We purchased four bags of ice – two for each cooler – and got started. The Ozark Trail held ice one day longer than the Coleman and in general, the cooler felt cooler inside than the Coleman. Unfortunately, the deal breaker is that it intermittently leaked water from the drain spout. Prior to purchasing the cooler I had read several reviews that said this cooler collects condensation around the drain spout. I didn’t think much of the comments until I saw the amount of water leaking from my cooler.
It is not easy to purchase the best cooler for a camping trip. Sometimes, a regular cooler such as the Ozark Trail might be sufficient for you. So, even though Ozark Trail and YETI are not the same company, they sold similar types of products and items all over the world for a long time. You should always go with a reputed company that is known for its great after-sale services.
For the fishermen out there, you will enjoy the molded-in fish ruler on the lid of the cooler. There are also molded drink holders (4 on the 52 and 73-quart models and 2 on the 26-quart model). In terms of size election, having three sizes is a bit lackluster. But Ozark Trail has managed to incorporate sizes that are most common for people to want. You have a small cooler, a medium cooler, and a large cooler. Pelican is a newer entry in to the world of rotomolded coolers and have taken their own spin on design and function.
The Pelican also features a different pull handle than the Yeti and ozark trail canopys as well. I do think the Pelicans pull handle is the lowest on my list of the three. As far as color options go, you can purchase this in one of two colors, Greystone which is the one featured in this article and a lighter grey. The constant color feature among the two are the orange rimmed wheels which I don’t love but, it is not a deal breaker. Check out our review of the Coleman Atlas Series 65-Quart Cooler with Wheels.
After spotting the Ozark Trail Oversized Mesh Cooler Chair on TikTok, I immediately knew I had to get my hands on it. Our Coleman has been used and abused and has never leaked. Depending on what you’re using the cooler for, the leaky drain spout might not be a big deal. For us, however, we keep our cooler in our car while traveling and we often camp in bear country. I don’t want any cooler water intermittently leaking and leaving food smells. The other downside to the Ozark Trail cooler is that it weighs 31 pounds empty.
The threaded drain can easily be removed and will be held in place thanks to the mounted chain it is on. And to maximize how much squeeze the gasket produces, having strong latches that provide a lot of clamping force is necessary. You will find the popular “T-latch” design on Ozark Trail coolers. The next essential piece to a cooler that can hold ice for long periods is a thick rubber gasket.
However, the Ozark Trail 52 has an ice retention ability for up to 7 days. You know that Ozark Trail has a lot of cooler models in the market. And the ice retention capability of these particular models varies from one to another. Some users claim that there are few other brands that can compete with a YETI cooler in terms of quality and features. On the other hand, the Ozark Trail brand is a cost-effective option.