Ozark Trail coolers

[TerryD]

I got one of the 72s back in December after a friend highly recommended it. It's physically larger than I had expected but the extra space over the 50 is really appreciated with 5 of us to carry food for.

I've been considering one of the 26s for more everyday use as well. I also have a 20oz and 30oz cup that I use a bunch for water around the house.

 

[AdvOverland]

I've got a 50 I found a while back. I think they've been out about a year in limited release.

You can find reviews on the YouTubes.

Mine held ice for 7 days in my garage after a party a couple months ago.

Worth the price in my opinion. I use it to put stickers on. Sit on while I'm drinking beer. And will use it as needed on our adventures. I can't bring myself to buy a yeti or wait for a rtic. And...I'm not betting my life on it.

I've got yeti cups which are awesome. The Ozark trails knock offs are just as good.

You get what you pay for to be sure (I've been called a snob before lol) but I think these are great on a budget.

Now. They could disintegrate or give me cancer at some point. But. Thus far they're great buys for the budget conscious. In my opinion.

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[Freedom Overland]

We have all three sizes and we use them all the time. Just got back from a 6 day outing and still had plenty of ice when we got back. I even melted my 50 when I first got it on my exhaust and it still is running strong.


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[Egan]

I have seen several tests on youtube and the Ozark Trails always do well against the Yeti's, if not beat them. The one cooler that has won every test that I have seen it ib is the Cabela's Polar cap. I have seen in about three tests and it blows away the competition.

 

[Jelorian]

A year ago you couldn't find them in store or online, now I'm starting to seem more often at Walmarts in CA. They are pretty heavy compared to regular coolers.

 

[Crispy]

A year ago you couldn't find them in store or online, now I'm starting to seem more often at Walmarts in CA. They are pretty heavy compared to regular coolers.

They are on the heavy side, but they are bear proof.

 

[Egan]

They are on the heavy side, but they are bear proof.

I saw that they were bear proof, but are they National Park/Forest approved?

 

[jeepsnstuff]

Just bought a Ozark tumbler for $7.74 and I'm sure it works as well as a Yeti tumbler.

One of many reviews on the Ozark vs Yeti tumbler.

I have four of the tumblers they work amazing. They keep tea cold like no other.

 

[Crispy]

I saw that they were bear proof, but are they National Park/Forest approved?

The Ozark Trail cooler is approved.View attachment 170509_Certified_Products_List.pdf

 

[Egan]

The Ozark Trail cooler is approved.View attachment 25133

That is awesome, I think I'm going to pull the trigger on one.

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[Crispy]

That is awesome, I think I'm going to pull the trigger on one.

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It's been solid for almost a year now. Throw a pad lock on it and there's no animal getting in.

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[TreXTerra]

Yes, to meet the bear rating you have to lock it. The rubber latches are not enough on their own. A heavy duty spring clip from the hardware store should also work if it has a good load rating.

 

[TerryD]

I bought a 26 before leaving for my little solo trip Friday and I'm really happy with it. Its the perfect size for one person for a couple days or a couple people for one day. I filled it about half full of ice just after buying it and its still got plenty of ice after about two days of regular use, sitting in a hot vehicle on the trail and all the associated sloshing. My only complaint so far is that the cup holders on it don't fit the 20 or 30oz OT tumblers.

 

[Arizona Overland]

Been thinking of getting a smaller one just to carry a bag of ice in. Like my iced tea.
I saw a bigger one at a Walmart before I bought my fridge, but didn't get it because I wanted the Canyon Cooler. You know. Good product, fairly locally made, etc. But when they confused me at OXW I stumbled across the Dometic trailer, and it was pretty much game over, and I gotta tell ya, I used it on one overnight so far and I am completely happy with it. But I still think I want something for ice for my tea.................. oh, and for sundowners

 

[jeepsnstuff]

I bit the bullet this weekend and got a 26 qt one. It should fill the hole between my 16 qt igloo and 36 qt Colman 5 day.
My initial impression is it is heavy and built well I will take it on the next couple of trips and test it out. Hoping it will be good for long day trips or fast overnights for the two of us.

 

[davis31052]

This topic is mighty familiar.

http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/155806-Ozark-Trail-quot-High-Performance-quot-cooler-any-good

I have 3. A 26 qt and 2-45qts. very happy with the price, quality, and performance.

 

[TreXTerra]

Yep, I figured I would ask around to see if anyone had any experience before taking the plunge. I was in need of cold food storage at the time, but couldn't justify the cost of a fridge. I didn't want to fall into the trap of false economy if it wouldn't do the job. If it was a junky cooler I would have put the money towards the more expensive Yeti (at the time RTIC had a three month wait so I would have not gotten the cooler for my planned trip).

I figured casting a wide net to ask for feedback and personal experience was prudent.

 

[Egan]

Here is a comparison test with two of the Ozark Trail coolers obviously not scientific but I think it proves they preform pretty well. The sme guy did an eariler test where the Cabela's cooler totally out preformed the Yeti. The Coleman did really well in both tests however I spend a lot of time im bear country so I would go with one of the others.

 

[Craig M]

I just bought that Coleman last week, so I am glad to see it performed decently, especially since it was less than $50. I bought it because of its overall capacity vs size (it fits perfectly on the single seat folded down behind the driver). And it fills a gap between the larger and smaller cooler I have.

 

[TerryD]

Here is a comparison test with two of the Ozark Trail coolers obviously not scientific but I think it proves they preform pretty well. The sme guy did an eariler test where the Cabela's cooler totally out preformed the Yeti. The Coleman did really well in both tests however I spend a lot of time im bear country so I would go with one of the others.

Neat video but even he mentions that the 72 and coleman loose ice faster because of the volume. If you had them all filled based on their volume rather than just the same quantity of ice, they would both probably perform better than they did in his video. That's just my theory though.