These Ice Chests Guarantee You Keep Your Cool

Keep Your Cool

Harry WagnerWriter

If you are going wheeling for more than a couple hours, you are going to want to bring some food and drinks with you. And even if you are just planning a short jaunt on the trail, it’s not a bad idea to bring refreshments and snacks. We’ve all had those short trips that turn into long trips when something unexpected happens. We have used just about every type of cooler on the market over the years, and as a result we have formed opinions about what works and what doesn’t. Spoiler: There is not one perfect cooler for every situation.

Just like wheeling rigs, coolers run the gamut from disposable Styrofoam ice chests (the Cherokee on 31s of coolers) to thousand-dollar freezer-fridges (the Hemi-powered JK of coolers). Inexpensive coolers like the Coleman Steel Belted model shown here are perfect for daytrips, when ice retention is not a priority, and in buggies because they are exposed to the elements and may have to double as skidplates. Freezer-fridges like the Dometic CFX28 are better suited for the back of an enclosed SUV or under a camper shell, where they are spared from the elements. They are the best choice for long, unsupported trips. Longtime readers will likely have already noticed that nearly every vehicle on our annual Ultimate Adventures is typically equipped with a freezer-fridge for this exact reason.

In between cheap coolers and electric fridges are high-end coolers like the Yeti Tundra 45 shown here. It is rotomolded and uses thick insulation to keep your food cold for days. The price of these coolers can creep up close to freezer-fridge territory, but they are tough as nails, foolproof, and simple. The Tundra 45 fits perfectly in the Synergy Baja Basket in the back of our pickup, where it is easy to reach but also exposed to the trail and the elements. We use it for weekend trips to the Rubicon, where we want to keep our food from spoiling but also have a fairly high probability of dragging the cooler through Old Sluice.

We didn’t test the $25 coolers you can find in the sporting goods section of Wally World. While they have a place on the trail, they just haven’t proven tough enough to be more than a disposable item. Buy a few of these coolers that crack or have the lid blow off on the road and you realize that you could have saved money and purchased a better cooler that is more durable and will last more than one wheeling trip. Which cooler to buy depends not only on your budget but also on how you intend to mount the ice chest, how you want to use it, and what kind of wheeling you do.

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