Coleman Wins Cooler Cool-Off

The Ultimate Extreme Marine from Coleman and the expensive Frigid Rigid hold ice longer than comparably sized portable coolers from Igloo, Rubbermaid and Icey-Tek.

The two most costly coolers PS tested, the Icey Tek ($150) and the Frigid Rigid (above, for $445) have some good features, like an easy-grip, screw-in drain plug on either end of the Icey Tek and the rubber gasket that seals the lid on the Frigid Rigid. The latter also has two inches of high density foam insulation in the case and lid.

Portable coolers are a staple of American outdoor life, from camping trips to backyard barbecues. Certainly they are familiar, if not essential, to nearly every boat owner. Some smaller boats are actually designed with the cooler in mind, with space allocated under a seat, or elsewhere in the cockpit. Even if the boat is big enough to have a built-in icebox and/or refrigeration system below, some owners find it useful to carry pre-chilled drinks and food to the boat in a cooler for transfer once aboard. Then there's the cooler for keeping caught fish cold, carrying frozen food to the boat…the possibilities are without limit.…