We still spent more money than I’d like but at least we saved 20%. Just as with the other cooler test, we purchased four bags of ice and put the Coleman and YETI Tundra 65 in a head-to-head test. We ended up purchasing a YETI but let me tell you how we got there. We really tried to buy a cheaper cooler but the universe wanted us to buy a YETI. Remember last summer when we spent over $100 on ice for our two week trip to Montana? Rather, they are a good companion for a lunch outing or small picnic. Specifically, the smaller models will have ice life that starts at just a couple of hours and creeps up to around half a day. The more capable premium models should keep ice for up to a day and a half. Their low-cost, soft-sided cooler options don’t have a lot of storage volume or insulation to help them out. And while we are on the subject of the premium soft-sided coolers, there are a few additional features specific to them. You effectively need to manually empty your cooler (which can be very cold on the hands) then empty out the water before putting your items back it. The Ozark Trail has really mixed opinions when it comes to ice retention. While this is a decent range it is a much smaller range than a cooler brand like Yeti which has multiple different sizes. USATuff offers the best Ozark Trail cooler accessories for any cooler old or new. Refurbish an older cooler or protect and personalize your new Ozark Trail. For a completely customized wrap or pad, use our Custom Form here. Most of the models also come with an expandable top, which means you get plenty of storage space, being able to gain an extra three inches off the top. We know how premium Yeti Tundra coolers are, so the question is whether Ozark Trail coolers can match up. Our sister site Alloutdoor.com recently reviewed a hiking backpack sold by Ozark Trail that had an overall stellar performance and it triggered a question among our staff. Is Walmart’s Ozark Trail brand a true sleeper, putting out products that deserve much more attention among outdoorsmen? With that question being floated, we decided to travel down the path of discovery and start to take a closer look at Ozark Trail and some of their products. Basically, you have a small cooler, you have a medium cooler, and you also have a fairly large cooler. They also have some great but more mainstream designs for the tightest of budgets, by the way. The style is better, build quality is better, they have better ice retention and more choice. If your budget can stretch a bit they are worth checking out. I really like these coolers as they offer great value but they don’t break the bank. In fact, at the time of writing this Lifetime coolers are even cheaper than Ozark Trail coolers with the 55-Quart selling for under $100. The weather was in the high 90s during the test, the coolers were in full sun for most of the morning, and we opened them several times throughout the day. The ice melted in the Coleman in 24 hours and the YETI in 48 hours. What I found most fascinating about this test is that the water in the YETI stayed cold for three additional days after the ice melted. The water was cold enough that had the gallon jugs been milk, we would have been able to drink out of them for three days after the ice melted. All-in-all, the YETI lasted for five days and the Coleman for one day. We have been receiving a lot of complaints as of late from people who are mentioning that the zippers on their soft-sided coolers are going out after 6 to 12 months. Oftentimes, this basket doesn’t come with the cooler and costs extra as an accessory. So we appreciate Ozark trail going ahead and throwing that in free of charge. But you can anticipate the walls to be between 2.5” and 3” thick. This is about average among premium coolers that we have tested in the past. As far as color options go, you can purchase this in one of two colors, Greystone which is the one featured in this article and a lighter grey. The constant color feature among the two are the orange rimmed wheels which I don’t love but, it is not a deal breaker. I’m using my North facing deck as the staging area which receives direct sunlight at almost all hours of the day. I also placed  a small weather system on the deck rail to help get a sense of how hot surface temperatures are in the area. On one of the hottest days, the remote sensor reported temperatures exceeding 107 Degrees Fahrenheit while the air temp was in the high 80’s. REI had a member sale over Memorial Day weekend and we were able to save 20% on our cooler.