Get a rotomolded cooler if you need five days

Yes, you need a rotomolded cooler. Yeti, Pelican, Orca, Engel, RTIC — pick one. They all use the same basic design: thick polyurethane foam injected into a rotomolded plastic shell with a rubber gasket. That’s what keeps ice for five days in 90-degree heat, not the brand name.

Cheap coolers rely on thin walls and compression latches. They leak cold. A Coleman Xtreme might get two or three days if you pre-chill it and keep it in the shade. For five days, you need the heavy stuff.

The real question is price. Yeti costs $400 for a