Just like Ford guys and Chevy guys, all men are sorted into their respective cooler brands at adulthood; they waver only under duress.
There are a lot of coolers on the market, and almost all of the blowmolded/rotomolded varieties excel in durability and ice retention. There are also plenty of American-made options, and prices vary wildly. As with anything else in life, you get what you pay for, but after a certain point you reach diminishing returns. At this point in my career as an outdoor writer, I am pleased to be essentially immune to marketing hype; I just want a good product that’s also made in the USA.
Everyone — no matter if you hunt, fish, trap, or just camp — needs a high-quality cooler, but Western big game hunters need one the most. Not only do you have to pack your ice before you hit the road, you have to keep it the entire time you’re hunting, then make it back to some sort of civilization while keeping things as cold as possible. If you have a year’s worth of meat on the line, this isn’t something most people want to cheap out on.
When I drew my first elk tag years ago now, I needed not only a better cooler, but a bigger cooler. (It turns out that I needed two bigger coolers, but that’s a different story.) After some research, I went with the Lifetime 115. I’ve had it on more trips than I can count at this point, most of them in hot and sunny Nevada and Arizona, and can vouch for it.
When I have an animal down, I quarter it out, and the whole quarters go in the cooler until they’re processed at home.
Size
One Lifetime 115 will comfortably fit a large mule deer. Two 115s are the perfect complement for an elk hunter, although with a big bull you’ll still likely need a third, smaller cooler for innards, tenderloin, etc. Two are perfect for a cow elk, with some room on top for additional ice if you have a long drive back.
Meat Care After the Hunt
When I get home, I’ll slide the back of the coolers off the tailgate, pop the drain plug, and let the water drain. Then I’ll carry the coolers into the kitchen and work off them, since freezer and fridge space is always limited. I usually buy a couple more bags of ice to put on top of the meat during this time — this would also be a good use for a large ice pack such as a YETI Ice or frozen milk jugs — and get to processing.
If you have access to it, you can also get dry ice, wrap it in a towel, and set it on top of your meat. This is extremely effective for keeping things cold. Dry ice outgasses as it changes phase from solid to gas, and many people on the internet say you need to keep your cooler unlatched or it’ll explode or something. I’ve tested this extensively, keeping the 115 latched until I need to grab something out of it, and I’ve never had anything weird happen.
The Verdict: Lifetime 115 Cooler
Personally, all I want out of a cooler is that it keeps ice, but the Lifetime 115 also comes with a slick bottle opener integrated into the lip, as well as provisions for attaching locks to the corners to keep things secure during transit or shipping.
In the end, I liked this one so much I bought another 115 and have used the duo on two successful elk hunts. This setup should probably serve me the rest of my life unless I draw my moose tag in the lower 48, in which case I’ll probably have to augment the lineup. It’s worth noting that these coolers come with a 5-year warranty, which is the same as Yeti. If you want a true lifetime warranty on a cooler, you’ll have to look to Orca or Pelican.
Given the modest price of these USA-made coolers and their performance after several successful elk hunts, I’d recommend them to the hunter who needs a large cooler, excellent performance, and doesn’t want to cut into the gas money fund too much.
Ed. Note: if you can’t find one locally, the Lifetime 115 cooler is available for sale from Lifetime’s official Amazon store. Your purchases help support independent outdoor journalism.
