, and the quality of the seal holding those pieces, different levels of insulation are achieved. The latest models are rotationally moulded - a process that creates a single piece of plastic that makes up the body and lid. As there is no seal between the layers of interior and exterior plastic, an increased insulation prowess is achieved. Another manufacturing process that extends the life of your ice is the addition of a rubber gasket around the edge of the lid. Cooler boxes with a high-quality gasket seal are some of the best insulators on the market, and also some of the most durable.
