One of the main differences between a quality rotationally molded cooler and an off the discount store shelf injection-molded cooler is the quality of the insulation. Roto-Molded cooler plastic is, generally speaking, more durable than what you get with injection molding. And rotational molding creates a plastic shell that has no seams. This allows us to inject our violently expanding Hunt-X Foam Insulation (made in Alabama) into the plastic shell without bursting the seams. This is why a rotomolded cooler will, on average, keep ice in-tact longer than those less expensive equivalents.
And when you’re on a long adventure, far from the nearest convenience store, you need the cooler to keep ice as long as possible. Ice Retention is one of the main ways people judge coolers these days. And there is an infinite number of ice retention tests available online. Canyon products almost always stack up near the top, as most premium coolers will keep ice for roughly the same amount of time.
But here’s an easy tip to extend the life of your ice.
Follow all ice-retention best practices, such as prechilling, using the golden ratio, and only adding already cold items to the cooler. And then to add another few days of ice life to your adventure, throw a Cooler Shock or two to the top of your ice chest.
Cooler Shock’s chemical composition phase changes at 18 degrees instead of 32 degrees. And while it won’t last for the full 5-8 days of ice life you need, it’s like giving your ice a cold, cold booster shot, and it will extend the number of days your beer stays cold.
And if you’re using an Outfitter 22 or 35 and aren’t going for more than a few days, Cooler Shock is an excellent way to keep your food and drinks cold while avoiding any water mess resulting from ice melt entirely.
Cooler Shock comes in a few variations and sizes. For best results, we recommend the appropriately sized dry packs. The dry pack is better at energy transfer than the hard pack, but you'll pay for it in durability, as the case is susceptible to puncture. The hardpack, on the other hand, is easy to use, but the plastic shell inhibits energy transfer. It does fit nicely inside our Outfitter 22.
