Ice Chests and Coolers
A cooler or ice chest is used with ice or frozen packs of liquid to keep food and drinks cold. They are often used for tailgating, going on a picnic, or day camping and have a capacity of 16 quarts to 165 quarts. The chest keeps your food and drinks cool to cold on a hot day and helps to keep your food and drinks at a safe temperature.
What are the features of an ice chest?- Water-resistant construction: A food storage Igloo, Coleman, or Yeti cooler is designed to keep the food dry. Many are made of hard materials such as plastic or steel that also help to prevent the food or drinks from getting squashed while in transit. Some of these Yeti coolers have a drain in the bottom to let the melted water from the ice cubes drain out the bottom.
- Hinged or split lid: A hinged or split lid allows you to easily load and unload food or drinks from the Coleman cooler. If you need to put in a large item such as a cake or a rack of baby back ribs, the hinges allow the top to open all the way. A split top allows you to minimize the contents of the chest to heat, sunlight, and air.
- Wheeled: When you are going to the beach or camping for a day, a wheeled Igloo, Yeti, or Coleman cooler makes it easy to bring along all of the food and drinks you want to consume. The wheels facilitate transportation of the ice chests contents, reducing the amount of manual labor that it takes to haul all of it to your day campsite or picnicking area.
- Soft sided: A soft-sided cooler usually has a carrying strap. The soft sides are more comfortable against your body. These types of food cooling products are made by Igloo, Coleman, and others.
- Insulated - Insulation in the walls of the Yet, Igloo, or Coleman cooler helps the cubes of ice or packs of frozen liquid to stay cold for a longer period of time. These coolers are sometimes referred to as performance products because they extend the lifespan of the ice cubes.
- Rolling picnic cooler: Wheeled Coleman, Igloo, or Yeti coolers have a good performance on uneven terrain such as a dirt path. They also easily traverse asphalt paths, boardwalks, and concrete parking lots. The wheeled chest cooler typically has a handle to pull it along like a suitcase.
A steel or plastic cooling box by Yeti or Coleman will have a variable ice retention span that is based on several factors. If you pack the hard or soft-sided coolers full with frozen ice cubes or freezer packs, the cubes could stay frozen for 12 hours or longer. Keeping the Coleman or Yeti coolers top closed as much as possible extends its ice retention. Store the Yeti coolers in a shaded place away from sources of heat or direct sunlight.