Back in 2010, I purchased a $60 (~$90 in 2025 dollars) Igloo cooler from the purveyor of the famous $1.50 hot dog/soda combo – Costco.
I bought it just before the dawn of TactiCool coolers (Tacticoolers?), which cost $300+ for a similarly sized one.
I’ve used it over the years as a steady companion. It keeps our cold drinks cold, our cheesecake scrumptious, and allows us to enjoy fine food when we camp between backpacking trips, rather than going into town for a motel room.
The handcart portion no longer comes up as well, due to the grit and rust that even WD-40 was unable to address, but it has otherwise been a steady companion for many trips over the past decade and a half.
The thickness of the cooler, and the lid in particular, allows us to keep food and drinks cold for 5-7 days easily, depending on the temperature outside. Add some fleece blankets or foam scraps to keep the cooler fuller and more thermally efficient, and this humble cooler works remarkably well.
For local trips, we’ll add some ice blocks made from old water bottles or similar, which also work well. When the ice melts, the still-cold to cool water helps keep the food fresh in the cooler.
How does it work compared to tacticooler? Don’t know. I’ve never used a $300+ Tacticooler.
I do know that we recently spent eight days away and used this cooler for our food, and also visited Big Bend twice. Both times, the temperatures reached 90°F (32°C)+ at their peak, and we only needed to get ice after five days. (And, frankly, I think we could have stretched it another day if necessary.)
Good enough and about 1/5th the price if you don’t buy the wheeled option (or one third if you do, Bonus(?)- It’s a tacticooler!) of the modern Igloo cooler currently available.
I suspect we’ll use this Igloo cooler for many more years to come.
Bonus cooler review – The sharp-eyed reader will notice an even older Rubbermaid cooler, which is approximately 20 years old, if not older.
Joan acquired it in the past, and it is our “drink cooler” for extended trips. It does not keep things as cold as the Igloo cooler, but it fits well into our truck, and when drinks get on the warmer side of cool rather than cold, it is not as critical as with food. Just add more ice and it’s good to go again!
I’m not sure if they still manufacture this cooler, but it appears to be equivalent to the $35 one from Coleman. I suspect you can find a similar one even cheaper in a thrift store or at a yard sale. Add some foam pads or an old fleece for better cold retention.