Looking for something comparable to the yeti flip 12or maybe 18. I tried an ozark trail. Doesn't keep ice for more than a few hours and it leaks. Also supposed to hold 12 cans and ice. It hold 6 and no ice. Prefer USA made.

I hate to say it but the Yeti soft sided cooler works really well at holding ice. Stay away from the Igloo soft sided cooler that's teal and grey, it doesn't hold ice very well at all. Not sure on the other brands.

We have an Rtic soft 30. It works great and I have no reason to believe the smaller models wouldn’t be the same. Rtic is running a sale right now.

quote:

Originally posted by badcopnodonut!!:
We have an Rtic soft 30. It works great and I have no reason to believe the smaller models wouldn’t be the same. Rtic is running a sale right now.

+1

I’ve got the Soft 20 here at home. Picked it up to take on fishing trips. Last time, when I dumped it out after 2 days, there was still ice in it.

They say this one holds up to 20. That may be so with no ice, but I usually put in about 8 with 5-6# of ice.

quote:

Originally posted by C-Dubs:

quote:

Originally posted by badcopnodonut!!:
We have an Rtic soft 30. It works great and I have no reason to believe the smaller models wouldn’t be the same. Rtic is running a sale right now.

+1

I’ve got the Soft 20 here at home. Picked it up to take on fishing trips. Last time, when I dumped it out after 2 days, there was still ice in it.

They say this one holds up to 20. That may be so with no ice, but I usually put in about 8 with 5-6# of ice.

My experience is very similar to yours. My wife and I went on a short holiday last year. We bought ice in Cheyenne Wy and spent three days in the Rocky Mountain National Park. When we made it back to Kansas we still had plenty of Wyoming ice.

I've read about Rtic zippers breaking. Anyone had a bad experience? Other recomendations?

quote:

Originally posted by badcopnodonut!!:
We have an Rtic soft 30. It works great and I have no reason to believe the smaller models wouldn’t be the same. Rtic is running a sale right now.

We do as well, but had only used it for short runs, never really tested. This weekend while in DFW we picked up some frozen brats from a favorite butcher in town Sat morning and had to figure hope it would keep them cold until we returned home Mon evening, no access to fridge for duration.

Keep in mind this is with Sat afternoon/evening, all day Sunday and Monday morning parked outside in TX heat, with 3 or 4 trips where the car cooled off briefly while running around town. Put on ice at ~10a Sat, and wanted to add a bag of ice Sunday afternoon. The original bag was only about 1/3 melted, put another whole bag in and handed car back over to valet at hotel. Checked Mon midday when leaving and second bag plus half of original still left, brats thawed but super cold still.

Pretty amazing, and that's asking a lot of any cooler soft or hard. I'm a fan.

I do have a spot in zipper that is "catchy" and part of the top vinyl seems to be separating at a seam. Plan to ask if they see this and will do anything but it doesn't affect function. Again, this is a cooler that lives in back of an SUV subject to all those extremes even when not in use, and we've had it for ~5 years.

YETI is good stuff but ripoff pricing. Won't buy their stuff. That plus their anti NRA stance.

I have one of the soft Yeti's that my son gave me for Christmas last year. It seems to work fine.

Rtic coolers have been a hot item amongst my delivery customers. One guy ordered multiples on a weekly basis to give as Christmas gifts last year.

I have a friend that got me a yeti hopper 12 for less than cost. I’ll report back.

I have an RTIC soft 30 and been very pleased. I got it during one of their 50% off sales, which they do very often so don’t pay full price.

If you get one of the RTIC soft, it comes with zipper lube. This WILL be needed, so don’t toss it Never tried their hard coolers, so can’t speak to them.

quote:

Originally posted by ruger357:
I've read about Rtic zippers breaking. Anyone had a bad experience? Other recomendations?

RTIC uses crap zippers compared to Yeti. I have both and here they are side by side.

Check out Polor Bear Coolers.

A friend here down the road owns Bison coolers. He has everything made in the USA that is remotely feasible. I have a couple of different ones, they are top notch. Frankly I wouldn’t look any further.


https://www.bisoncoolers.com/

Rtic is having a 50%-off sale right now on soft-side coolers. Other items on sale at different sale prices.

Rticcoolers.com

Hatch coolers are also great and made in USA. https://www.hatchcoolers.com/