5-day cooler

[spearmint]

A lot of the difference in "extreme" coolers is the fact that for years a lot of discount houses stuck 5 day stickers on regular coolers.
There are actually quite a few types now.
Check out the link for your cooler to see if it's actually an Xtreme:
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/category_main.asp?categoryid=8500
 
We learned if it's blue or red it ain't an Xtreme

I thought all the Extreme coolers were blue. I even saw one in the grocery store the other day (blue) and it said Extreme on the front.

['tiredTeacher]

Some folks swear by these ice chest, but my experience has been that in the deep south during the summer with the hummidity we have down here, they just don't perform that well.

CajunCamper

Several of my buds bought them and they didn't perform to expectations here in Virginia. They didn't hold up to the rigors of canoe camping either.

[sewserious]

A lot of the difference in "extreme" coolers is the fact that for years a lot of discount houses stuck 5 day stickers on regular coolers.
There are actually quite a few types now.
Check out the link for your cooler to see if it's actually an Xtreme:
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/category_main.asp?categoryid=8500
 
We learned if it's blue or red it ain't an Xtreme

If it's DARK BLUE, BRIGHT BLUE, or red it ain't an Xtreme.  The true Xtremes are a blue/silver color, as per the pictures at Coleman's Website and the ones I have seen at several stores.  Those coolers haven't been out all that long and stores don't have extra stickers lying around from the manufacturer to stick on them.  They may have tagged them as such with a store sign, but remember buyer beware and make sure the manufacturer's tag says Xtreme 5-day.

['tiredTeacher]

I was wondering about the Gizmo ice chest cover...anyone tried that?  How is it?

My wife made one for our Coleman steel cooer. They help a lot, maybe adding a day.

When I was doing multi-day canoe trips, I took an Oklahoma steaks styrofoam shipping cooler, loaded it with food for the end of the week, added dry ice and taped it shut with duct tape around the seam of top to bottom. Opened it 4 or 5 days later to let stuff thaw in the regular Coleman. That's the only sho' nuff system I've found to keep food cold for a week.

[McCampers]

If it's DARK BLUE, BRIGHT BLUE, or red it ain't an Xtreme.  The true Xtremes are a blue/silver color, as per the pictures at Coleman's Website and the ones I have seen at several stores.  Those coolers haven't been out all that long and stores don't have extra stickers lying around from the manufacturer to stick on them.  They may have tagged them as such with a store sign, but remember buyer beware and make sure the manufacturer's tag says Xtreme 5-day.

This is correct.  All others are knock-offs.  The silver Colemans are the ones.  I do not believe they are the same as when they originally came out with them though.  They do not work as well as they did then.

[Darrell T]

There is another route to take that no one has mentioned yet.
I used coolers for years and years just like everyone else. Once my camping trips moved from a couple hours from a town to 8 hours from a town I had to rethink what to do with my my perishable foods. It was either eat all the cooler items  in the first few days or get a huge cooler to hold a week+ of food without it going bad.
I was tired of all the soggy cheese and just wet containers and getting ice every couple days when it is over 100 degrees in the truck.
Engel and Norcold make 12 volt fridge/freezers. They use 12 volts and have very low amp draw. Less than 2 amps and will keep you food as cold/frozen as you like as long as your battery holds out. These are not the thermoelectric units that run all the time and pull nearly 15 amps and cool to 40 below ambient. These are true fridge/ freezer unit just like at your house with a thermostat and compressor. They are top opening so they are like a cooler in that aspect and won't let all of the cold out when you open the door like a regular camper fridge does.
Imagine having ice cream after being on the trail for a few days
They are expensive to say the least. Once I got over the sticker shock I haven't looked back, it is a great addition.
You can add warm soda/beer/water containers without worrying that you are making the ice melt faster and this way you don't have to carry two coolers, one for food one for beverages.
DT

[mike4947]

Current Xtremes are different than the originals.
Originally Coleman took the same outer molds and made new inner molds slightly smaller than the standard cooler inner molds. This allowed for more insulation but slightly decrease the interior volume. IIRC back when they started the red & blue standards were 56 quart and 36 quart and the silver blue Xtremes were 50 and 30 quart.
We learned about the "substitutions" by discount stores when we complained to Coleman, who said (at that time) to look for a hanging tag that actually said Xtreme, and that the capacity was reduced by the extra insulation, and gave instructions on the usage of the Xtreme cooler. They also thanked us about notifying them about "the problem" with 5 day mislabeled product and they would look into it.

