# The Official: 2007 Cooler Showdown



## LIVIN

With all of the hunting and fishing going on we have been discussing who makes the best cooler that holds ice the longest. The conversations can get pretty heated as some people spend big money on coolers that seem to not perform any better than the less expensive ones.
So.....out of complete curiosity and boredom we have decided to have a Cooler Showdown that involves filling several different brand cooler's with ice to the top of each one and let them sit sealed and unopened for 5 days outside. At the end of the alloted time we will open each one and determine it's effeciency by measuring the amount of melted water and dividing it with the capacity of cooler.

The contestant's in this marathon are as follows:

Ultra Cool Ice boxes - 47qt - $185. http://www.alltackle.com/ultra_cool_coolers.htm

Tropicle Ice box - 39qt - $150.
http://www.braidproducts.com/newproducts/

Icey-Tek - 70qt - $235.
http://www.fishing-catalog.com/iceytek/prices.htm

Igloo - Marine 25qt - $35.
http://www.igloocoolers.com/products/FullSize/Marine/4/

Igloo - Marine 94qt - $55
http://www.igloocoolers.com/products/FullSize/Marine/9/

Premium Large canvas bag cooler - $60 -

Styrofoam (standard gas station purchase) - 13qt - $4.99

Small bag cooler (el cheapo) - 14qt - $13


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## Too Tall

This ought to be interesting.


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## Dani California

This is gonna get good! I don't see the 5 day ice chest.

Biggie


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## Sow Trout

The secret. The one with the lid closed. Maybe the test should be closer to real life i.e. beer cooler opened every 10 minutes, fish cooler opened once an hour.


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## bowed up

keep us updated
i hear that the high dollar 10 day ice chest last no longer than the igloo marine 5 day ice chest. i am glad someone is fianlly doing a show down. are the ice chest in morining sun or evening sun(facing the east or west)


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## myprozac

Just wondering if the insulation in the icey-tek was cooled before the main ice was put in? 
Jeff


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## bowed up

the igloo marine ice chest are 5 day ice chest



Dani California said:


> This is gonna get good! I don't see the 5 day ice chest.
> 
> Biggie


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## Dani California

bowed up said:


> the igloo marine ice chest are 5 day ice chest


No that aint the five day ice chest.

Biggie


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## myprozac

The 5 day igloo is blue and will say maxcold.
The marine cooler is white and will say marine. 
Jeff


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## Belinda

Cool! Can't wait to hear about this one!


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## LIVIN

Sowtrout: "The secret. The one with the lid closed. Maybe the test should be closer to real life i.e. beer cooler opened every 10 minutes, fish cooler opened once an hour."
Are you volunteering ?

MyProzac: "Just wondering if the insulation in the icey-tek was cooled before the main ice was put in?" 
Jeff
All fiberglass and roto-molded coolers were prepared as reccomended by the manufacturers.

BowedUp: "Are the ice chest in morining sun or evening sun(facing the east or west)"
The cooler's are all facing North. They will recieve equal parts of morning and evening sun.

Dani California: "I don't see the 5 day ice chest."
We almost put one in the Showdown, but decided against it to prove a point.


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## LBS

you forgot yeti.


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## LIVIN

LBS said:


> you forgot yeti.


Icey-Tek and Yeti are the same cooler with different latches.
http://www.fishing-catalog.com/iceytek/index.htm

NOTE: The factory that produced Icey-Tek is still producing coolers, however, the Icey-Tek name can no longer be used in the United States due to Trademark restrictions. The cooler you receive from Southern Charm is produced in the same factory and is the identical box to the boxes that have in the past been labeled Icey-Tek.​THIS IS THE EXACT SAME COOLER AS THE BOXES WITH THE ICEY-TEK LABELS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BOUGHT IN THE PAST! ​The new name and label is now:​YETI Roughneck. ​






​


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## coachlaw

Does Gott still make ice chests? I remember when Igloos were terrible and Gott came along and made them bulk up because of the competition. What about Rubbermaid and Coleman? Are they not seen as serious contenders? You may have guessed that I have not bought an ice chest in ages. I just keep grabbing used ones people leave out for the garbage and fix the hinges.


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## LIVIN

coachlaw said:


> Does Gott still make ice chests? I remember when Igloos were terrible and Gott came along and made them bulk up because of the competition. What about Rubbermaid and Coleman? Are they not seen as serious contenders?


We did not use Rubbermaid(formely known as Gott), Coleman and the like simply because they do not seem to hold ice as long as the Igloo Marine.
We also did not use Frigid Rigid beause they are aprrox. $600, weigh 38lbs with no ice, and they are not a throw in your truck-boat type cooler. I will however say that there is a cooler in our showdown that will keep ice just as long.


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## Tiny

I still believe that the best Ice-Chest I have ever had was the (and still is) 164 qt Igloo Marine.

I do also have one of the 120 qt Max Cold Igloos, but an unnamed fellow 2cooler sat on it at the '07 TCDG, Now it is only good for one day because it doesn't close all the way.....


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## Bluffer

Need a plain styrofoam one in there. they do well.


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## LIVIN

Bluffer said:


> Need a plain styrofoam one in there. they do well.


Check again .....We have one.


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## br549

I have a 128 igloo marine with no latches or hinges that is 20 years old and it holds ice better than my new 120 icey tek.


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## trodery

LOL....and I just THOUGHT I got bored 

Can't wait to see the results!


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## Wading Mark

Is Frigid Rigid available for testing? I'm think about getting one and wanted some real info.


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## trashcanslam

Bluffer said:


> Need a plain styrofoam one in there. they do well.


Yup it's in there, re read the post.

Somebody give LIVIN some green for taking the time to do this test, I'm all out.


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## FREON

u


trashcanslam said:


> Yup it's in there, re read the post.
> 
> Somebody give LIVIN some green for taking the time to do this test, I'm all out.


 Gotcha cuvered & den sum.....Spinach sent 4 da time & effort 2 du dis tast


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## jrw

*Best Cooler*

*Thanks for the project. Greenie sent*


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## michaelbaranowski

Looks like a good project but would like to how the daily "melt down" is going. Plus see just how long each last. Cause I am sure that some will not hold ice for 5 days.


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## LIVIN

michaelbaranowski said:


> Looks like a good project but would like to how the daily "melt down" is going. Plus see just how long each last. Cause I am sure that some will not hold ice for 5 days.


Although we were intially going to do a "daily melt down" our strategy has changed.
We are however logging the date-time-brand cooler once all the ice is melted throughout the 5 days. This way there is documentation as to which brands-type did not last the complete 5 days.


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## RonE

Great Idea! What are you doing with the coolers when you're done? Will they be for sale? If so, pm me, I would like to buy the winner. Are you using block or cube ice or a combo of both?


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## LIVIN

Wading Mark said:


> Is Frigid Rigid available for testing? I'm think about getting one and wanted some real info.


Quote:
Originally Posted by *coachlaw*
_Does Gott still make ice chests? I remember when Igloos were terrible and Gott came along and made them bulk up because of the competition. What about Rubbermaid and Coleman? Are they not seen as serious contenders?_

We did not use Rubbermaid(formely known as Gott), Coleman and the like simply because they do not seem to hold ice as long as the Igloo Marine.
We also did not use Frigid Rigid beause they are aprrox. $600, weigh 38lbs with no ice, and they are not a throw in your truck-boat type cooler. I will however say that there is a cooler in our showdown that will keep ice just as long.

WadingMark, The above reply is why we did not use our Frigid Rigid.


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## LIVIN

RonE said:


> Great Idea! What are you doing with the coolers when you're done? Will they be for sale? If so, pm me, I would like to buy the winner. Are you using block or cube ice or a combo of both?


The coolers used for the Showdown are our's that we own and use everyday. We used cubed ice since that is favored and easiest to find by most people. The winning cooler will not be available for sale due to traveling abroad for calendar shoots, Olympic torch ceremonies, commercials, displayed at college graduations, and the like.

I do not want anyone to think that I am in any way connected to any of the cooler manufacturers.....We are simply doing this because the subject comes up alot so we all started coming up with the rules for the Cooler Showdown and here it is.......


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## chazbo

Just curious.....what is the total cost for this project??


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## Eltruchador

Great idea....you are da man!!!


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## LIVIN

chazbo said:


> Just curious.....what is the total cost for this project??


Don't worry I am not going to invoice anyone. 
The coolers we already had and after that there was only ice to buy.

Ice: $1.50 per 20lb's. We used approx. 300lbs of ice. So total was around $22.

Coolers: Even though we already owned the coolers thier total value is around $740.

Labor: TBD


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## Specsniper

Great test! Are you utilizing the same proportion of ice to cooler capacity (area) for each cooler? Not doing so could skew the results. For example....20lb bag of ice will cool the contents, empty or full, of a 38qt cooler quicker than the contents of a 48qt cooler.


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## Benny

can you put up a live web cam for this...I'm not going to be able to sleep wondering who's winning.


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## trashcanslam

Specsniper said:


> Great test! Are you utilizing the same proportion of ice to cooler capacity (area) for each cooler? Not doing so could skew the results. For example....20lb bag of ice will cool the contents, empty or full, of a 38qt cooler quicker than the contents of a 48qt cooler.


That's the reason for filling all the coolers to their maximum capacity. Cetaris perabis, a 20qt cooler can keep 20 qts of ice longer than a 120qt cooler can because of different capacities.


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## LIVIN

Specsniper said:


> Great test! Are you utilizing the same proportion of ice to cooler capacity (area) for each cooler? Not doing so could skew the results. For example....20lb bag of ice will cool the contents, empty or full, of a 38qt cooler quicker than the contents of a 48qt cooler.


As trashcanslam stated: 
That's the reason for filling all the coolers to their maximum capacity. Cetaris perabis, a 20qt cooler can keep 20 qts of ice longer than a 120qt cooler can because of different capacities.

We went with the theory that if every cooler is filled to it's maxium capacity at the end of the our 5 days the ones that still have ice will have the water drained and measured in quarts which will be divided into the quart capacity to determine the effiencey.


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## Fishin-Inc

*Green*

I see this as a good plot to get more green!! LOL


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## bowed up

THAT WOULD BE LIKE WATCHING PAINT DRY



Benny said:


> can you put up a live web cam for this...I'm not going to be able to sleep wondering who's winning.


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## Angler 1

WOW, this is like "MYTH BUSTERS".....aka "ICE CHEST BUSTERS"


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## CoastalOutfitters

post up a vote poll for the best


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## fish'nchipper

This should be a sticky until the test results come back in. That way it won't get lost in the shuffle.


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## Jmac

My apologies as I did not read all the post. Just a few ideas to keep in mind. Putting the ice in the chest will have void space so the ice will not have the exact capacity of the cooler. The ice will also have void space in side itself. Might think about putting a certain weight of ice in each cooler and keep the weight controlled. Maybe even measure the temperature of the water/air in the ice chest on the first and last day for comparisons. But all in all should be interesting to see the results.


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## cloudfishing

What are odds I can run some numbers and shoot em off to Vegas.


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## bowed up

I Do Not Believe That On A ******* Experiement You Will Have To Be That Critical, This Is More Of A Reality Experiement Than Controlled Lab Setting, Although I Have Noticed That The Ice Chips Do Melt Quicker Than The Little Cubed Ice, Just Something To Ponder


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## Mr. Breeze

Jmac said:


> My apologies as I did not read all the post. Just a few ideas to keep in mind. Putting the ice in the chest will have void space so the ice will not have the exact capacity of the cooler. The ice will also have void space in side itself. Might think about putting a certain weight of ice in each cooler and keep the weight controlled. Maybe even measure the temperature of the water/air in the ice chest on the first and last day for comparisons. But all in all should be interesting to see the results.


If you take the configuration of the ice multiplied by the void of air divided by the capacity minus the void inside itself plus the weight compounding the total atoms morphing the equilibrium synthesizing the electrons and fracturing the meltage equals the meltage plus the square footage. :spineyes:


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## speckle-catcher

LIVIN said:


> Don't worry I am not going to invoice anyone.
> The coolers we already had and after that there was only ice to buy.
> 
> Ice: $1.50 per 20lb's. We used approx. 300lbs of ice. So total was around $22.
> 
> Coolers: Even though we already owned the coolers thier total value is around $740.
> 
> Labor: TBD


so all the coolers were brand spakin new when the experiment started?

wish you would have done this when it was a bit warmer as igloo claims (IIRC) that their cooler will hold the ice for 50 days at 90º ambient temperature.


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## Wading Mark

LIVIN said:


> Quote:
> 
> WadingMark, The above reply is why we did not use our Frigid Rigid.


Sorry, I must have skimmed over that. Thanks for doing the test. I'm looking forward to the results.


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## offthehook

i love it! Game on!


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## gater

*Test*

After this test is complete why not try the ice cold beer test and see which one gets the beer the coldest and we can all come over and be the judges. Just a thought.... Gater


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## Profish00

Im in..


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## LIVIN

CoastalOutfitters said:


> post up a vote poll for the best


*You read my mind !!........Done.......*


*Link to Cooler Showdown Poll:*

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?p=1352836#post1352836


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## 85LoneStar

bowed up said:


> THAT WOULD BE LIKE WATCHING PAINT DRY


This is fun.
Almost as fun as sitting in my deer stand or watching the grass grow.
Both being about equal.


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## RonE

Jmac said:


> My apologies as I did not read all the post. Just a few ideas to keep in mind. Putting the ice in the chest will have void space so the ice will not have the exact capacity of the cooler. The ice will also have void space in side itself. Might think about putting a certain weight of ice in each cooler and keep the weight controlled. Maybe even measure the temperature of the water/air in the ice chest on the first and last day for comparisons. But all in all should be interesting to see the results.


