Rigid or soft coolers ??

Posted by: Chisel

Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 12/21/11 08:54 PM

Coolers have been mentioned and suggested in several threads like my thread ( Camo in urban environ) and the thread about car food stash ... I was wondering about coolers and have been thinking to add a SOFT insulated bag ( or soft-walled cooler)in the trunk of my car.

They have thick padded walls and some have reflective interior. So, the question is : which better, a classic hard walled cooler , or a soft-walled cooler ?

I think the soft ones are more versatile, and this is something important in an emergency. You can even fold it within another bag if you need to.

Posted by: chaosmagnet

Re: Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 12/21/11 09:13 PM

Soft coolers don't, as a rule, insulate as well as hard coolers. They also tend to fall apart more quickly. I have a hard Coleman cooler that's older than dirt and still does the job admirably well. I've never had a soft cooler last more than about one season of regular use.

On the other hand it's much easier to carry a soft cooler around for occasional use, and if they're small they're much easier to carry.
Posted by: Dagny

Re: Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 12/21/11 09:26 PM


What's best depends on your vehicle and your usage.

I've had a Coleman stainless 54-quart cooler in my Honda Element the past two years. It serves as a trunk and grocery hauler in addition to occasionally being packed with ice.

It may not be as versatile as a soft cooler but it is far more sturdy, better insulated and holds more than any soft cooler I've seen.

Something I have found very useful - especially since DC instituted a grocery bag nickel tax a couple years ago - is this Mountainsmith Cooler Cube. I have a couple and use them for grocery bags and for ice haulers when we camp. The cooler cube folds down pretty flat.

http://www.altrec.com/mountainsmith/cooler-cube?sku_id=521062&cm_mmc=Mercent-_-Google+PLA-_-Mountainsmith-_-51921-521062&mr:trackingCode=E6FAE886-B115-E011-B31E-001B2163195C&mr:referralID=NA&origin=pla&mr:adType=pla&gclid=CPTcv_qKlK0CFUTc4Aodvz0FlQ
Posted by: ireckon

Re: Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 12/22/11 12:31 AM

I have a Rubbermaid hard cooler that's magical the way it performs. However, if I anticipate a day when a soft cooler will get the job done well enough, I'll go that route. Obviously, a soft cooler's weight and pack-ability are great to have sometimes.
Posted by: RayW

Re: Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 12/22/11 01:47 AM

For soft coolers I have used these and they work well,

http://www.polarbearcoolers.com/

Keeps cold or hot for hours and can be squished flat to fit behind the car seats.

Standard disclaimer.
Posted by: Mark_M

Re: Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 12/22/11 03:01 AM

You'll get much better performance (e.g., insulating value) from a hard-shell cooler than a soft-shell. Soft shell coolers are primarily radiant heat reflectors, with little insulating value. I also find that they quickly develop leaks, making things messy when used with ice.

There are hard coolers that have great ice retention abilities. The Coleman XTreme 5-day and 6-day coolers, Engel DeepBlue and Yeti coolers are examples. Practical Sailor magazine did a comparison of large, high-end coolers in 2008. Engel won with the best ice retention time, Coleman Xtreme came in second, Yeti third. The Engel is also advertised as bear-proof when used with padlocks or carabiners on the corner hasps (hopefully, not a potential threat inside your car).

I keep a small 12V/DC Engel refrigerator in the back of the Jeep. It's over 4 years old now and has been to hell and back. Okay, not hell, but it has been to the remote mountains of Ecuador (as check-in luggage on commercial passenger flights, then bounced around in the back of pickup tucks and buses), high plains in Utah, and throughout the Rocky Mountains, which is close enough to hell. It still runs like a champ. The only problem is it will run the Jeep's battery flat if I don't use the Jeep for a couple of days with the fridge turned on.
Posted by: bacpacjac

Re: Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 12/22/11 03:33 AM

Originally Posted By: Mark_M
You'll get much better performance (e.g., insulating value) from a hard-shell cooler than a soft-shell. Soft shell coolers are primarily radiant heat reflectors, with little insulating value. I also find that they quickly develop leaks, making things messy when used with ice.