[Buzz]

I have 2 Xtremes and a Rubbermaid 5 day.
The Colemans seem to keep ice better.
The Rubbermaid "was" wheeled. The handle and wheels were on the wrong ends. It would not roll through a door and seemed to be off balance. I took the wheels and handle off .... now I just carry it.

[Old Starcraft]

Just as others.... I've had many different coolers too. Mainly coleman, later Rubermaid, and recently Igloo. I've never owned an "extreme" cooler, but did pick up an igloo Maxcold a couple of years ago at Target (I think it was a 60-70 quart model, it was less than $70). We bought this for a camping trip to Willmington, NC in August (Temp. showed 105 in the shade. I sent the wife and son to the pool (pool Temp was 95 degrees ). I'd say that was a pretty "Extreme" trip.

The cooler held up well. I did have to put a new bag of ice in it every day, but with highs around 100-108, and lows mid 80's that didn't seem to be too bad. We were tent camping at the time. We kept the Igloo in a gazebo style cover night and day.

I've used it several times since, one recently a few weeks ago (mild Temps. in S.C.) After a couple of weeks  in the back of my car I dumped out more ice than water.

P.S. I don't recommend camping in Willmington, N.C. in August. I'm pretty sure I fried a few brain cells on that trip.

[McCampers]

Just as others.... I've had many different coolers too. Mainly coleman, later Rubermaid, and recently Igloo. I've never owned an "extreme" cooler, but did pick up an igloo Maxcold a couple of years ago at Target (I think it was a 60-70 quart model, it was less than $70). We bought this for a camping trip to Willmington, NC in August (Temp. showed 105 in the shade. I sent the wife and son to the pool (pool Temp was 95 degrees ). I'd say that was a pretty "Extreme" trip.

The cooler held up well. I did have to put a new bag of ice in it every day, but with highs around 100-108, and lows mid 80's that didn't seem to be too bad. We were tent camping at the time. We kept the Igloo in a gazebo style cover night and day.

I've used it several times since, one recently a few weeks ago (mild Temps. in S.C.) After a couple of weeks  in the back of my car I dumped out more ice than water.

P.S. I don't recommend camping in Willmington, N.C. in August. I'm pretty sure I fried a few brain cells on that trip.

I love Wilmington, but August is brutal.  I'm a straight up AC man in August.  I do not believe any cooler will hold up ice in July and August.  I don't believe a refrigerator would hold up outside in those months.

['tiredTeacher]

This is correct.  All others are knock-offs.  The silver Colemans are the ones.  I do not believe they are the same as when they originally came out with them though.  They do not work as well as they did then.

Au contraire, mon frere, my stainless works much better than my old steel belt (which I still have as my fish cooler). Insulation technology has improved markedly in the last 20 yrs.

[flyfisherman]

I've used it several times since, one recently a few weeks ago (mild Temps. in S.C.) After a couple of weeks  in the back of my car I dumped out more ice than water.

P.S. I don't recommend camping in Willmington, N.C. in August. I'm pretty sure I fried a few brain cells on that trip.

Good grief ... I live south of Wilmington, exactly half way between there and Myrtle Beach. But I have ALWAYS found this neck of the woods a tad cooler than summer time in Columbia, SC! At least we do have some ocean breeze coming in!

The only place to camp in the summer hot months is in the opposite direction ... to the mountains! Especially if you do not have A/C. My coastal (or low country),  camping offically ends mid May and will not resume until October. You'll find my carcass that time of the year around the 3,000' level when you have to don a sweater after sunset and sleep under a blanket at least.


Fly

[CajunCamper]

Amen budro!  No cooler will perform much in the South in the summer.  We use the Ice Cube Igloo and its ok, but you'll still be using alot of ice.  Its the humidity.  Part of our burden for being in the South, but we can camp in December.  Tell em Budro!  Oh no cher' eeze not too cold.

You crack me up.

CajunCamper

[McCampers]

You crack me up.

CajunCamper

Didn't want you to feel too left out.  I thought I'd throw some of that cheezy sounding, poor excuse for cajun dialect at you.  I think I'm going to look into these norcolds freezers.

[cpaharley]

K mart has a "Igloo quick and cool" 5 day cooler for $39 which is described on a competitor's website ($79)  http://www.buy.com/prod/igloo-100-qt-quick-cool-cooler-white/q/loc/17250/202569576.html