Are you ready to hit the RV campgrounds with your friends and family? Make sure all those delicious camping meals stay fresh! Here’s our guide to the best camping coolers on the market in 2021.
Great camping coolers are more than just a place to keep drinks frosty and ice cold or just a storage for sandwiches. They keep food chilled for several days and can double as a food preparation surface or just an extra camping chair.
What Should I Look For In A Great Camping Cooler?
Thankfully, manufacturers have given us a wide variety of camping coolers to choose from that can aid us from solo travel or week-long camping. In choosing a camping cooler, you need to keep in mind the following:
- Price
- Weight
- Capacity
- Features
- Design
Best Camping Coolers YOU can buy today
1. Yeti Tundra 45
YETI Tundra 45 Hard CoolerYeti, a company that got instant fame by selling “rotomolded” coolers. It is one of the top tiers of camping coolers on the market, despite its hefty price it is truly well-made.
Yeti products do live up to everyone’s expectations as one of the best coolers out there in the market. The Yeti Tundra 45 is armored to the center and durable thanks to its Rotomolded Construction.
Yeti’s cooler walls are considerably thicker than the other coolers’ making it a camping-favorite.
Features:
- Comes with one dry goods basket
- Fatwall design with three inches of insulation
- Permafrost Insulation
- Vortex drain system
- Cold-lock gasket
- Neverfail hinge system
| Pros | Cons |
| Rotomolded construction | Expensive Price |
| T-REX lid latches | |
| Bearfoot non-slip feet | |
| Doublehaul handles | |
| Lipgrip handles | |
| Anchorpoint tie-down slots |
2. RTIC 65
Whether it’s for camping trips, lake fishing, or just a small back-up refrigerator, the RTIC 65 got you covered. RTIC makes durable, reliable, and functional cooler for everyone.
A more affordable rotomolded pick because it’s been a well-known substitute to the Yeti Tundra 45.
It combines substantial insulation, extreme durability, and gives a user a sense of ease with its price.
This cooler works precisely as the manufacturers claim it to be. The RTIC 65 cooler can also be easily customized to fit your lifestyle and is realistically unbreakable, making it great for rougher outdoor environments.
Features:
- Heavy duty rubber t-latches
- Rapid V-drain system
- Traction lid
- Comfortable handle grips
| Pros | Cons |
| Rotomolded construction | Bulky weight |
| Lid can be used as casting platform | No built-in wheels |
| Molded tie-down slots | Short warranty program |
| Non-slip feet and 2 drain plugs | No leash for plug |
| Larger capacity | |
| Bear resistant | |
| Built-in locking mount |
Camping Menu Planner [Digital]
Camping meals should be some of the best memories you make with the family at the campground.
With a good camping menu plan and grocery list beforehand, you can spend less time prepping your camping meals and more time enjoying the great outdoors with your family.
With our Digital Camping Menus and Grocery Lists, you will:
- Be able to create your grocery lists on your phone or laptop.
- Edit them on the go or at home.
- Download PDF printable versions when needed.
- Keep your eating style in tact and on budget even while camping.
See How The Camping Menu Planner Works
Please note the planner works exactly the same, but the colors have been changed to blue and yellow now.
3. Titan Deep Freeze Roto Cooler 55
One of Arctic Zone’s first rotomolded cooler, the Titan Deep Freeze Roto Cooler 55. Arctic Zone claims that this cooler offers solid insulation value without standing out from the crowd. Built into it are thick polyurethane insulation and an integrated fish ruler which makes it a must-have during camping or fishing trips. It also has built-in protection thanks to Microban. Microban is an anti-microbial protection feature that helps in the prevention of bacteria, stains, and unwanted odor. The Titan Deep Freeze Roto Cooler 55 is solely one of the coolers equipped with Microban in the market.
Features:
- Heavy-duty, easy-grip T-latches
- Wire basket included
- Oversized drain
| Pros | Cons |
| Built-in Locking mounts | Poor insulation |
| Two sets of handles | Decent durability |
| Padded side handles | |
| Certified Bear resistant | |
| High performance insulation |
4. Pelican 45QW Elite Wheeled Cooler
Pelican is well-renowned for their products in the law enforcement and military, as such their designs are more focused on being tactical and appropriate for industrial use.
Their coolers offer a large selection of sizes, colors, and configurations matched with their unique aesthetics.
The Pelican 45QW has a great quality combined with eye-popping color combinations you can choose from. If you want something that makes you stand out from the crowd with its bold color choices then the Pelican 45QW Elite wheeled cooler is the perfect one for you.
Features:
- Press and pull latches
- Fish scale lid
- Trolley handle and tie downs
- Built-in bottle opener
- Sloped drain and tethered threaded plug
- Molded-in handles with built-in trolley handle
| Pros | Cons |
| Lifetime warranty | Heavy weight |
| Excellent insulation | Decent durability |
| Large capacity | Awkward shape |
| Corrosion Resistant Stainless-Steel Hardware | Expensive price |
| Heavy duty wheels | Lacks certain colors in other models |
| Non-skid and non-marking raised feet | |
| Custom color program | |
| Certified bear proof |
5. RovR Products RollR 45
Big things come in small packages. Having a cooler with wheels makes transport from your vehicle to a campsite a breeze.
RovR produces coolers that are ‘’feature-filled’’ with innovative functionality from add-on accessories like cupholders, bike tow bar, lights, Bluetooth speakers, and many more.
A boulder-based cooler that is guaranteed to be the easiest and most comfortable out there.
If you’re someone who likes a more feature-rich cooler, then the RovR RollR 45 will suit your needs. This cooler is also ideal when space is limited.
Features:
- Anchor pins for attaching prep station and accessories
- Deep freeze dry bin with 2 compartments
- 12.5mm stainless steel axle
- Telescopic handle
| Pros | Cons |
| Bear proof | Heavy weight |
| High density foam insulation | Limited warranty- 5 years |
| All-terrain rubber tires | Less spacious than advertised |
| Airtight gasket | Expensive price |
| Rubber latches | |
| Fast flow drain plug | |
| Rubber non-skid feet | |
| Removable storage bin | |
| Lots of customization options |
Comparison Table
| Name | Price | Weight | Capacity | Design |
| Yeti Tundra 45 (yeti.com/en_US) | $300 | 23 lbs. | 37 qts. (35L) | Rotomolded Construction |
| RTIC 65 (rtic.outdoors.com) | $239.99 | 36.5 lbs | 65 qt | Rotomolded Construction |
| Titan Deep Freeze Roto Cooler 55Q (Arctic.zone.com) | $200.0 | 35.27 lbs | 55qt | Rotomolded Construction |
| Pelican 45QW Elite Wheeled Cooler (Elitecooler.com) | $ 390.95 | 37.25lbs | 45.00qt (42.59L) | Rotomolded Construction |
| RovR Products RollR 45 (Rovrproducts.com) | $399.99 | 37 lbs. | 45 qts. (42.6L) | Rotomolded Construction |
Conclusion
There are more coolers out there with varying sizes and options to choose from. Coolers are a huge investment that is why having a generous warranty can help ease some pain in your pocket.
Picking out a cooler with ample insulation and internal space for your needs is vital especially during camping and outdoor activities. Take the time to review and weigh out different options in helping you choose the ‘’best cooler’’ for you. Just remember that it’s all about finding the one that suits your needs and lifestyle.