The more full your cooler is, the longer it’s content will stay cold. One of the best selling points (pun intended) of Ozark Trail Coolers is their great asking price. You will find that nearly every model is extremely affordable. This is a big reason why this company has been so popular over the past few years and it makes it easier to overlook any issues that we may have with them.
As for prices, the lower-end models are easily into the budget price tier while the premium creeps up to intermediate. As is expected, the larger hard-sided coolers had a clear advantage over the soft-sided coolers. They are not only larger but utilize thicker insulation, rubber gaskets, and an overall ozark trail canopy more ice-friendly design. While the Ozark Trail Hard-Sided Coolers are mostly designed to compete with the premium coolers of the industry, their soft-sided coolers are more balanced. Ozark Trail’s soft-sided coolers have gone through quite a bit of variation over the past couple of years.
They offer greater capacity than soft-sided models, so there’s plenty of room for the food and beverages you need for a two- to three-day camping trip. Ozark Trail’s hard-sided models are also extremely rugged and durable for holding up to the rigors of a camping trip. In fact, they’re certified by the USDA’s Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee to be bear-resistant. Depending on which model you go with, you will find the appearance of these ice chests to differ quite a bit.
Also, the stainless steel hardware and orange accents on the latches and handles look very sharp. We hope that in the future, Ozark Trail decides to expand on the color choices and perhaps have some customization options as well. We are impressed with the lineup of features you get to enjoy here. They include things such as non-skid feed, internal wire basket, fish ruler, and comfort-grip handles.
So no matter what type of bottle you tend to carry, they have you covered. No matter which model you go with, you will get to enjoy multiple storage options. This comes thanks to both the large, insulated area as well as storage pockets on the front and/or sides. The pockets on the front will be zippered while any on the sides will be open and mesh. These are perfect for sticking your cell phone, keys, wallet, or anything else that you don’t want to get potentially cold and/or wet in the insulated area. Also included in the 52 and 73-quart models is an internal wire basket.
A vapor lock can form that requires you to open the drain plug to open the lid. See, I told you I tried to purchase a cheaper cooler first. REI had a member sale over Memorial Day weekend and we were able to save 20% ozark trail chair on our cooler. We still spent more money than I’d like but at least we saved 20%. Just as with the other cooler test, we purchased four bags of ice and put the Coleman and YETI Tundra 65 in a head-to-head test.