Hey Folks,

I am wanting to get a sturdy cooler to go where my deck extension would go. I was leaning towards a 45 quart rtic. Mainly because it is lighter weight than the 65. Anyone have any thoughts? I'm not sure i could lift a 65 quart with 20lb of ice w/ drinks/food, in and out of the boat.

I have the 45 rtic and have many times wondered "what I was thinking" while loading/unloading that beast.
No doubt the 45 is more than "sturdy". I'm 50 / 200lbs and healthy and would never want a larger boat cooler. If I had a 65qt, it probably wanted get used much.

I have the RTIC 20 and it's perfect. Use it for drinks and an extra seat.

Anyone tried the Ozark from Wamart - I read Yeti is actually suing Walmart (or Ozark?) over it.

I don't really care about "5 days of ice" but would like one to stick in the bed of the truck that would keep ice for a day or two for some drinks and a few sandwiches maybe... A soft hopper type would be better I think, actually.

Here's my take. You can make BIG "Little", but you can't make LITTLE "Big".

If in real doubt buy both sizes.

I have the Ozark from Walmart--It's constructed really well--more sturdy than the slightly less expensive Lifetime cooler that Walmart also sells.

I have a Yeti, an Ozark, and a Coleman Xtreme.
End up using the Coleman Xtreme the most (by far) because it's lighter and perfect for 1-3 day trips. I use the Yeti the least.

If I needed something to hold ice really well for longer than 3 days in the Texas summer, I'd use the Yeti.

Coleman Xtreme with some modifications (all items found at Walmart and Lowes). Rod holders from Academy
PVC board adhered to cooler with Lexel. Rod holders screwed into PVC board
Closed cell foam flooring wrapped in Reflectix then adhered to underside of lid with Lexel
Closed cell foam flooring adhered to outside of cooler with Lexel to hold hooks and lures
Kitchen/Bath mat adhered to top of lid with Lexel

I like the Yeti Roadie

FWIW.... Last year I purchased a roto molded cooler from Academy. Personally I think they're all the same. Those roto molded coolers are "HEAVY". Fill'em up with ice, drinks, food and they're "REALLY HEAVY". That would be sorta ok IF they held ice longer or better than my 30 year old Igloo. I used that roto molded cooler for one trip then returned it. I hear folks say ice last longer in a Yeti. All I know is if me n' friends are at the lake "X" number of days - we're both making trips, depending on conditions, to the store to buy ice on the same day. Of course if it's winter and the temp never gets above 40 degrees ice last virtually forever - in both coolers.

I can move my Igloo, loaded, from truck to cabin w/o hernia. My Igloo will slide to kingdom come... Unless I tie it down... which I do... The Academy cooler was planted - gravity is a wonderful thing.

I have the rtic 45 and the 20 as well. I use the 45 for road trips or any time i know i wont be moving it around very much because when that thing is full of ice and drinks, its heavy. I use my 20 for work. Both retain ice very well.

I have a Yeti 45 and a 20... The 45 only comes out on the boat if I have 3-4 people coming out and bringing snacks and drinks. The 20 is plenty when just 1 or 2 people.

As far as ice retention it depends on the use. NO cooler is going to keep ice in 100 degree heat when you open it every 10 minutes to get a new beer.

I still like to bring my yeti as I feel it is more sturdy and going to last a lot longer than a cheap cooler.

I have a 65 qt. that fits great under my leaning post and a 45 qt yeti that makes a great deck extension. Problem is when their both full I loose about 5mph. I swear a couple of fat chicks would weigh less and be more fun.

I just picked up a soft 30 as a general use catch-all cooler for the truck bed, etc. Thought about the 20 but the 30 was only slightly larger dimension-wise and cost wise - RTIC was doing 40% off soft coolers last week but appears it's down to 20% now...

Will trade my 50qt khaki color yet for a smaller yeti! Pm for pics