Pelican Elite Coolers with Wheels

These things are not cheap to be sure, but I wanted something that would hold up for several days at a time without replenishing the ice. This cooler from Pelican definitely handles that request. The skinny:1) held ice and keep things frosty in 90F+ temps for 4+ days. Temperature in the cooler never rose above 36. We opened it about 4x a day on average but never for very long. We topped off with 1 more 1/2 bag of ice late on day 4 but it could have gone even longer.2) holds a lot with still room for your ice; we had: 8 small tetra-pak smoothies, 2lbs of carrots, 12 bottles of Mexican coke, 14 cans of beer, some medication, 6 cups of yogurt (individual), qt. sized zip-lock of sliced turkey, 8 pudding cups, & 3 cycling water bottles and two pints of hummus.3) the wheels are a big help as this cooler is heavy (+/- 40 lbs) even before you load it up. Plan on two people to lift in and out of the vehicle when full.4) sturdy as can be. Stand on it, sit on it, cut on it, drop it, etc. It will handle it all with only minor nicks5) the latch system works well and is easy on everyone's fingersThe "bad", tho not really bad:1) weight, see above. The wheels make this manageable though and they roll over grass, gravel and even sand with ease, but plan on two people to lift it once you fill it up.2) the drain valve on ours leaked at first (not sweating but an actual leak.) However, with some rubber-handled channel locks you can use the handle of your pliers to slot into the notches on the drain plug and give it some extra torque without damaging the plastic cap. This worked fine and never had a leak after that.3) the pull handle is, to my taste, a little short for long-legged strider, like me; it occasionally clips your leg when pulling it. However, the wheels roll well enough and the handle is sturdy enough, that you can push it instead which I found easier.4) bulky--this is not small cooler, plan on it taking up a lot of space in your car or back of your SUV--think medium sized pet kennelI recommend this cooler whole heartedly if you take the above factors into account!

Online reviews seem to never include things people really care about. I don't want to know how much ice is left at day eight. I don't want to know if a bear can open it or not; are you going to interrupt a bear trying to open your cooler because you know it isn't bear safe?What I do care about in my cooler is will the ice last a few days, is it rugged, what are the real internal dimensions (not Yeti's made up 46 cans of beer and some random amount of ice BS), what's the warranty, and for the love of God, please tell me if regular cans, as well as today's common slim cans, can stack and the top still close.Starting with the most important, and why I posted a photo of it; YES, the top will close even with the thing filled with slim line cans stacked two-high around the edge. It may look like it's going to be close, given the cans pop up above the ridge of the base of the cooler, however, the interior of the top is recessed and this puppy will close just fine. No more fussing around with getting ice around the edges, or trying to lean cans inward just to get the stupid top to close; there are no problems here. So, stack it with your White Claws, your Michelob Ultras, etc., you're good to go.Lifetime warranty; nuff said. Pelican has been around a LONG time, I use them for gun cases, they have never let me down on warranty claims.I don't do extended treks into the wilderness with this, so I can't comment on ice longevity beyond the five day mark, but I can tell you it works fine for four or five days no issues at all.

Very nice cooler

I was looking for something to keep food fresh at my camp where I live most of the time. I looked into refrigeration and all other options. For the price and my circumstances, I decided a good cooler was the best way to go. I determined that I wanted a cooler on wheels, with a sturdy handle, latching closure, and long term cooling retention. This fits the bill! As they explain in their accompanying paperwork, to get the longest cooling effect you have to follow certain guidelines such as filling the thing with ice rather than have empty air space, and other things. You're not going to get 7-10 days of coolness without following all the guidelines, but I'm very happy with it and it serves my needs well. It's not light, especially with ice blocks in it, (but I am a strong 52 year old woman). I was able to lift it into my truck bed without too much difficulty.

I decided to get the pelican elite because of the wheels and it is comparable to Yeti. It came down to getting the pelican because of the wheels since Yetis this size done have built in wheels. I put ice in it will some cans and water bottles and surprisingly the ice lasted 2 weeks in the back of my truck and garage only opening it twice a day to grab a drink out in 60 degree weather at the max daily high and in the 30s at night. I used it in warmer conditions from mid 70s for a high and 50s for low only opening the cooler again a couple times to grab drinks and the ice all melted in a week. Finally, I used it in mid 80 hot and humid weather with lows in the 60s and the ice lasted about 4 days in the back of my truck or in my garage.I’m not sure how the Yeti compares but the Pelican Elite seems to do a decent job in warmer weather as long as it’s not in direct sun and you don’t open it a lot. I gave 4 stars because the wheels are paramount since it is very heavy even empty. I filled it with ice, food, water, and other canned beverages and I would say it weight a solid 100 pounds or more.

Great cooler. Why competing brands that rhyme with shmeti don’t put wheels on large coolers I have no clue. Kept ice 4 days in garage at approximately 80 degrees no problem. Only potential issue is handle seems a bit flimsy but time will tell. Upside is that pelican has lifetime warranty and made in the USA unlike shmetis. This pelican does fit in truck bed w a top. About 2” to spare. Will update with any issues. So far happy with purchase.