Cooler Type and Packing
From Rafting Grand Canyon
There is much off season discussion about the ideal boat cooler. Here's a write up on Boat Coolers by Sean Davis:
1) In this case, size matter.
Bigger coolers are more efficient (read: hold ice longer) regardless of brand - this is pure physics. This also assuming that you fill each cooler to the top with ice and cold items.
2) Cooler management makes a difference. This is REALLY important!
If you want cold stuff at day 17 on a summer desert trip you need to:
Have that cooler sealed for the first 2/3 of the trip, probably have it pre-frozen, and maybe need to use some dry-ice.
Keep you cooler covered, say with a Pacco Pad. The photo of the boat here shows a cooler covered with a blue Pacco Pad and a small white insulating cover under the pad.
Try to stay out of the cooler at mid day. Get in/out of the cooler in the shade in the early morning.
3) The expensive coolers seal themselves. The cheap coolers seal up with duct tape or a user installed seal.
4) The cheaper coolers generally have hinges and latches that break somewhat easily and will be replaced by many users. The expensive ones have much stronger hinges and latches.
5) If price is no object the expensive coolers are great. If price matters the cheap coolers may require some TLC, but will work just fine. The expensive coolers don't seem to have superior insulation, just superior construction.
6) There's a very extensive Cooler Test at this page: [1]
Cheap cooler - $59.87 - Rubbermaid Marine Cooler - 150 qt.: [2]
Thanks Sean!
Here are a couple of items you might want in your cooler as well:
- Bread crates
Plastic bread crates can be cut to fit with a circular saw, and placed on top of your coolers ice. This protects vegetables and other foodstuffs from coming into contact with the ice.
- Ethafoam food cover
Inexpensive backpacking foam pads cut to fit snug at the inside top of a cooler will help add a little extra insulation. Keep in mind this foam pad is light enough to blow away in the wind if you take it out of your cooler and set it on your boat deck.
Click here to return to The Food Pack page.
This page is also linked from the Rivergear page, so click
here to go to the Rivergear page.