Holy Cow,
This is a couple of guys that use these coolers for their business and they don't have anything to do (on the road) for five days so they took all the coolers and filled them up with ice from the local convience store. The same type of ice in all the coolers. The ice weights about the same per quart from one bag of ice to the next and they are just dumping the ice in the cooler until it is filled to the point that the lid will just close. At the end of 5 days they are going to measure the water as a precentage of the cooler capacity of those coolers that still have ice in them and report the results.
(At least that is the way I read what has been written)
Please, lets try not to over engineer this project.


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## bowed up

mythbusters had a show a while back and they determined that a fire extinguisher got beer the coldest the fastest, but on the ice chest side they determined if you fill the ice chest with cool(water hose) water about 2/3 the way up on an upright can of beer, poured a little salt in and the put a 20lb bag of ice in it, that it would cool beer faster and colder than just ice alone. i believe they were shooting for like 36 or 38 degrees and they got it down to 34 in like 14 minutes. Correct me if i am wrong, it was on a pretty good while ago.
PS: i tried this and it works, i had a coors lite slushy


gater said:


> After this test is complete why not try the ice cold beer test and see which one gets the beer the coldest and we can all come over and be the judges. Just a thought.... Gater


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## Sow Trout

Will salt make the ice last longer?


bowed up said:


> mythbusters had a show a while back and they determined that a fire extinguisher got beer the coldest the fastest, but on the ice chest side they determined if you fill the ice chest with cool(water hose) water about 2/3 the way up on an upright can of beer, poured a little salt in and the put a 20lb bag of ice in it, that it would cool beer faster and colder than just ice alone. i believe they were shooting for like 36 or 38 degrees and they got it down to 34 in like 14 minutes. Correct me if i am wrong, it was on a pretty good while ago.
> PS: i tried this and it works, i had a coors lite slushy


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## Sow Trout

The water is going to be 32 degrees as long as there is ice in it.


Jmac said:


> My apologies as I did not read all the post. Just a few ideas to keep in mind. Putting the ice in the chest will have void space so the ice will not have the exact capacity of the cooler. The ice will also have void space in side itself. Might think about putting a certain weight of ice in each cooler and keep the weight controlled. Maybe even measure the temperature of the water/air in the ice chest on the first and last day for comparisons. But all in all should be interesting to see the results.


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## trodery

Sow Trout said:


> Will salt make the ice last longer?


I know that salt makes the beer TASTE better


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## bowed up

SOME HOW IT DOES AND MAKES IT COLDER, I AM SURE THERE IS SOMEONE ON HERE WHO CAN EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS



Sow Trout said:


> Will salt make the ice last longer?


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## I_Just_Wanna_Fish

Sow Trout said:


> The water is going to be 32 degrees as long as there is ice in it.


i dont think that the water is actually 32 degrees because if it was would it not be frozen?


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## LIVIN

The presence of the salt lowers the "chemical potential" of the water. But
the "chemical potential" of the ice remains the same. If we were to hold the
temperature of the ice and salt solution at 0 C., the ice would all melt
because it has a higher "chemical potential" than the salt solution.
Remember I said that the addition of salt reduces the "chemical potential"
of the liquid water. If the pure ice is to remain in equilibrium with the
salt solution, it must lose some of its "chemical potential". Since pressure
has no effect (you have to trust me on that), and no salt can dissolve in
the solid ice, the only way for the ice to lose "chemical potential" is for
the temperature to be lowered. Remember, I said that "chemical potential"
increases with increasing temperature. And that is what happens. The
temperature of the ice = salt solution decreases until the "chemical
potential" of the ice and NOW the salt solution become equal.


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## cabosandinh

LIVIN, good test, I would like to add that one of the best Ice Chest I've come across
is the YETI fiberglass series, it passed my 5 day ice test. The seal is so tight it
actually creates a vacuum as the ice melts. So tight that one would have to release
pressure through the drain valve to get it to open. I was so impressed with their 
product I am now a distributor/dealer of YETI coolers. I have not tested their
Roughneck series, but I am also a big fan of their Sherpa series, better looking
cosmetically. I also helped re-design the lid on the Sherpa (future release). Most
coolers are foam/polyurethane filled so their insulation is about equal, having an
air tight seal can increase a cooler's potential by 1-2 days.


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## LIVIN

cabosandinh said:


> LIVIN, good test, I would like to add that one of the best Ice Chest I've come across
> is the YETI fiberglass series, it passed my 5 day ice test. The seal is so tight it
> actually creates a vacuum as the ice melts. So tight that one would have to release
> pressure through the drain valve to get it to open. I was so impressed with their
> product I am now a distributor/dealer of YETI coolers. I have not tested their
> Roughneck series, but I am also a big fan of their Sherpa series, better looking
> cosmetically. I also helped re-design the lid on the Sherpa (future release). Most
> coolers are foam/polyurethane filled so their insulation is about equal, having an
> air tight seal can increase a cooler's potential by 1-2 days.


