Best Bear Proof Coolers For Camping

Camping often means becoming one with wilderness and in some cases that means you will be around bears and other wildlife that wants to get into your cooler. Well, you know as well as I do that you cannot really have a bear or other animals going through your coolers. That really got me to thinking about the coolers and which ones are bear proof and which ones are not, which I found is most of them. Since that is the case, I decided it was time to go out and rank what I feel are the best bear proof coolers for camping and that should be able to help you know if the cooler you are taking will protect your food from bears or if the cooler is going to fail you quickly when a bear does get a hold of it. With that being the case, here is our list ranking the best bear proof coolers for camping.

How Did I Narrow Down The List

When I did this article, I looked at several factors for finding the best coolers for camping, but also added in the bear proofing as well. When I did this, it really helped me out in narrowing down the list really quickly. I did try to keep the sizes of the coolers the same in the work that I did, but I will tell you sometimes the sizes are varied because I personally like a medium to large cooler to guarantee I have enough food and drink with me.

5. Ozark Trail High-Performance Cooler

When we were looking at the Ozark Trail all we could think is so many people discount this brand because it seems to be the one brand that everyone sees all the time at Walmart. However, this is not the case and the gear that you can buy that is Ozark Trail tends to be very high quality and I can honestly tell you works just as good and in some cases better than some of the other big brand names you would be paying a fortune for. Now, I will tell you that I am talking about the 73-quart cooler here which will provide you with plenty of room to put in almost everything that you would want to have inside of the cooler.

When you look at this cooler you will notice one brilliant feature is the fact that it is a solid construction. This may not seem like it would be that big of a deal, but you may notice that the solid construction adds to durability to the cooler and helps keep the cooler intact when a bear does attack it, hopefully, they never do, but you know what I mean. What else is great about the one-piece construction is the lack cooling loss. In fact, this cooler is so well insulated and with the construction type it keeps the ice solid and cold for a total of 9 days.

As far as this being a quality cooler you may want to know what the Ozark Trails High-Performance cooler offers. Well, it offers the stainless steel plate that you may or may not need, but it does have the bottle opener. You do have the skid and slide type of feet that helps guarantee the cooler will stay in place. At the same time, you may notice the latches are the t-handle style which can be difficult for you to open at times, but if you have trouble opening it you can imagine the frustration a bear would have as they do not have opposable thumbs to help them out.

If you do take the cooler fishing, it can be difficult to clean the cooler out at times to get it ready for your camping trip. Since this is the case, you should really consider this cooler because it will definitely make it easier for you to clean as the drain plug can is the size of your garden hose and it is threaded to make it easier for you to get the cooler cleaned out. Now, if you are taking this fishing you can find the built in ruler on the lid to be helpful to avoid being undersized.

What else is nice about the best proof cooler Walmart offers here is a wire basket. This makes it easier for you to get the cooler and know if you have items, like your cheeses or other items that you do not want to be in direct contact with the ice suspended you can. Now, something else that is great about the cooler is the fact that it provides you with a place to put your drinks on the lid as it has 4 built-in cup holders.

Now, as for the bear proofing, as if what you have not already seen is not enough. You can enjoy the fact this cooler has been tested and passed the USDA’s Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee and certified bear-resistant. That is what we looked for in this cooler and I can tell you it is definitely something you will want to know as well when trying to keep wildlife out of your coolers.

4. Lifetime High-Performance Cooler

I will admit that Lifetime is a cooler that I had not really heard much about before. However, I did find this brand has several different sizes available and those sizes vary from the smaller types to a larger one that you may need when you plan on camping for a longer period of time.  As I mentioned before, I am writing mainly about the larger sizes when I can so it allows you to bring more food and drink with you and not have to run out of the food you need to have while you are camping.

Now, I will say that this is a cooler that I do have to say if you are looking for a true bear proof cooler you may want to consider a different cooler. The reason I say that is the cooler uses rubber latches and while it will take a bear some time to get through a rubber latch and it could take them longer than what you would need to run them off, it is still rubber and if you are not around at your campsite then you could come back to the tent or recreational vehicle with your cooler completely torn apart as the bears can break rubber if they are given enough time.

When you are using this cooler you will notice it does make it easier for you to go out camping for a longer period of time as the lid is insulated and so are the sides. Like the Ozark Trails that we mentioned above this is a cooler that does claim to hold the ice for 9 days. Now, the one thing that the cooler does not mention is if the cooler is going to keep the ice solid for 9 summer days, winter days, or make any mention as to what the temperature was when the cooler was being used.

With the cooler here you will notice it does have a chance for you to get the bottle opener and lock that you may want to have. The bottle opener is stainless steel and it is going to make it easier for you to get the security in place you want to have as this is where you can put the padlock. The rod that is going to be used for the hinge is the stainless steel style and that will definitely provide quite a bit of durability for the cooler as long as the hinge does not break.

Just like the Ozark Trails cooler you can see this is easy to clean out as the drain plug is compatible with the garden hose as well. The compatibility makes it easier for you to get the cooler cleaned out if you need to clean it out from fish, meat, or other items that you may have brought camping with you. Not to mention, the garden hose compatibility makes it rather easy to rinse out the cooler.

