I'd give 4.3 stars if I could. PROS: Sturdy and feels super tough and well-made. Top stays open. Easy to latch. Wheels are tough and so so smooth, even over seriously muddy / rough terrain full of roots and rocks. Metal carry bar makes hauling a big cooler so much easier. Tons of interior space. Price point is less than top-of-the-line models. Ice retention is really impressive. ** CONS: (1) The tow bar - while impressively sturdy, uniquely designed, and well-configured for easy pulling - is very heavy and stays "down." Not a huge deal, but requires bending completely over to grab it just a few inches off the ground and lift it every single time you want to move the cooler, because there is no way to lock it "up." The handle also doesn't lift very high (maybe 120 degrees) and as mentioned, it is very heavy - imagine about 50 linear inches of rebar. I am 5'3" and reasonably strong so it was fine for me, but it would be awkward for a tall person unless you were a very strong tall person who could bend very low and lift the cooler high when wheeling. Not sure what I would change, but it is a bit odd. (2) Really needs better side handles with deeper recesses. That sucker is HEAVY when full and there isn't much to grab on to when lifting into a car. (3) Latches are easy, but their design makes them too easy to pull off when they're open. Luckily they pop right back on. (4) Drain plug should be on the wheel side! Between the shallow grip handle on the wheel side, the weight, and the position of the pull bar (it would flop "open" when tilting the opposite way for draining and jam into the ground at an angle so you couldn't lift the wheel side), it was difficult to drain the water out other than what would flow on its own sitting flat. (5) No interior basket or separater, but that's not a deal breaker for me. *** Recent trip was 6 days total - including 42 total hours in a black car, in the southern summer sun. The rest of the time, outside, in the shade, temps 68 - 88. Opened ~ 7 times / day. Packed 2 frozen gallon water jugs and 3 bags of ice (kept in bag), and started with frozen food and added some refrigerated food later. Still had some ice in bags and some floating ice in the jugs when got home. Food nice and cold throughout. I'd believe the 8 days of ice claim as long as you didn't open / close much. All around a great cooler. A little on the pricier side, but I am a fan.
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WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including nickel, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information go to www.P65warnings.ca.gov.