Thanks, We are using one brand of fiberglass cooler in the Showdown, but in the end unless your are going to keep it mounted under a leaning post or in a fixed position that will not move easy the fiberglass coolers just are not practical in most applications. I guess what I am trying to say is we just wanted to use a broad range of everyday coolers the average person uses.

Maybe in the near future I can do a Showdown with high end fiberglass-roto coolers ?


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## General CoolBro

Interesting test done on myth busters in regards to ice, ice/water, ice/salt. Scroll down to see the different temperatures and other data.

http://kwc.org/mythbusters/2005/03/mythbusters_cooling_a_sixpack.html

Remember watching this one. You can cool a six pack quick with a fire extinguisher.....it just costs a little more than ice :biggrin:

GCB


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## LIVIN

Cooler Showdown Update: I will not mention which coolers but alot happened yesterday and by this morning several are out of the race.


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## Soapeddler

General CoolBro said:


> Interesting test done on myth busters in regards to ice, ice/water, ice/salt. Scroll down to see the different temperatures and other data.
> 
> http://kwc.org/mythbusters/2005/03/mythbusters_cooling_a_sixpack.html
> 
> Remember watching this one. You can cool a six pack quick with a fire extinguisher.....it just costs a little more than ice :biggrin:
> 
> GCB


I saw that episode. It was interesting.


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## fish'nchipper

When are the results coming out?


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## willydavenport

I never thought reading 2cool would be like being in science class. Great experiment, only 2 more days until we get to see the results. I'll be on pins and needles until then...hope I can get some sleep.


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## LIVIN

Just to give everyone a heads up......I will post the results tomorrow evening as time permits. Thanks again for making this thread alot of fun !


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## bowed up

lets see the winner, i just cant wait any more, i've got hives, my hair is falling out and i've bitten my fingernails off to a nub, just cant wait to see the winner.
lol,


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## Bluffer

Going on forever, stoped watching the thread now.


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## LIVIN

I am sorry ladies and gents.......We have just found out that I will be having another addition to our family (girl).
I have all of the results and I promise I will post ASAP !!!.......

As a teaser.......for those that voted (and placed bets) on the styrofoam or bag cooler's......... pay up.
And for all of the Icey-Tek, and Igloo Marine fans.........?..........?.......TBA


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## Supergas

*Yeti ???*

Did you include one of these????

*Sherpa Series*










Product Description: 
The Yeti Sherpa cooler has a one-piece, roto-molded shell with 2" of polyurethane foam insulation and a unique built-in sealing gasket. This combination of insulation and superior sealing provides industry leading ice retention. Outstanding thermal properties, durable construction and innovative hardware (non-slip rubber feet and integrated heavy-duty hinges) make this our best-selling cooler series

I just bought one to use as a cooler/seat for my project boat....

Thanks for your efforts.. this is very informative...

Supergas


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## Sow Trout

Leaving salt out of the equation, when ice and water are mixed they are in "equilibrium", which means the water and ice mixture will be at 32 degrees.


I_Just_Wanna_Fish said:


> i dont think that the water is actually 32 degrees because if it was would it not be frozen?


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## scubaru

Yeti fans, please read ENTIRE thread with particular attention to post 13!


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## Flynm

AGAIN... Yeti is IceyTek...


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## Supergas

*Not The Same*

Flyin & Scub: The Yeti Sherpa is not a fiberglass cooler like the Icey Tek.. It is a polyurethane cooler that is roto molded....

That is why I asked.. I read the post & I did not see the Yeti Sherpa cooler included!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The notice on the Icey Tek web site reads:

NOTE: The factory that produced Icey-Tek is still producing coolers, however, the Icey-Tek name can no longer be used in the United States due to Trademark restrictions. The cooler you receive from Southern Charm is produced in the same factory and is the identical box to the boxes that have in the past been labeled Icey-Tek. THIS IS THE EXACT SAME COOLER AS THE BOXES WITH THE Icey-Tek LABELS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BOUGHT IN THE PAST! ​
The new name and label is now: ​
YETI Roughneck.​








​
Maybe you should read the post instead of being so quick to police someone else's question !!  

Supergas


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## scubaru

Maybe you could buy one from cabosandinh and donate it to science.


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## Wolf6151

So post the results of the Cooler Showdown already...


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## Flynm

LOL, ok, some Yeti are IceyTeks...


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## fishnlab

Wolf6151 said:


> So post the results of the Cooler Showdown already...


Here ya go...my guess.

Icey Tek
Igloo 94
Tropical
Ultra Cool
Igloo 25
Premium canvas bag
styrofoam 
small cooler bag


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## jim_n

and the winner is ???????