When you look at the lid, we already mentioned it was insulated, but it is a foam insulated and the cooler itself is constructed of the polyethylene that is commonly found in most coolers. What else you will notice is the cooler has a 300 pound distributed weight capacity on the lid. The downside is the coolers lid is smooth and does not have the spots that are set aside for the cups or cans you would normally be sitting on it if you are fishing, camping, or out somewhere that does not have the luxury of extra spots to put the drinks down.

3. Engel Deep Blue

Engel is a brand that a lot of people recognize when it comes to coolers. The brand has been around for quite a few years and is one that you know can take quite a bit of abuse and keep the items inside of it cool, but also the bears and other critters out. The locking system of the Engel Deep Blue is something that is more of the traditional type of latching type of system. What is really great, though, is the added security feature that you are going to enjoy and that is the Duolock Security Holes that make it quite a bit easier for you to get the added security you need for bears.

Now, what I really like with this cooler is the fact that it has quite a bit of insulation. The insulation in the walls is 2 inches thick. This thick insulation is easily some of the thickest that we have seen in quite some time and that actually helps out in keeping the food cool. In fact, some of the reports have been stating that the cooler will keep food cold and frozen in some cases for a trip across the desert, which to me is a very hot area and definitely not an area that I would be spending a lot of time inside of. What else is amazing about the cooler is the ice will keep solid for at least 10 days and that can help out for the longer camping trip you are planning on taking.

The construction of this cooler is more of the roto-molded type that can make it easier for you to have the cooler for a longer period of time and not have to be concerned about it getting too hot or even have to worry about the cooler failing you. What else you are going to notice is the cooler does have a nice lid that is flat and durable at the same time, which makes it quite a bit easier for you to get the cooler to last for a long period of time and keeps the cooler as an extra space for a seat.

2. Pelican Pro Gear Elite Cooler

The Pelican brand is one that will remind you of the fish catching bird. I know that sounds like a tremendous stretch, but honestly, it is one thing that is reminding me of the bird because of how much it can hold. Not to mention the construction of the Pelican coolers tends to be very durable and often can withstand almost all of the abuse you can put them through. What else is great about the Pelican is the fact that it is able to put the lock system in place that is a challenge for bears and animals as a whole to get into the cooler. Now, the types of latches you are going to have here are the push and pull type, but it makes it easier for you to get into the cooler and since most animals do not know how the system works they are unable to get into the cooler.

This cooler that you are going to see here is one that you are going to love as it has polyurethane insulation that is going to make it easier for you to know it will keep everything cool for a longer period of time.  In fact, it has been widely reported that the cooler is able to keep ice frozen solid for anywhere from 7 to 10 days. At least with this cooler, I noticed they give a time spread instead of giving you a time frame that may or may not be true and can be impacted by the weather.

The lasp that are on the cooler here are another thing that I wanted to mention as they can be reinforced with a lock. They are also made from stainless steel and that is going to add in another layer f protection compared to some of the other coolers that are meant for bear camping than what you can see here. The way these locks and the added in protection from the stainless will definitely help the cooler out quite a bit and keep the cooler protected if a bear does show up.

On the downside, this cooler does have a drain plug that seals properly, but it does not mention if the plug can fit the standard garden hose. I honestly do not think this would be a sticking point if you are looking for a great cooler that is able to hold a lot of food and going to keep you safe from bears for the most part. The only thing I can think is it may make cleaning a little bit more of a challenge.

1. Yeti Tundra Cooler

I will be the first to admit that I do not like going for the big brand names. I like to save money and use the money for other things, but I will say that if you want to have a great bear proof cooler and know it will do what it says, then the Yeti Tundra Cooler could be the option you want. The cooler is one that is easily one of the most durable coolers that we have looked at and it definitely takes the rotomolding featuring to the next level.

The rotomolding is just the start of the Yeti 75 as it has a very durable lid that will provide you with quite a bit of peace of mind as well. Not to mention the exterior of the cooler helps provide the added layer of protection as well. The exterior is made from polyethylene exterior that is going to frustrate the bears and definitely provide you with the added insulation barrier you would want to have for your camping cooler.

While the walls are made from the polyethylene material they are also thick enough to provide you with 2 inches of the patented Permafrost insulation. That in its own right is quite a bit of insulation and will definitely provide you with the insulation to help keep the ice and food cold for a long period of time. What else is great about the freezing quality is the gasket is a freezer quality gasket and that alone makes it a step above some of the other cooler we have looked at that are using just a rubber seal.

What else you can enjoy with the cooler is the fact that it does have a couple of clasps that are the heavy duty rubber latches that will keep the cooler secured. Now, what else is an added feature is this is a double locking system to help guarantee the bears are not able to get into your cooler. The downside is the extra locks are not included and that can make it difficult to lock the cooler if you do not have them or forget to order them.

How To Pick Which Bear Proof Cooler To Take Camping?

Finding a great cooler is easy to do. Finding a cooler to take camping that will keep the wildlife at bay is the challenge. We have compiled our list of the top 5 bear proof coolers for camping or fishing that you can buy and add to your gear. The easiest way to figure out which one will work best for you is having a budget and knowing what exactly you want in each cooler. Then making the purchase based off what you need from better cooling to better bear-proofing. Then you will know that you have found the right for your camping gear.

Buy The Best Bear Proof Coolers For Camping

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