Ozark Trail coolers

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sarsaparilla

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Recently purchased a Cabela's Polar Cap rotomolded cooler, and I love it. Check out my build thread here for my initial review/thoughts of it.
 

MOAK

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I don't want to come off sounding like an elitist, as I certainly am not. It's just that over the decades I've learned a lot of stuff the hard way. The Ozark Trail stuff at the discount department stores is just not worth wasting your hard earned money on. Years ago, I thought that because Coleman makes an excellent camp lantern and an excellent cook stove that the rest of their products would be just as good, (as Coleman does build one of the best cookstoves in the world.).. WRONG.. and now, Ozark Trail is on the shelves next to Coleman. I'd be hard pressed to experiment with my money again, on a company competing in the low end camping gear market. After countless unhappy experiences with coolers and tents, easily half a dozen of each, I discovered you do get what you pay for. Hindsight is 20/20.. I do have a Yeti Tundra 75 mounted in our trailer with a drain cock. Two years ago we were in the Needles in August/early September. Daytime temps were triple digits every day. We iced up in Moab and camped in Devils Kitchen for 3 nights, Ice still good, but we had two more nights at Horsehoof, then south, camped in the mountains, then on to Mexican Hat. So, we went to the Needles outpost and got another block of Ice, and topped off our gas tanks.... When we arrived in Mexican Hat 5 days later, we still had a partial block of ice.. Now, there are several excellent roto molded coolers on the market, choose one that suits your future needs and never have to buy another ever. Good luck with that Ozark Trail, I'm looking forward to your honest long term review...
 

1Louder

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Canyon Coolers in Flagstaff are highly rated. They even sell seconds with minor imperfections at a discounted price.
 

TreXTerra

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I don't want to come off sounding like an elitist, as I certainly am not. It's just that over the decades I've learned a lot of stuff the hard way. The Ozark Trail stuff at the discount department stores is just not worth wasting your hard earned money on. Years ago, I thought that because Coleman makes an excellent camp lantern and an excellent cook stove that the rest of their products would be just as good, (as Coleman does build one of the best cookstoves in the world.).. WRONG.. and now, Ozark Trail is on the shelves next to Coleman. I'd be hard pressed to experiment with my money again, on a company competing in the low end camping gear market. After countless unhappy experiences with coolers and tents, easily half a dozen of each, I discovered you do get what you pay for. Hindsight is 20/20.. I do have a Yeti Tundra 75 mounted in our trailer with a drain cock. Two years ago we were in the Needles in August/early September. Daytime temps were triple digits every day. We iced up in Moab and camped in Devils Kitchen for 3 nights, Ice still good, but we had two more nights at Horsehoof, then south, camped in the mountains, then on to Mexican Hat. So, we went to the Needles outpost and got another block of Ice, and topped off our gas tanks.... When we arrived in Mexican Hat 5 days later, we still had a partial block of ice.. Now, there are several excellent roto molded coolers on the market, choose one that suits your future needs and never have to buy another ever. Good luck with that Ozark Trail, I'm looking forward to your honest long term review...
I've had it on two trips so far and it has exceeded the 7-day ice rating both times. I was so beat after my second outting with it that I left it in the garage for two days with the lid open and it still had ice in it when I dumped it out.

So far it has performed very well by any measure and extraordinarily well for the money. The Yeti may be marginally better and have easier to use rubber lid straps, but it certainly isn't worth double the price for such a marginal gain. If this cooler lasts half as long as a Yeti then I'm still at the break-even point, any longer than that and I'm money ahead. Plus, I can actually get it now since it is in the budget, at double the price I would rather put the money towards a fridge.
 
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MOAK

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Well, that is good news. I must say, that when we purchased the Yeti, it was the only game in town. No regrets though.
 

TreXTerra

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The only problem I have with Yeti is the price. When they were to only rotomolded cooler on the market they could get away with it, now there are several companies making a similar product and almost all for less money. RTIC has a six month backorder and the Ozark Trail coolers were snatched up as soon as they hit shelves. in the mean time, my local sporting goods store has a mountain of Yeti coolers that are not moving. Clearly the market is ready for a lower price point and the demand is there.
 

xKennyx

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I've had it on two trips so far and it has exceeded the 7-day ice rating both times. I was so beat after my second outting with it that I left it in the garage for two days with the lid open and it still had ice in it when I dumped it out.

So far it has performed very well by any measure and extraordinarily well for the money. The Yeti may be marginally better and have easier to use rubber lid straps, but it certainly isn't worth double the price for such a marginal gain. If this cooler lasts half as long as a Yeti then I'm still at the break-even point, any longer than that and I'm money ahead. Plus, I can actually get it now since it is in the budget, at double the price I would rather put the money towards a fridge.
This. If I'm spending $300 on a cooler, I'd rather keep saving my quarters and just get a fridge. Until then, I'll be scoping out the Ozark Trail coolers. I actually have a couple little Ozark Trail items for camping/outdoors and they work just fine.
 
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MOAK

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Early one morning as I stumbled out of the truck ( 18 wheeler ) I dropped and broke my plastic coffee mug. Being half asleep I just had to pee, brush my teeth and get some coffee. When I got to the coffee part I grabbed a stainless steel coffee tumbler off the shelf without thinking. Once back in the tractor it slowly dawne dupon me I had just paid 16 bucks for the tumbler. ( It was Starbucks & it was on the NYThruway ) I kicked myself for being such a fool, but ya know what? Thats the best darned travel coffee mug I've ever owned. Moral of the story? The Starbucks, Yeti and Ozak Trail mugs/tumblers are all probabably made in the same factory. I've seen the Yeti cups/mugs/tumblers on the shelves. way way over priced. BTW, I still use the Starbucks nearly every day and it is way over 10 years old..
 
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Crispy

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They should be located in the camping department. Most stores in my area are sold out. I got lucky and found one in another city. Best part of it, is it fits my 2003 4Runner cup holder perfectly.
That's exactly where they are. In the camping section.

They have a ton of 20 ounce and 30 ounce size tumblers at my local Whale-Mart.
 
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Jelorian

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I know this is an older thread but I'd like to hear how your coolers are holding up after a year or so. I'm starting to see these available at my local Walmarts so hopefully they are more accessible. The price is definitely much better than a Yeti.