91AggieLawyer said:
...but bottom line, do you pay the premium for a Yeti or Orca (in the 40-45 size) or go with an RTIC? I like the Orca and Made in US stuff, so I'd probably go that over Yeti, but the price of the RTIC is tempting. At the end of the day, while I won't be using it as much as some (probably 1-3x a month) but want it to last and perform when I do use it, I still want the best one I can get for the long haul.
ETA: application will be PRIMARILY inside vehicle for trips, taken out at hotels, and to take to parties. Outdoor use somewhat limited.
I have a Yeti 50, and the only reason is that I had a wife and kids that liked separation between the fish and food/drinks, and I needed to put a casting platform on my 16 ft. flats boat that I could stand on. If "really" neede for long term Ice storage, it can be removed for that.
I was looking at a purchase for needs just like yours, but with some rigidity for durability. I went with the Coleman Steel Belted. Thin walls, more storage for "stuff" and Ice, lighter, and could add in a bottle opener with no issues of pull out. Ridgid stainless handles and hinges for lugging. Coleman has discontinued, because the latch just plain sucks, however, since we are in it all the time, we just leave it unlatched unless we are actually toting it to keep from major spills. The footprint for what it is/does is small and great for inside vehicle use and taken out for hotels (our son plays showcase baseball and we are on the road a lot. If you catch the sales on Amazon, even though I have been told by Colemean directly it has been discontinued, you can find one for $130, but it may not be the color you want.
Green is the new RED.