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## LIVIN

Supergas said:


> Flyin & Scub: The Yeti Sherpa is not a fiberglass cooler like the Icey Tek.. It is a polyurethane cooler that is roto molded....
> 
> That is why I asked.. I read the post & I did not see the Yeti Sherpa cooler included!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The notice on the Icey Tek web site reads:
> 
> NOTE: The factory that produced Icey-Tek is still producing coolers, however, the Icey-Tek name can no longer be used in the United States due to Trademark restrictions. The cooler you receive from Southern Charm is produced in the same factory and is the identical box to the boxes that have in the past been labeled Icey-Tek. THIS IS THE EXACT SAME COOLER AS THE BOXES WITH THE Icey-Tek LABELS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BOUGHT IN THE PAST! ​
> The new name and label is now: ​
> YETI Roughneck.​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​
> Maybe you should read the post instead of being so quick to police someone else's question !!
> 
> Supergas


The Icey-Tek is a polyurethane cooler that is roto molded NOT fiberglass. It is the exact same as the Yeti Roughnech series: http://www.fishing-catalog.com/iceytek/prices.htm


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## Melon

*Meat Haulers Incorporated*

Huh! I know Biggie has one of these on his bote! LOL


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## LIVIN

2007 ​Cooler Showdown Results:​
Thanks again for everyone making this a fun learning experience. I apologize for not getting the results up sooner.​The coolers were tested for a total of 7 days (163hrs). The larger the percentage represents the volume of ice that melted to water. The term "Dead" means it did not last the full term of experiment.​
Day 4:​6th Place (Tie)​Styrofoam (standard gas station) 13qt- $4.99- Dead​Small Bag (cheapo) 14qt- $13. - Dead​
Day 5:​5th Place (Tie)​Igloo Marine (no latch) 25qt- $35.- Dead​Premium Large Canvas Bag 25qt- $60.- Dead​
Day 7: Final Day​*4th Place*​Tropical Cooler 39qt- $150.- 44% of ice is melted.​
​*3rd Place*​Icey-Tek 70qt- $235.- 43% of ice is melted.​
*2nd Place*​Igloo Marine 94qt- $55.- 32.77% of ice is melted​
*1st Place Overall Winner !*​Ultra Cool 47qt- $385.- 32.13% of ice is melted​
*Fun Facts:*​*-* The small bag cooler leaked water as fast as the ice melted and was completly dry after day 4 , however when it rained this weekend it actually had water back in it again.​
- The Igloo Marine 94qt still has 15.8lbs of ice left.​
- The Ultra Cool Box 47qt has 7.9lbs of ice left.​
- The Ultra Cool Box (1st place) sells for $8.19 per Quart​
- The Igloo Marine 94qt (2nd place) sells for $1.71 per Quart.​
- We have estimated that there could be up to a 1% margin of error because of method used for water measurment.​
- Approx. 280lbs of ice was used for the Showdown.​
- We priced the fiberglass Ultra Box @ $185, but found out it is actually $385.​
- There was almost $1,000. worth of coolers used in the Showdown.​


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## General CoolBro

Thanks for all the work and providing the fun.

I owe Ron E a six pack of his choice. In retrospect though, I would still choose the Igloo 94 for 6 tenths of a precent less ice over 7 days and keep the $330 extra I saved in my pocket. 

Ron E, send me a PM on your beverage of choice and I will get ya fixed up when our paths cross.

GCB


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## cncman

Cool stuff, couple of questions, can you quantify that into some sort of factor and then have it as a ratio to the price? like maybe cooler A was only 5% better than B but costs $100 more? And would the larger coolers necessarily have a better advantage for having more ice in them?

Anyway, good stuff, thanks!



LIVIN said:


> 2007 ​
> Cooler Showdown Results:​
> Thanks again for everyone making this a fun learning experience. I apologize for not getting the results up sooner.​The coolers were tested for a total of 7 days (163hrs). The larger the percentage represents the volume of ice that melted to water. The term "Dead" means it did not last the full term of experiment.​
> Day 4:​6th Place (Tie)​Styrofoam (standard gas station) 13qt- $4.99- Dead​Small Bag (cheapo) 14qt- $13. - Dead​
> Day 5:​5th Place (Tie)​Igloo Marine (no latch) 25qt- $35.- Dead​Premium Large Canvas Bag 25qt- $60.- Dead​
> Day 7: Final Day​*4th Place*​Tropical Cooler 39qt- $150.- 44% of ice is melted.​
> ​*3rd Place*​Icey-Tek 70qt- $235.- 43% of ice is melted.​
> *2nd Place*​Igloo Marine 94qt- $55.- 32.77% of ice is melted​
> *1st Place Overall Winner !*​Ultra Cool 47qt- $385.- 32.13% of ice is melted​
> *Fun Facts:*​*-* The small bag cooler leaked water as fast as the ice melted and was completly dry after day 4 , however when it rained this weekend it actually had water back in it again.​
> - The Igloo Marine 94qt still has 15.8lbs of ice left.​
> - The Ultra Cool Box 47qt has 7.9lbs of ice left.​
> - The Ultra Cool Box (1st place) sells for $8.19 per Quart​
> - The Igloo Marine 94qt (2nd place) sells for $1.71 per Quart.​
> - We have estimated that there could be up to a 1% margin of error because of method used for water measurment.​
> - Approx. 280lbs of ice was used for the Showdown.​
> - We priced the fiberglass Ultra Box @ $185, but found out it is actually $385.​
> - There was almost $1,000. worth of coolers used in the Showdown.​


