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I am thinking about buying one of these for a drink cooler and sort of a sit down seat on the back deck for the Hewes. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with this cooler. At the high price I am not sure I want to pull the trigger on this purchase.?

I have one and it is a good size cooler for a quick trip. It doesn't hold very much but it is a good size to take in a smaller boat.

Check out the 10 or 30qt engel drybox/cooler. I Have both and was very surprised how well they keep ice. They cost a lot less.
http://www.austinkayak.com/products/353 ... UC-19.html
http://www.austinkayak.com/products/353 ... UC-30.html

Chill N Grill -

Are those coolers strong enough for somebody about Skeeter-Bite's size to stand on?

I am looking for a cooler to make a front casting platform out of for my boat.

Thanks -

Steve Stinson
President
Meridian Surveying and Mapping, Inc.

I have this one and it does keep ice real well. I have had ice last for 5 days in it "without opening" and three days "when opened occasionally". It will do the job for day trips with no problem and has no problem with my 210 pounds sitting or standing on it
http://www.coleman.com/product/28-quart ... jMQ39Kswuc

PS: I think that I paid around $25 for it at Walmart 3 years ago

Yeti is allot of money - some have plenty I suppose

Front casting platforms aren't cheap either. I fished two days with a guide in Louisiana a few weekends ago and was impressed with how much more I could see from his front casting platform. Once I started checking into prices, I decided to buy a cooler strong enough to hold me and let it do double duty. I haven't purchased on yet, but its on the list.

The other thing to keep in mind on the Yeti's is that evidently, there is a pretty hot black market for them. I've been asking Yeti owners a bunch of questions, and have found at least half a dozen who have had one stolen.

- Steve Stinson

The engel coolers I mentioned are not big enough to stand on.

Steve Stinson wrote:Front casting platforms aren't cheap either. I fished two days with a guide in Louisiana a few weekends ago and was impressed with how much more I could see from his front casting platform. Once I started checking into prices, I decided to buy a cooler strong enough to hold me and let it do double duty. I haven't purchased on yet, but its on the list.

The other thing to keep in mind on the Yeti's is that evidently, there is a pretty hot black market for them. I've been asking Yeti owners a bunch of questions, and have found at least half a dozen who have had one stolen.

- Steve Stinson

I have a 65 qt. yeti that I received as a retirement gift thanks to Trout Trent, It would be a perfect casting platform and also hold plenty of ice and other goodies for the day. The only down side I can see other than cost, is it is real heavy if you need to move it when your alone and it is full.

Orca is a another alternative to Yeti. Built in the USA. orcacoolers.com

Pelican, the maker of waterproof cases, is also now building coolers at very reasonable prices compared to others. I've used Pelican cases for years to protect my camera (and they have gotten doused), but haven't used the coolers. If they're built anything like the camera boxes, they'll be bullet-proof. pelicancases.com

By the way, I paid nearly $700 for a custom casting platform with a fiberglass base and teak top. Plain fiberglass ones will set you back at least $350+. So you get what you pay for, plus with a cooler large enough to stand on, it does double duty. Just make sure to get one that will support the weight and won't be tippy.

Get a YETI!

Steve Stinson wrote:
Are those coolers strong enough for somebody about Skeeter-Bite's size to stand on?

I am looking for a cooler to make a front casting platform out of for my boat.

Yes. The Yeti makes an excellent forwarding casting platform. I picked up the Tundra 50 to use for winter redfishing and keep behind my platform and cage during tarpon season. See pic below. The 50 quart has a slightly smaller footprint than the 45 but stands about 3 inches taller. IMO it is the best option for a small to medium inshore boat. I would recommend the tie down kit when used as a casting platform--if you put 200lbs on the edge of the 50, it will topple and so will you.

As for "Keeps Ice Longer" . . . not so much. For the price tag, I expected miracles and got pretty average results. If you are in the cooler a lot in the summer, it'll eat a bag of ice in a day or two. If you are not in and out of it all the time, you can get 3 or 4 days. I bought it more as an alternative casting platform so no big deal. But if your primary use will be as a cooler, there are probably better options.

Chill-N-Grill wrote:Check out the 10 or 30qt engel drybox/cooler. I Have both and was very surprised how well they keep ice. They cost a lot less.
http://www.austinkayak.com/products/353 ... UC-19.html
http://www.austinkayak.com/products/353 ... UC-30.html

I ordered one and got it the other day. It looks good, but I haven't tried it yet. The only problem I would see using as a standing platform is that is has a handle on top. That could catch a foot.

My wife bought me the 20 Qt Yeti for Fathers Day. I'm about 230 lbs and I can jump up and down on it without it even flexing. It's the only cooler that size you can find with a threaded drain plug, plus it has the rubber skids on the bottom that make it sit still in a boat or the back of your truck without having to strap it down. It is significantly heavier than any other cooler that size, but that's just a sign of how well made it is. With the lifetime warranty, I think it is worth the money. It'd make a great casting platform on the front of a skiff.