During my relatively short stint as an outdoor educator, I crossed paths with the legendary Captain Octopus. That’s an alias, of course, since to reveal his given name would violate terms of his witness protection agreement. To successfully run a five-day excursion peopled by a gaggle of hormonal adolescents, many of whom for the first time in their young lives were forced to survive without comforts of modern life, you had to be organized. And highly organized he was. Among Captain Octopus’s many talents was cooler maintenance. I’d never heard the phrase, loosely defined as the organization and management of foodstuffs, drinks, and ice. I certainly had not come across a character like Captain Octopus who elevated that particular duty to nearly religious fervor. He was a true believer—and I quickly became a disciple—that the key to healthy and happy campers was fresh food and cool drinks. Keep dry food separated from drinks, use block ice, and drain water twice daily were fundamental tenets of his Five Commandants of cooler maintenance. The remaining covenants have been lost to the tides, and, except for draining the water, I follow those two diligently. The quality of the coolers available today to boaters and fishermen make those we used almost 20 years ago (has it really been that long?!) seem like they were made of cardboard. A fishing captain will lose major points for serving lukewarm beer and soggy fried chicken. A sacred responsibility of an ethical angler is ensuring your catch makes it from the water to the table. ‘Ice is Nice’ isn’t just a bumper sticker; it’s a way of life. While I concede an economical cooler usually does an adequate job, its lifespan is severely limited due to pedestrian construction and materials. I’m hard on gear, so in recent years I’ve invested in high-end (read expensive) coolers. It’s been well worth it, more so for the durability than the ice-retention rate. Here’s a brief overview of three coolers that I’ve found to make the grade. Engel Engel Products has been around for a good long while. Its Deep Blue Coolers are built to hold ice for up to eight to 10 days and have been rated #1 in independent testing. Engel has seven coolers in its lineup, from the portable 25 up to the 320-quart monster (engel-coolers.com). Rich Dennison, store manager of Tochterman’s Fishing Tackle in Baltimore, says, “The reality is the top coolers are all great, each with minor pros and cons. For most of our fishing customers, Engels are appealing because they are really cost effective, giving them great ‘bang for their buck.’ “I own the 35, and for my needs it’s ideal,” he says. “For Chesapeake fishing—stripers, bluefish, I recommend the 80. For boaters wanting to keep drinks and food cool, the 65 or larger is a good choice.” He adds that Engel’s dry box/cooler models (13 quarts to 30 quarts) are much more reasonably priced and hold ice surprisingly well. Pelican If you own an expensive SLR/Digital camera or fishfinder/GPS and take it on or off the boat, you know about Pelican box (pelican.com). If you don’t, you’re playing Whiffle Ball. The Pelican story is a familiar one in the outdoors world: Someone has a great idea that fulfills a need, works hard to create a great product, and then cashes in for a boatload of money. Okay, that last part is pure conjecture, but it is true the company was founded in 1976 by Californian Dave Parker in his garage, that he made awesome gear, and then sold it to a private equity firm in 2004. Pelican’s Elite Series coolers are made with roto-molded polyethylene and boast ice retention lasting longer than a week, thanks to a freezer grade gasket and two inches of insulation. There are nine models, ranging from the 20-quart beverage style to the 250-quart beast. New are two wheeled coolers—the 45QW and 80QT. Most Pelicans employ a Dual Handle System (Molded-in and Hinged Handles), and as do similar coolers on the market, they reject UV light, standup to saltwater, and hold up well when dropped. Yeti Coolers Let’s start with full disclosure: I’m a YETI man and have been for several years. Founded in 2006 by Texas brothers Roy and Ryan Seiders, today YETI coolers are arguably the most recognized name in high-end coolers (yeticoolers.com). That’s due in no small part to an impressive marketing campaign and the testimonials of outdoor personalities, but the coolers are also the real deal. Also made with roto-molded polyethylene construction, most models in the YETI Tundra line sport two inches or more of polyurethane insulation in the walls and lids. Combine this insulation with a freezer-quality sealing gasket and durable one-piece construction, and you got one bad cooler. For Mike Ebersberger, the store manager at Anglers Sports Center in Annapolis that sells YETIs, his love of them boils down to two things: their durability and an awesome gasket that makes an airtight seal, thus keeping ice longer. “The durability alone makes YETIs worth the price,” he says. YETI Tundra series are ideal for most fishing and boating scenarios, and there are eleven models ranging in size from the 35-quart good for fried chicken and Gatorade to the 420 goliath that would packout a tuna. Maximize Cooler Maintenance Here are a few basic tips to keep food and drinks cooler during your long day on the water.
  • Pre-chill your cooler before packing. Don't load it or store it in direct sunlight.
  • Use quality ice that's well frozen, below 32 degrees. Combo of shaved/cubed ice (top) and blocks (bottom; homemade sheets of 2" x 10" x 10") work for me.
  • DO NOT skimp on ice. Pack cooler with as much as possible to reduce air space.
  • Keep a lid on it. Smack the knuckles of the "lid opener" guy. Bad form.
  • Don't dump out the cold water. It helps insulate remaining ice.
by Capt. Chris D. Dollar