Pelican 35 or 45 cooler for my boat?

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safetyfast

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I've decided to buy a nice cooler. It will be used primarily on my 16ft Jon to store a case of water and a pan for whatever fish we bring home and the occasional one to two day camp/ family picnic. It will double as an extra seat on the boat. I've pretty much decided to buy a Pelican. I just can't decide which size to get. Obviously, space is at a premium on a boat, but I don't want to go too small and regret it. Hoping that some of you that have these coolers can comment.
 
I like the lid latches better and the folding side handles. Hinges looked a bit sturdier too, yet the price is less. Also, a 35 Pelican is larger inside than a 45 Yeti. Pelican also has a lifetime warranty.
 
Interior Dimensions: 14.91" L x 11.16" W x 11.5" D pelican 35 1913.5

Inside Dim.: 18-7/8"L x 10-5/8"W x 11-1/2"H yeti 45 2291.7

Why do you say the pelican 35 is bigger inside than the yeti 45. Doesn't the 35 and 45 refer to quart capacity?
I would go with a larger cooler, 35 seems really small.

Tim
 
earl60446 said:
Interior Dimensions: 14.91" L x 11.16" W x 11.5" D pelican 35 1913.5

Inside Dim.: 18-7/8"L x 10-5/8"W x 11-1/2"H yeti 45 2291.7

Why do you say the pelican 35 is bigger inside than the yeti 45. Doesn't the 35 and 45 refer to quart capacity?
I would go with a larger cooler, 35 seems really small.

Tim
I read reviews that had interior dimensions of both. The Pelican under inflated their rating. yeti overinflated their capacity rating.
 
The numbers on the Yeti coolers are meant to mislead. The numbers are model numbers and not the actual quarts(volume) of the cooler. Every other manufacture that I have researched uses actual quart capacity of their coolers.
 
I've had a pelican cooler for a couple of years now. Absolutely love it! Only down side is its quite heavy. I have the 65qt model.
 
RiverBottomOutdoors said:
Think these are new. Looks like a yeti but half the cost.

Rtic Coolers
https://www.rticcoolers.com/

Tempting. Don't see where they are made, but on about page they say they are an importer, so presumably manufactured in China.
 
I own a Pelican 35. Bought it strictly for holding frozen bait for sturgeon fishing. I research everything before I buy and looked at Yeti, Pelican, Engle and a few other brands. I decided to go with the Pelican because of a few things. 1 they are made in the USA, 2 the latches and handles and finally the price. If you are looking to put a lot of stuff in it go with a bigger one. You should have a 50/50 ratio of ice to product. The other thing to do is to pre-cool your cooler. 24 hours before you go out start rotating bags of ice through it to cool the inside down. On average I spend about $150 on bait per trip for sturgeon fishing. Before I bought the 35 sometimes I would come home with quite a bit of bait left over and by the end of the trip it was thawed and no good. I got sick of wasting $100's of dollars a year on bait that went bad. I now come home with bait still frozen after 3-4 days on the water. My next Pelican will be the 250!
 
viking said:
I own a Pelican 35. Bought it strictly for holding frozen bait for sturgeon fishing. I research everything before I buy and looked at Yeti, Pelican, Engle and a few other brands. I decided to go with the Pelican because of a few things. 1 they are made in the USA, 2 the latches and handles and finally the price.

Those are the main reasons I liked the Pelican also. I had a coupon for Optics Planet, and ordered a tan 35. Unfortunately the tan is back ordered. I wanted a 45, but I decided that it just took up too much room on my boat.
 
I understand these coolers are well built and probably worth the cost, but how do you all justify the cost of them? I wanted a nicer cooler than the cheaper plastic ones you buy at big box stores, but don't know if I have enough of a reason to pay so much.
 
nguye569 said:
I understand these coolers are well built and probably worth the cost, but how do you all justify the cost of them? I wanted a nicer cooler than the cheaper plastic ones you buy at big box stores, but don't know if I have enough of a reason to pay so much.

I haven't been able to justify it yet, so I'm stick using my Coleman.
 
I'll tell you, the Igloo Marine coolers that are sold at Dicks Sporting goods and such are really quite good for a cheap cooler. We can keep ice for 5 days in them no problem. This Ultra 48 is $39.95 and I love it.

pDSP1-12500916p275w.jpg


I know it really doesn't belong in this thread I just think there is something to be said about these Igloo Marine coolers.
 
RiverBottomOutdoors said:
nguye569 said:
I understand these coolers are well built and probably worth the cost, but how do you all justify the cost of them? I wanted a nicer cooler than the cheaper plastic ones you buy at big box stores, but don't know if I have enough of a reason to pay so much.

I haven't been able to justify it yet, so I'm stick using my Coleman.


No one has stolen an old Coleman out of the back of my truck yet, but I know several folks who have had Yeti's stolen.
 
I used to do the same (front live well is somewhat insulated) but it didn't keep cold long enough for full day trips in the sun. The fishbox on my Nautic Bay 1910 also doesn't keep cold enough for my requirements (sushi grade snapper needs to stay very cold from the get go), and I learned the hard way that, if it is completely full of snapper and kings, you may end up with "fish water" in your bilge. You will discover this when you walk into the garage and it smells like you forgot to empty a bait cooler.

I now strap a Coleman Marine Xtreme 100 quart onto the bow for fish and to sit on, a 50 quart in front of the motor (blocks engine noise) for drinks, food, and extra ice, and a little Igloo for bait. The Xtremes keep cold for days and are sturdy enough to hold up as a seat.

If three or four of us are going offshore, I also bring an Igloo STX 120 quart for added capacity. It keeps cold well, but the top is not very sturdy.
 

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