How to Buy a Beach Cooler
Hot days on the beach guarantee many things, including a big thirst and appetite. Make sure you and your friends have plenty of drinks and snacks chilled and ready to go. Do yourself a favor and forget the old Styrofoam throwaways. Buy yourself a great beach cooler instead.
- Difficulty:
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Instructions
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Buy a wheeled cooler for easy portability on the sand. Look for a cooler with big wheels for stability and thick wheels for sturdiness. Choose rubber wheels rather than plastic ones.
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Shop for a collapsible cooler for flexibility and easy fold-down packing and storage. Note that while collapsible models are convenient and lightweight, they are not as durable as hard-case models.
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Compare small and medium-sized coolers, which generally keep ice longer, with more roomy models. When you need a large cooler (holding up to 86 quarts), choose one with extra-thick insulation to help maintain cold over a long period of time. The Coleman Ultimate Xtreme at Coleman.com has this type of insulation (see Resources below).
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Pay attention to the handles on beach coolers. Choose metal handles with cushion grips for reliability. A retractable-metal pull handle is also preferred for wheeled coolers.
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Check the lining of the cooler you are considering. Make sure it is odor and stain resistant as well as easy to clean. Lined coolers are made by Rubbermaid and are available at Rubbermaid.com (see Resources below).
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Shop for a cooler with compartments to keep food, drinks and refrigerated medicines separate from each other. Compartments provide flexibility but will decrease the amount of overall space.
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Shop for perks like removable food trays and built-in cup holders. Another great feature to look for is a split-lid cooler that allows you to open a section of the cooler rather than the entire top, keeping your contents cold for longer. Igloo coolers, available at Igloocoolers.com, offer a variety of interesting features (see Resources below).
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Buy a cooler with elastic-cord ties for extra functionality. The cords will allow you to transport your beach towels with your cooler.
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Tips & Warnings
Choose a cooler with the drain on the bottom instead of the side. This will allow you to avoid tilting the cooler to remove water.
Make sure the cooler is equipped with a child-safety latch and hinged lid if you have small children.
