GREAT GEAR RECOMMENDATION - Keeping Your Cool - Best Soft Side Coolers
Spent some time this weekend with my son doing some scouting for my Dad's up coming Coues deer hunt. We were on my new favorite mode of off highway transportation, a Polaris Ranger XP which is a 700cc 4x4 side-by-side ATV. This vehicle has proven so capable and comfortable that we pretty much just use my Dodge Ram 2500 Mega Cab 4x4 to tow the Ranger to and fro. Don't get me wrong, the truck, especially with the new 6.7 liter Turbo Diesel, is a dream to drive but it is big and I really like the open air of the Ranger.
Anyway, it was cool in the early morning but I knew it was supposed to be over 100 degrees so I packed the cooler with drinks and ice. Normally I dispense with such luxuries but Coop is only 8 years old and this was strictly a pleasure trip not a death march. One of the nice things about the Ranger is the storage capacity in the bed. You can load it with all of the things you need and some things that you don't and still have plenty of room left over to haul your game out. I can't do that on the quad. Like most outdoorsmen I have over the years assembled quite a collection of Igloo and Coleman ice chests but have always found them adequate at best. Well, my go to coolers for the last 2 years have been soft sided coolers from Polar Bear Coolers. I had not been a big fan of soft sides but I used one for a month on the beach in Coronado because it was in the owner's closet. I bought two for myself and have used them for the last two summers and I am telling you that they are worthy of a Hardcore Outdoor 'atta boy and well done. They are well made, keep ice on the beach for twice as long as their hard sided competitors and they are leak proof. Yes, I said leak proof. Unless you turn it upside down and let the water run through the zipper, it will not leak. You think I am kidding but superior performing beach equipment is a big deal amongst my contemporaries and the Polar Bear Coolers 24 pack is a clear winner. Now I am seeing them all over town at soccer, little league and softball games in the Scottsdale sun. Speaking of superior performing beach equipment, here is another piece of gear that earned accolades from the beach crew and has become a staple of our everyday life. Camelbak's Better Bottle is the adult sippy cup perfectly executed. Sand in your Ketel One and Red Bull or spilled coffee in your lap while driving is no longer a problem with this innovative wonder. It will not leak, is dish washer safe, comes in several sizes and colors and is practically indestructible. Get them at REI along with a Nalgene Flask and all will be right in your recreational world. We are nothing if not trend setters here at Hardcore Outdoor but then again, that is exactly the point. Right!
Well, I am pleased to announce that Polar Bear has a new product called the Solar Bear and it does an even better job of keeping things cold. This is what I have in the Ranger and despite direct sunlight and 100 degree plus heat, it works well for an entire weekend.
For the truck, I use an Engel MT45. I originally had the 35 quart model which was marketed by ARB USA but sold that to my brother. These electric refrigerators, Engel calls them portable freezers and they do indeed freeze, have adjustable temp settings, are tougher than hell, draw very little power and work like a charm. I first found saw these mounted on the rock crawlers that run around here and those guys break everything, except these. If you need a cooler in the truck for your outings, forget the ice, go with an Engel, plug it in and let it work. No more soggy food, no more having to hear the ice /water slosh around and no more having to worry about getting more ice. Your stuff will stay dry and cold. I routinely leave mine plugged in and on over night with no battery problems at all but then again I run Optima red tops in all my vehicles.
Stay cool!
Thanks.
Wade Nelson
Editor
Sorting through the fads and fashion of the outdoor equipment industry to identify and promote the very best wilderness gear for high end recreational users, backcountry professionals and government agencies.
Hardcore Outdoor is dedicated to those that can't or won't turn back.
Anyway, it was cool in the early morning but I knew it was supposed to be over 100 degrees so I packed the cooler with drinks and ice. Normally I dispense with such luxuries but Coop is only 8 years old and this was strictly a pleasure trip not a death march. One of the nice things about the Ranger is the storage capacity in the bed. You can load it with all of the things you need and some things that you don't and still have plenty of room left over to haul your game out. I can't do that on the quad. Like most outdoorsmen I have over the years assembled quite a collection of Igloo and Coleman ice chests but have always found them adequate at best. Well, my go to coolers for the last 2 years have been soft sided coolers from Polar Bear Coolers. I had not been a big fan of soft sides but I used one for a month on the beach in Coronado because it was in the owner's closet. I bought two for myself and have used them for the last two summers and I am telling you that they are worthy of a Hardcore Outdoor 'atta boy and well done. They are well made, keep ice on the beach for twice as long as their hard sided competitors and they are leak proof. Yes, I said leak proof. Unless you turn it upside down and let the water run through the zipper, it will not leak. You think I am kidding but superior performing beach equipment is a big deal amongst my contemporaries and the Polar Bear Coolers 24 pack is a clear winner. Now I am seeing them all over town at soccer, little league and softball games in the Scottsdale sun. Speaking of superior performing beach equipment, here is another piece of gear that earned accolades from the beach crew and has become a staple of our everyday life. Camelbak's Better Bottle is the adult sippy cup perfectly executed. Sand in your Ketel One and Red Bull or spilled coffee in your lap while driving is no longer a problem with this innovative wonder. It will not leak, is dish washer safe, comes in several sizes and colors and is practically indestructible. Get them at REI along with a Nalgene Flask and all will be right in your recreational world. We are nothing if not trend setters here at Hardcore Outdoor but then again, that is exactly the point. Right!
Well, I am pleased to announce that Polar Bear has a new product called the Solar Bear and it does an even better job of keeping things cold. This is what I have in the Ranger and despite direct sunlight and 100 degree plus heat, it works well for an entire weekend.
For the truck, I use an Engel MT45. I originally had the 35 quart model which was marketed by ARB USA but sold that to my brother. These electric refrigerators, Engel calls them portable freezers and they do indeed freeze, have adjustable temp settings, are tougher than hell, draw very little power and work like a charm. I first found saw these mounted on the rock crawlers that run around here and those guys break everything, except these. If you need a cooler in the truck for your outings, forget the ice, go with an Engel, plug it in and let it work. No more soggy food, no more having to hear the ice /water slosh around and no more having to worry about getting more ice. Your stuff will stay dry and cold. I routinely leave mine plugged in and on over night with no battery problems at all but then again I run Optima red tops in all my vehicles.
Stay cool!
Thanks.
Wade Nelson
Editor
Sorting through the fads and fashion of the outdoor equipment industry to identify and promote the very best wilderness gear for high end recreational users, backcountry professionals and government agencies.
Hardcore Outdoor is dedicated to those that can't or won't turn back.
Posted by Wade Nelson at Monday, September 17. 2007 
Categories: Catch All, GREAT GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS
Categories: Catch All, GREAT GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS
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