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## LIVIN

cncman said:


> Cool stuff, couple of questions, can you quantify that into some sort of factor and then have it as a ratio to the price? like maybe cooler A was only 5% better than B but costs $100 more? And would the larger coolers necessarily have a better advantage for having more ice in them?
> 
> Anyway, good stuff, thanks!


All of the coolers were filled up to thier maximum capacity. 
Even though the larger coolers had more ice in them they had more space to keep cold as the ice melted.


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## cncman

Hmm, I was just thinking of a larger amount of ice keeping the core colder for longer, like take one ice cube and put it on the sidewalk, then take 8 and stack them up, the stack of 8 would last longer than the single cube, what am I missing?



LIVIN said:


> All of the coolers were filled up to thier maximum capacity.
> Even though the larger coolers had more ice in them they had more space to keep cold as the ice melted.


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## railman

I can buy a bunch of ice for $385.00 thats 385 twenty lb. bags at Buckies.I will keep my Igloo.


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## LIVIN

cncman said:


> Hmm, I was just thinking of a larger amount of ice keeping the core colder for longer, like take one ice cube and put it on the sidewalk, then take 8 and stack them up, the stack of 8 would last longer than the single cube, what am I missing?


In our above experiment the largest amount of volume that the ice had to sustain an at or below freezing temperature is 5,197.5 cubic inches (90qt).
In your example the "sidewalk" ice cubes are trying to maintain an at or below freezing temperature within a volume of 460,260,244 cubic miles (the volume of Earth's atmosphere) . 
Because of the "small" differences in volume one can see how an antithesis result could be reached.

In closing...... This is how we decided to do the 2007 Cooler Showdown, and it is what it is.


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## cncman

Not challenging you on how you did it, just wondering, because I like to know that stuff myself. And I do appreciate your experiment it is good to see stuff like this go on. Not to bug you too much but based on what you are saying theoretically if you had different sized coolers of the same construction, density etc, basically everything identical except the total volume then you would expect the % of ice remaining to be essentially the same? That would be interesting to do next time, well anyways, looks like it is time for me to get a new cooler! My 3 day cooler never seems to last more than a day or so anyways. Thanks again.



LIVIN said:


> In our above experiment the largest amount of volume that the ice had to sustain an at or below freezing temperature is 5,197.5 cubic inches (90qt).
> In your example the "sidewalk" ice cubes are trying to maintain an at or below freezing temperature within a volume of 460,260,244 cubic miles (the volume of Earth's atmosphere) . Because of the "small" differences in volume one can see how different results could be reached.
> 
> In closing...... This is how we decided to do the Showdown, and it is what it is.


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## LIVIN

cncman said:


> Not challenging you on how you did it, just wondering, because I like to know that stuff myself. And I do appreciate your experiment it is good to see stuff like this go on. Not to bug you too much but based on what you are saying theoretically if you had different sized coolers of the same construction, density etc, basically everything identical except the total volume then you would expect the % of ice remaining to be essentially the same? That would be interesting to do next time, well anyways, looks like it is time for me to get a new cooler! My 3 day cooler never seems to last more than a day or so anyways. Thanks again.


No harm done, just having fun with it.


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## Krash

Thanks for doing this and keeping us posted.I bought a Yeti Sherpa 100qt a while back.(got it at a discounted price) It's nice to know how the competition stacks up.


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## trashcanslam

cncman said:


> Not challenging you on how you did it, just wondering, because I like to know that stuff myself. And I do appreciate your experiment it is good to see stuff like this go on. Not to bug you too much but based on what you are saying theoretically if you had different sized coolers of the same construction, density etc, basically everything identical except the total volume then you would expect the % of ice remaining to be essentially the same? That would be interesting to do next time, well anyways, looks like it is time for me to get a new cooler! My 3 day cooler never seems to last more than a day or so anyways. Thanks again.


