52 Nebraskaland • August-September 2022
MIXED BAG
In the outdoors, I'm always looking
for items that change the way I do my
day-to-day job. But rarely does this
happen, and it has never happened
with coolers.
However, through the years, I have
been taught or discovered various
tips about coolers that have led to
day-to-day success with a category of
outdoor products that, despite claims
like "keeps ice for five days," haven't
changed much.
Keep these tips in mind next time
afield as you wait for that last cube of
ice to melt on day four.
•
An Igloo Playmate, with its
plastic side button and light-weight
construction, is only good for a few
hours of keeping drinks cold, even
with ice. But it's perfect as a last-
minute livewell for wading anglers.
Simply connect the cooler handle, rope
and a loop on your waders. The water
will circulate the entire time you fish.
•
Store clothes in a cooler
throughout the hunting season,
adding a pine needle bough to the
cooler to help alleviate any odors. If
the cooler maintains a fishy smell
from the summer, simply place a dry
newspaper inside to extinguish that
odor in a matter of days.
•
Coolers are excellent transport
containers for frozen meat. Lining the
cooler with newspapers will maintain
the cool temperatures even longer.
•
If your cooler has a top that warns
against sitting on it, don't buy it. You're
going to end up sitting on it.
•
Look for coolers without plastic
hinges. They'll be the first to break.
•
If you go YETI or some other high-
dollar brand, understand that these
coolers are not cure-alls. I was gifted
one by a relative last summer and
while I like its durability, my cheap
Coleman keeps ice just as well and
isn't nearly as heavy. But the YETI
does make a great seat.
•
A cooler with wheels is a cooler
worth having.
•
Several cooler brands come with
food baskets, and these add-ons help
keep protein bars and other foods dry
when your "keeps ice for five days"
cooler has a puddle of water in it by
your first afternoon.
In your own time afield, what
am I missing as regards to coolers?
Write to me at Jeff.Kurrus@nebraska.
gov so our Nebraskaland readers can
become more educated on this often
frustrating, yet necessary, outdoor
staple.
COOLER TALK PREVAILS
By Jeff Kurrus
An Igloo Playmate cooler can be used as a portable livewell. JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
