RTIC Hard Cooler, 45 qt, Tan, Ice Chest with Heavy Duty Rubber Latches, 3 Inch Insulated Walls

I brought this cooler to an open air camping environment in South Texas during a heat wave for 3 days. The average temperature outside ranging from 100-105 degrees until about 6pm with evening lows of 85-90; the car was never parked in the shade. This cooler was left in the trunk of the car and was pre-chilled with ice the night before the outting and filled with new ice the morning of. By day 3 a lot of the ice was melted as to be expected sitting in a hot car for 72 hours during a Texas heat wave. Much to my pleasure, the cooler kept everything cold during the whole trip and I am very pleased with this product. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a quality cooler that can keep your drinks cold for 3 days during extreme temperatures. This cooler can probably stay cold for 5 days with mild temperatures based upon the performance it had during a Texas heat wave for a 3 day camping weekend.

The RTIC was my third time at attempting to find a high performance cooler at a price that was acceptable. Have just finished a month long camping trip where the cooler was in constant use, with hot days and exposure to sun. The difference between this cooler and the previous Yeti clones was night and day...ice retention better than I expected, construction much more rugged/stout, and sealing between body and lid excellent. Rarely have I purchased products that exceed expectation but this cooler nails it...great value and worthy of it's price!

I got this for my dad a number of years ago... i think maybe 6 or something? Can't remember, but they still bring it to family reunions and such. One thing to be noted is that the space inside is smaller than you think because the walls are so thick and well insulated. Make sure you know exactly what size you need. As far as quality though, this cooler is perfect if you're looking for a cheaper version of YETI. My dad is big into smoking meats (very temperature-heavy hobby) and needs to keep things cold whenever they need to be cold. This has been his go-to cooler for years. Highly recommend.

Very Disappointed by Quality ControlMy family and I do a LOT of tent camping: 1-2 months straight in the summer, and several shoulder-season trips a year. So we are not reluctant to spend the money on good equipment.That said, I just could not justify spending $300 on a 45-quart Yeti cooler while all the other outdoorsmen in my circle swore by their RTICs.Having pulled the trigger on the 45-quart RTIC at ≈$200, I find myself wanting to love it, yet quite disappointed at the lack of quality control evidenced, primarily in the fit and finish.First, one threaded drain hole (the lower, and therefore main one, on the right side) was not drilled perpendicular to the cooler wall. For this reason, the silicone o-ring on the plug does not sit flush with the face of the hole. It does not leak, but it does bulge out oddly at the 6 o'clock position (yes, Michael, I know that's what she said).Second, there are two black "buttons" on the back edge of the lid, plugging the holes where the fabricators injected the foam into the lid. They are supposed to be recessed into U-shaped indentations. However, the factory worker drilled the left hole off center, so the button refuses to seat into the indentation, leaving a small gap potentially exposed to water and moisture.Finally--and I admit this is minor--they did not apply the main branding decal fully on the front, leaving the "R" in RTIC always peeling up at the lower-left corner, no matter how many times I press it down. I may have to take a heat gun to it to get it to stay. I don't want dirt and grime to get under it and begin to work the letter off.Will any of these defects compromise the performance of the cooler in a significant way? Likely not. Yet RTIC, though not THE premium name, still carries a rather premium price. One would hope for better.More significantly: I tell my students that if you can't trust someone in the small things, it becomes more difficult to trust them in the big things. RTIC has already reduced their warranty to one year. I can only hope that the overall integrity of the cooler is superior to these cosmetic deficiencies.My takeaway advice for those planning to choose an RTIC: make your purchase well ahead of a planned trip. That way, you can inspect the unit they delivered and demand they send one that meets spec before you go on your trip. I painted myself into a corner by ordering right before leaving for a camping trip.

I work in the landscape industry and I bought this cooler for myself and my crew to keep cold drinks throughout the workday. When researching coolers I couldn’t believe the prices for reliable and effective products. The yeti was an easy cross off, as it was $100 more than all other options with very similar specs. After looking at reviews for literally weeks, I decided to go with the RTIC. I like it alot!!! It looks cool (I chose tan), its durable, the rubber hooks are strong, the seal works well, both drain plugs remain intact, easy to clean.Regarding use, I fill this cooler up on Monday mornings with 20-25lbs of ice depending on bag sizes available. Most commonly a 22lb large bag. I usually put a small layer of ice down, add about eight to twelve 16-24oz drinks and close her up. This cooler is opened ALL DAY LONG. Probably somewhere between 15-25x a day. Outdoor temps average about 82 degrees but in the heat of summer we see close to 100. Each evening when I return home I drain water and leave inside unairconditioned building. I add a 5-7 lb bag of ice Wednesday or Thursday morning and repeat weekly. Ive only ever needed to add a third 5lb bag once, on a steamy 6 day work week.Now compare this to when I had a clunky coleman generic cooler. I never kept track of how much ice I was buying but I don’t ever remember coming home at night and having ice left. The amount of money I saved on ice in one season couldve bought me a second RTIC already.To sum it up, I still think “fancy coolers” are too expensive. Its seems like for what they are the technology must exist to make these more affordable. But until then, if you really use and need an effective cooler like I do, you will absolutely save money with this product. For $100 cheaper than most comparable products, pick this one!