Deals

As one of its daily deals, Woot via Amazon discounts a selection of Orca coolers, as listed below. Plus, all orders bag free shipping. The deals, ending today:
Orca 26-Quart Extra Heavy Duty Cooler in Tan, Red, Green, Blue, Crimson, or Orange for $199.99 (pictured, low by $60)
Orca 58-Quart Extra Heavy Duty Cooler in Green for $299.99 (low by $100)
Orca 75-Quart Extra Heavy Duty Cooler in Tan or White for $349.99 (low by $100)

26 qt
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H4875YY/?t ... JVS57NX03I

others see
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss ... words=orca
 
Andy, I'm in the process of using mine now. Seems to hold ice longer than my other cooler. But I'll have a better idea after this week. Colby
 
Regarding the Rtic coolers. I have the largest 65 qt one. Filled full for a week long trip, and two 1-gallon milk jugs filled with ice, it did a decent job keeping stuff cool. IN fact, we still had ice left in the jugs after 5 days. We did lose some hamburger and a few vegetables after that time that we failed to eat or keep frozen. I think we could have done a better job packing in the ice, and perhaps letting ice actually melt in the cooler would allow the space to be cooled with icy water. But in any case, this cooler did keep ice longer than our other "regular" coolers. We just need to learn the best way to pack the ice next time. Colby
 
My impression of the 65 qt RTIC Cooler we purchased. This is anything but scientific:
4 day trip to Bowman Bay, WA
temps in the mid 50s overnight and mid 70s during the day
cooled it off overnight prior to loading it (with a large blue ice pack)
one bag "party/drink ice" and one block ice you'd get from any grocery store
mostly food, drinks/wine

Today we came home and 50% of the block ice remained and about 30% of the party ice

I'd say that is a winner! 8) :beer :cocktail :thup
 
ON our second trip with the new RTIC 65 qt cooler, we did a better job loading the cooler with food and ice, and were quite happy with it. As Local Boy says, this one is a winner. The only complaint, and it's a small one, is this cooler is a bit heavier in weight than the other cheaper ones. But it does a great job of sealing out the hot air. BTW, both of our first two trips using it involved temps in the 70's and 80's during the day, and upper 50's to upper 60's at night. It's positioned on the stern of the boat in it's carrier that sits atop the engine splash well, so it is in direct sun light, with no bimini on the boat. Colby
 
The only real bad thing about the cooler, is the wait. They'll take your money at order time, but you may have to wait a month to 6 weeks to get it. But worth the wait. Colby
 
Pandion":e3pldr7n said:
Thanks for the reviews, gents. I'll be buying one.
Click to expand...

IMO they are worth the investment. Solidly built with good insulation and a rubber seal on the lid. I don't think they actually charged our card until it shipped, but we did place the order and received it about 6 weeks later. They are a bit heavy, but we just leave it in the cockpit and unload the contents. Thinking about adding a cushion top to it for seating too.

I would not spend $400 on one (YETI), but I can accept the $200 price considering a crappy Coleman cooler we bought prior was just over $100.
 
colbysmith":2w34jl9c said:
We just need to learn the best way to pack the ice next time.
Click to expand...

Colby, please let us know when you get your ice-packing method dialed in. I have been told ice lasts longer if you empty out the meltwater fairly frequently.
 
Even after the ice melts, the water will be pretty cold for awhile. For things that don't need to be frozen, ice water is usually cold enough. Water will conduct the cold to the items in the cooler better than air, so having some water in the cooler will help more rapidly cool added items (e.g. when you replenish the beer). The choice of a little ice and lots of water is better than just a little ice.

The disadvantage of lots of water in the cooler is things can get soggy of not protected well.

I have read that a fully packed cooler will maintain the ice better than a partially full one. Some people pack their coolers with towels if they are not full (although this may just be from the additional insulation the towels provide).
 
We've been ordering some meal kits from one of the online fix-it-yourself services (Hello Fresh in our case but there are others). They come packed with frozen gel packs that do a great job -- unless it sits unnoticed on the porch for a couple of days (don't ask how we know that). Anyhow, the reusable gel packs do a MUCH better job keeping food cold than ice does. We keep several in the freezer and have given some away to friends. In an insulated bag or box they're great. And free ... sorta.
 
Pandion":24qv4gp1 said:
localboy":24qv4gp1 said:
(regarding Yeti coolers)

Thinking about adding a cushion top to it for seating too.
Click to expand...
Mark, have you found a cushion source yet?
Click to expand...

No. I figured I'd just have one made to match the boat. My brother has an industrial sewing machine; just need to learn how to sew! :lol:
 
I'm on record as a fan of SOLAS approved flares, but at $79 I'm buying one of these (even though I still say the average boater could interpret it as some kid watching 'Gravity' on her cell phone).
John
 
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