Hey CNCMAN, I think the answer you are looking for is in the results. Note that the Tropical Cooler and the ICEY-TEC are within one percent of eachother. Also note that their construction techniques are identical, the only difference in the experiment was that they were different size with the Tropical being almost half the size as the ICEY-TEC. With this information I would summise that the size of the cooler had little or no effect on the experiment, but that's just my opinion. And even though their were two igloo marines in the experiment (which would make us think similiar construction) I must point out that the small igloo has little insulation on the sides and no insulation on the lid.


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## 85LoneStar

Thanks for sharing and all the work and money you put into it.


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## flieman

I thank you very much for going to the effort as I am buying a cooler this week and it looks like the Igloo wins for me. I actually have had negative thoughts toward Igloo because the last few I bought are the cheapies and they dont hold ice. Thanks again for the effort and for posting it. 

flieman


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## The Captain

Thanks to Chuck , here on the board gave me and the wife one of the BIG icey tecs. Let me tell you first hand, IT HELD ICE for five days. It was unbelievable. All the way to POC and back to GYB. I Give it a AAA+++++


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## LIVIN

The Captain said:


> Thanks to Chuck , here on the board gave me and the wife one of the BIG icey tecs. Let me tell you first hand, IT HELD ICE for five days. It was unbelievable. All the way to POC and back to GYB. I Give it a AAA+++++


Capt, the Icey-Tek did hold ice for more than 5 days.......Just not as well as the Igloo Marine 94qt. or Ultra Cool Box.


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## 85LoneStar

Livin,

I'm just wondering if you saw any commonalities that made one cooler better or worse than the others?
Things like, how well the lid fits, how thick the walls or lid are, type of insulation (if known), etc..

Thanks again,
Scott


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## cabosandinh

IGLOOS work fine, they just have cheap latches and hinges that will break under
normal abuse of offshore fishing and if one falls out the back of your truck full 
of ice, it will crack/break, and the lid will rip off from their 3 tiny screws (I know  )

The more expensive coolers made of polyurethane have stainless steel
rod hinges that are through-bolted or embedded, latches are made of heavy duty
rubber or ABS plastic, and if 1 accidently roll off your truck, you'll get scratches
that can be buffed off. That's another factor to consider when factoring in 
price per quart.

Icey Tek coolers are well built, there is one flaw , the seal is not air tight.
This can be fixed by adding another layer of foam to seal (1 sided foam insulation tape)

I think the best way to insulate a cooler is vacuum air space, I am applying for
a patent and if things work out, they might be available in a few years.


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## cncman

myth busters is doing the 6 pack test, on right now.


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## LIVIN

cabosandinh said:


> IGLOOS work fine, they just have cheap latches and hinges that will break under
> normal abuse of offshore fishing and if one falls out the back of your truck full
> of ice, it will crack/break, and the lid will rip off from their 3 tiny screws (I know  ) *Cheap latches can be be purchased online, Academy, or your local boat dealership for $3.00, and I have personally never had a cooler full of ice ejected from the bed of my pickup truck. *
> 
> The more expensive coolers made of polyurethane have stainless steel
> rod hinges that are through-bolted or embedded, latches are made of heavy duty
> rubber or ABS plastic, and if 1 accidently roll off your truck, you'll get scratches
> that can be buffed off. That's another factor to consider when factoring in
> price per quart. *When computing price per quart buffing compounds and manual labor were not factored.*
> 
> Icey Tek coolers are well built, there is one flaw , the seal is not air tight.
> This can be fixed by adding another layer of foam to seal (1 sided foam insulation tape) *Icey-Tek.... aka Yeti.... are very well built and will no doubt endure the the test of time longer than the average cooler if thrown from a second story window, or ejected from a truck bed, but our results found that they simply do not hold ice as long as a thier competitors.*
> 
> I think the best way to insulate a cooler is vacuum air space, I am applying for
> a patent and if things work out, they might be available in a few years.


 *Good luck on your endeavor.......*


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## LIVIN

cncman said:


> myth busters is doing the 6 pack test, on right now.


_ I like it........._


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## LIVIN

85LoneStar said:


> Livin,
> 
> I'm just wondering if you saw any commonalities that made one cooler better or worse than the others?
> Things like, how well the lid fits, how thick the walls or lid are, type of insulation (if known), etc..
> 
> Thanks again,
> Scott


Great question !!

When the coolers were being filled with ice we had to take out of the bed of my truck, fill with ice, put back in the truck, take out, etc.

The coolers that were very easy to shuffle around were the Tropical, and Ultra Cool. I feel that this is due to the cubed shape and capacity.

The Icey-Tek and Igloo Marine(94qt) are your standard 2 man grab each side cooler.

If you want something that is easy to carry by yourself look for a cubed shaped cooler from 25-50qt and save a trip to the hernia doctor.


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## hitch202

thanks for experiment and the re-post...


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