Question for the hunters

[Hedley lamarr 23]

Hi folks..need some advice..going on an elk and deer hunt this fall..I'm in the market for a large ice chest..the prices are crazy imho..are the yeti coolers worth 375.00?..are their cheaper options just as good??..any advice would be greatly appreciated..thankyou in advance jim

 

[Hunter]

Your question depends on the time of year. A December hunt in the high country usually means you have to keep the meat from freezing.

Yeti’s are great coolers, but internal size and weight can be a problem unless you can ruff butcher the meat. Same with the cheaper knockoffs.

If it’s a low country, warm weather hunt, 100 bucks of ice in a bed or bathtub works great coming down the hill.

 

[iammaxwell]

No they're not worth it.
What units and dates? That will help with what you should take.

 

[Hedley lamarr 23]

Thanks guys for the responses...October 20th elk in 7w...Flagstaff area...deer in November unit 39...off the 85 somewhere..

 

[jrleen]

Years ago I went with RTIC which at the time was almost half. Works extremely well and does hold drinks and food for a long time. I always had ice and cold provisions through my entire hunt. Never used for field butchered large game. 7w is my go to area when I get drawn. Even on early hunt you should be able to hang game in shade for day or so. I bring a couple of large well used old school cooler's to transport field packaged elk home. Good luck sir.

 

[stomp442]

I have one of the larger Walmart special Ozark Trail coolers and I really like it. It works well and I much prefer the latch system on it over the yeti one and it didn't break the bank.

 

[iammaxwell]

What I have for hunting:https://www.walmart.com/ip/1431765713
Will be too big for your deer, but should fit most of an elk. Maybe a full elk, depending on how big and if you debone everything, etc.
If you think you might need a bigger one, could opt for multiple medium-sized instead. Like 2x 70's. Only thing is elk quarters wouldn't fit bone-in, so YMMV.
Just remember those 120+ chests are HEAVY when fully loaded.

 

[Creeker]

I prefer multiple smaller coolers over one huge one. It just makes things a lot easier to deal with, both while in use and when being stored, and you’ll find yourself using the smaller ones for other purposes. You may have to break down an elk a little more but the trade off is worth it I think. The Yeti look-alike coolers that Igloo has work just fine at 1/4 or less of the price. I’m sure the Coleman series linked above will do just fine too. I have a Yeti 45qt and I use it often and it works well but wouldn’t spend the money for one again.

 

[XJThrottle]

The Walmart brand ones work well. We have several of them for houseboat use on Powell in the summer.

 

[Gunslinger808]

I prefer multiple smaller coolers over one huge one. It just makes things a lot easier to deal with, both while in use and when being stored, and you’ll find yourself using the smaller ones for other purposes. You may have to break down an elk a little more but the trade off is worth it I think. The Yeti look-alike coolers that Igloo has work just fine at 1/4 or less of the price. I’m sure the Coleman series linked above will do just fine too. I have a Yeti 45qt and I use it often and it works well but wouldn’t spend the money for one again.

I have to agree with Creeker.
Your really not going to find a single cooler that will fit a whole Elk unless you completely butcher it at camp, if you’ve never taken a large bull, you have no idea how big they really are.
Heck, I can almost fill our stand up freezer with meat from one kill.

And really, it won’t hurt to let it “hang” for a day or so until you do get it to a butcher as long as the weather is cool.

 

[Hedley lamarr 23]

I knew I could rely on the awesome azs community!..I'm glad I asked this question..I was ready to buy a huge cooler..and I can now see...multiple smaller ones would probably work much better..plus I could use them in other situations..I will check out the Ozark trail coolers this weekend when I have time..thankyou to everyone who chimed in..I greatly appreciate it..will keep you all updated..thanks again jim

 

[Creeker]

Good luck on the hunt. Post up some pictures for those of us who got blanked in the draw again this year.

 

[Hedley lamarr 23]

Thankyou creeker!..I'm gonna give it my best shot :drool: