So, I have to say that I was really surprised with how this test turned out. You can see from the images below that there was consistent ice melt, however two of the three were better performing. Cracking this thing open sounds like you are opening the airlock on a spaceship.
It’s easy to get caught up in brand perception and often times very difficult to break away from what you think you know about a brand. I used the word “think” intentionally, because what I thought I knew about Ozark Trail was not correct. Ozark Trail is proving to be a really solid competitor for outdoor products. This cooler has a number of features that you would find on more expensive coolers and a few that you won’t find. Yeti has clearly set themselves apart as the biggest player in the cooler space. Since they launched, they have carved out an incredible market share delivering products across the board from coolers to dog bowls.
Overall the Pelican coolers have sharper edges and a bit more of an industrial feel than the competition. One of the first things to note about it’s design is that it has a larger drainage hole and a tethered drain cap, which is a nice feature. I have lost a couple of drain caps in my day which makes the cooler unusable until a replacement arrives. I spend a great deal of time on the water every summer boating and fishing in Northern Michigan.
This cooler is not only smaller in its overall size but also a fraction of the price of the competition. The coolers in competition were the Ozark Trail 45QT Rolling Thermocooler, The Pelican 45QW Elite Wheeled Cooler, and the Yeti Tundra ozark trail backpack Haul. I chose these coolers because they were the closest among the brands when it came to internal storage. Our sister site Alloutdoor.com recently reviewed a hiking backpack sold by Ozark Trail that had an overall stellar performance and it triggered a question among our staff. Is Walmart’s Ozark Trail brand a true sleeper, putting out products that deserve much more attention among outdoorsmen? With that question being floated, we decided to travel down the path of discovery and start to take a closer look at Ozark Trail and some of their products.
Engineered to fit most car cup holders, it’s the quintessential accessory for the home, office, gym, or while traveling. Coupled with a health-conscious PP plastic lid that ensures a 100% airtight seal with its quarter-turn technology, spills and leaks are things of the past. The Yeti has the most streamlined design of the three coolers, staying true to the original Yeti look and feel. The overall product weight of this cooler is 37lbs empty which is inline with the Pelican, but 7lbs heavier than the Ozark Trail cooler. The Tundra Haul features rubber clasps, which I really like, and hard plastic wheels.
The coolers remained in the same location for the duration of the 6 day test, ozark trail chair only being opened to snap daily progress pictures. My own personal beverage drama every summer has really pushed me to do this review. To me, worrying about the temperature of the drinks I have on my boat is the absolute last thing I want to be thinking about when I am heading out on the water.
As a collective of enthusiasts, experiences are shared, and the technology and sustainability efforts that allow for responsible enjoyment of nature are celebrated. Here, individuals are not merely observers but active participants in the legacy of adventure, crafting their own memories in the natural world. So there you have it, when looking at just the ability to keep ice cold over a period of 6 days the Pelican has just slightly won, but we are talking about decimal points. I have to say that I am very impressed with the performance of the Ozark Trail 45Q cooler.