When it comes to the seal, I was again very impressed by this cooler. Cracking this thing open sounds like you are opening the airlock on a spaceship. You can tell there is a serious seal established when you latch this shut. The Ozark Trail 45 Qt Rolling Thermocooler also comes with an internal tray, which the other two do not.
This terrain was well beyond the limits of these components. It also made economic sense, which aligns with the Walmart brand. Pelican is a newer entry in to the world of rotomolded coolers and have taken their own spin on design and function. Overall the Pelican coolers have sharper edges and a bit more of an industrial feel than the competition. One of the first things to note about it’s design is that it has a larger drainage hole and a tethered drain cap, which is a nice feature.
While they have solidified their place as a brand, they have not gone beyond some of their original design features which has allowed competition to come in and provide a few more core offerings. My own personal beverage ozark trail chair drama every summer has really pushed me to do this review. To me, worrying about the temperature of the drinks I have on my boat is the absolute last thing I want to be thinking about when I am heading out on the water.
I’d have 3 days to sample them all before setting off into the Ozarks. Whether because of a late payment, a stolen bike, a last-minute invitation, ozark trail cooler or otherwise, I’ve had to get creative. Now, one of the largest companies on earth is aiming to lower the gravel bike price barrier in a big way.
And compared to some of the tents in the EZ-Up lineup, it sells for almost a 70% discount. One could, in theory, purchase a new Ozark canopy every year (which they might need to!) and still come out ahead over the years vs. purchasing a more expensive alternative. The legs are locked into place with old school metal push button locks, something you won’t see on many modern pop up tents now-a-days.
I do think the Pelicans pull handle is the lowest on my list of the three. The coolers in competition were the Ozark Trail 45QT Rolling Thermocooler, The Pelican 45QW Elite Wheeled Cooler, and the Yeti Tundra Haul. I chose these coolers because they were the closest among the brands when it came to internal storage. In a sheer stroke of luck for this test, we are having a very aggressive heatwave in Southeast Michigan with temperatures around the 90’s during the day and staying in the 70’s overnight. I’m using my North facing deck as the staging area which receives direct sunlight at almost all hours of the day. I also placed a small weather system on the deck rail to help get a sense of how hot surface temperatures are in the area.
Mountain Bike Pro Cup, I saw more pushing in my future in the Ozarks. This cooler, when compared to the Pelican 45Q Elite and Yeti Tundra, has the smallest profile while still providing 45Q internal storage. It features rubber latches which I am a huge fan of for boating applications. When you are out on the water, people often sneak over to grab something from the cooler and may not latch it back up. With a hard plastic latch, you run the risk of brushing by the cooler and hitting your shin, which I have done and is awful. One of my favorite features though is the rubber wheels vs. the hard plastic wheels on the Pelican and Yeti.