Let's think about this from a completely unbiased point of view.
Coolers are all about personal preference. They are sold a lot based on ice retention. First of all, how many people realistically need a cooler to hold ice for 2 weeks or longer?! Either way, I feel like it is basically impossible to stamp an "X day cooler" label on any cooler, because there are just too many factors that go into this number. Brands that do this forget to print the "fine print", which is pretty irresponsible and misleading, in my opinion.
With that in mind, here are a few ways you can maximize your ice retention in your new GATR Cooler:
1) Think "pre-chill"! If possible, store your cooler in a fairly cool place for at least a day before using it. Common sense says that a cooler that is in your 68-72 degree house for a day will hold ice longer than a cooler that has been in the bed of your truck in 90+ degree heat. Placing a "sacrificial" bag of ice in your cooler overnight will help too. Getting the 2-3" of foam insulation cool is the most important factor in maximizing ice retention.
2) Think "shade"! If possible, try to keep your cooler in a covered or shaded area while using it. Being under a boat canopy as opposed to on the deck in direct sunlight can feel drastically cooler to you, and it feels the same for your cooler! On a 90-92* day, a seafoam colored cooler got up to 155* surface temp while left in the sun, and stayed around 95-100* surface temp while in the shade!
3) Think "quality"! Everyone should know - not all ice is created equal! If you buy cheap ice, don't expect it to last nearly as long as high quality ice. Hollow tube ice will not last near as long as solid brick ice.
4) Think "volume"! Having a cooler tightly packed with ice and products will give you much better results than a cooler with a large open void inside. You have less ice trying to cool a larger area... don't believe us? Try it!
5) Think "conserve"! If possible, try to limit the amount of times you open your cooler while in use. Sort of like a freezer, each time you open the lid - and leave it open for any amount of time - you are letting valuable cold air escape! The ice then works overtime to re-cool the cooler when the lid is shut.
6) Think "color"! As with anything, especially plastic items, darker colors will attract more heat than lighter colors. Keep that in mind when selecting your new GATR Cooler! If you are looking for absolute maximum ice retention, you should probably stick with white - or a light color, such as seafoam. If ice retention is secondary to matching your boat/side by side/vehicle, color shouldn't be an issue.
I am no expert by any means, but I'm positive that if you keep these simple rules in mind, you WILL maximize your ice retention in your new GATR Cooler!
