ORCA COOLERS White 40 Quart

I read a bunch of online comparisons earlier this summer before buying this 40-quart ORCA. Before my purchase, I was between the ORCA and the YETI, but was suffering from 'sticker shock' over the price of the YETI. It was a bit of a relief to my wallet to see that, in full-on comparisons of quality and functionality, the ORCA came out equal to or even ahead of the YETI in most cases.Price is obviously a big part of the ORCA's appeal. While hardly inexpensive itself, it's still a better value for the money than the YETI (which appears to tack on an extra $100 to the price just for their big-name brand appeal).One other thing I liked better about the ORCA is that the sizing is more accurate. Even YETI retailers I spoke with admitted that the sizing is off on the YETI coolers -- as in, the inner dimensions of their various size of coolers aren't equivalent to the size that they're labeled as. As an example, the inner compartment of this 40-quart ORCA cooler is similar in size to the inner compartment size of YETI's 50-quart cooler.Other than the cost and sizing, the ORCA and YETI coolers are very similar, with:- thick-walled insulation covered in a seamless plastic coating (made to last a lifetime)- tough interlocking hinge- thick rubber lid gasket- non-slip feet- easy-pour drainage spout- heavy-duty rubber latches (ORCA's is in the shape of a whale's tale)Some differences between the two brands:- ORCA's coolers have a handy mesh cargo bag attached to the outside back (YETIs do not)- ORCA's handles are made of durable nylon with a rubber handle (whereas YETIs are rope with a rubber handle)You can also buy  ORCA Baskets  separately that inset on the top cooler edge for holding things up out of the ice. ORCA Baskets

I needed a cooler to keep food items for long road trips. I considered all options. In the end, I decided that Orca had the best product and that, of all the coolers I looked into, the Orca 40L was the very best. Some of the reviews mentioned shoddy construction and others wrote that the product arrived in a broken state. I concluded that these were isolated issues and if I were so unlucky, I would rely on Amazon return policy for remedy. The cooler arrived in perfect condition. And, like in the tests, it kept ice for 7 days. For this degree of performance you need to pre-cool items put into the cooler and use cold ice — but that’s true for any cooler. The Orca is made in the USA, it’s less expensive than any comparable product, and is rock solid. It has two rope handles with grips, a well designed drain plug, a full seal (there was no intentional break in the seal for vapor lock), pads on the bottom, mesh storage. It’s lockable. The lid seems to have an internal spring that engages when about halfway open and the lid will remain open if you push it past 90 degrees. You can sit/stand on it w/o issue. The official product dimensions on the Orca site were precise. You will not be disappointed with this cooler.

We bought it to replace the old cooler we travel with. 48 hours in and the ice had barely started to melt.My only complaint is how it opens. I really struggled getting a grip on the rubber pulls (hx of bilat hand surgery). AND if you go thru the mountains, the inside will pressurize making it impossible to open. Fortunately, the drain can be opened easily to de pressurize the inside.Not sure how this would work, but the cooler instructions said to place empty open cooler in the freezer overnight before packing to make the ice last even longer. We don't own a freezer big enough to do this.

A LITTLE ON THE HEAVY SIDE BUT DOES HOLD ICE WELL

Works great. Cubes from store bought bags later several days. Items that I had frozen before I left on my trips remained frozen for at least 4+ days. I don’t know how long they might have lasted better thawing because I ate the food before being able to test it.Make sure you note the inside dimensions so you know how much storage you’ll get. The cooler works so well because it has thickly insulated sides...