I completely agree. Cold packs are better than ice when using a soft cooler but they aren't as good as hard coolers for keeping things frozen or cold. We've got a Coleman 5 day cooler that is awesome. We've had it for about 6 or 7ish years now and we still have ice left when we get home from a week-long camp, even in heat in the high twenties. (C)
Posted by: LesSnyder

Re: Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 12/22/11 04:06 AM

+1 on the Coleman Extreme 5 day 70qt...worked well for the 04/05 hurricane season... one for ice, one for food (didn't need to get additional ice)
Posted by: unimogbert

Re: Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 12/30/11 05:12 PM

For insulation ability I haven't been able to beat the cheap styrofoam cooler we bought for a picnic 27 years ago. But it's taken some TLC to get it this far. (the lid finally got abused and stressed enough to crack on the last trip)

Softside cooler doesn't hardly seem to provide much more than shade. Hard sided Coleman seems to be in between.

Will probably splurge and buy another styrofoam one. :-)
Posted by: bacpacjac

Re: Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 12/30/11 11:23 PM

Originally Posted By: unimogbert
For insulation ability I haven't been able to beat the cheap styrofoam cooler we bought for a picnic 27 years ago. But it's taken some TLC to get it this far. (the lid finally got abused and stressed enough to crack on the last trip)

Softside cooler doesn't hardly seem to provide much more than shade. Hard sided Coleman seems to be in between.

Will probably splurge and buy another styrofoam one. :-)


DO NOT use styrofoam coolers to brine your turkey. Don't ask me how I know. Just take my word for it!
Posted by: ILBob

Re: Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 12/31/11 12:28 AM

Originally Posted By: unimogbert
For insulation ability I haven't been able to beat the cheap styrofoam cooler we bought for a picnic 27 years ago. But it's taken some TLC to get it this far. (the lid finally got abused and stressed enough to crack on the last trip)

Softside cooler doesn't hardly seem to provide much more than shade. Hard sided Coleman seems to be in between.

Will probably splurge and buy another styrofoam one. :-)


i used to travel on business a fair amount. One of the first things I usually did was go to Walmart or KMart and get a foam cooler and a case of pop. Never liked the $1.50 or $2 cans of pop at the hotels.

It never bothered me to leave the cooler and the left over pop when I left town.
Posted by: comms

Re: Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 12/31/11 06:17 PM

I prefer hard side coolers for my outings.

I like foam coolers next because they are easy and cheap to find at gas station stops for last minute ice/beverages/food and have no expectation of it surviving the trip and bringing.

We have a couple soft sides but they are worthless for long term cooling and forget about using loose ice cubes. The thawed water will leak through the zipper if it sloshes around or tips. Best bet is use frozen water bottles which will thaw and become drinkable or ziplock bags of ice. It works for us for very short trips of just a few bottles or cans.
Posted by: Richlacal

Re: Rigid or soft coolers ?? - 01/01/12 05:19 AM

+1 on the hard sided coolers,they are tougher to transport than the softy's,but they are much more versatile,i.e.- great to sit on-try that with a softy!,make xlnt tables for eating,slicing,assembling,etc.,make good windbreaks & anchor points for tarps,If you keep it sanitary clean,you will have valuable ice water in arid climes(Desert area's) which is Perfect for The Arabian Desert, your own "mobile oasis",you can actually mis-treat a hardsided cooler & it will forgive you,& still provide for your needs!You can use it as a step-ladder to see over the next sand dune or as a podium to practice a speech,afterwards you hop down,crack the lid open for a frosty cold beverage on a normally Hot(120+F) day!A softy will make a decent pillow,or haste flip-flops if your shoes/boots get swallowed in a Haboob,lol! Have a Happy New Year,EVERYBODY! Cheers! Aud Lang syne,pip-pip & all that rot!