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+--- Thread: DIY Saddle ready cooler $50 (/showthread.php?tid=3295)
DIY Saddle ready cooler $50 - Mike - 04-02-2018
Hey Guys,
Just got into goat packing in Sept. Up to this point in my back packing life I was able to get items that needed to be kept cool into the woods by freezing them and rapping them in my down vest. Usually about half way through day two those food items needed to be gone. However know that weight is less of a issue I have startex messing with the idea of cooler panniers. I looked around alot online and saw people strapping hard coolers to goats. I did not want to do that because they are ineffient and bulty. Then I naturally looked at the Yeti soft sided cooler. I do not have $250 just laying around for one of those or close to $600 for a set. So then I started looing at cheaper versions of the Yeti. I desided on the 30 can Ozark. No real good reason. I have a friend who has used his for his food that he bring back and for to shift that he used for a year and it looked fine. Also It is the cheapest of the "Yeti" like coolers. I bought mine at Walmart for $50 plus tax. It seamed well put together and is the second generation so maybe some bugs have been worked out. I made a webbing stap system for it so it hangs on a saddle like a regular pannier. I resently was able to test it out on a one night camping trip with my kids. It worked great. I hung well and did not blow appart even when Garbie (My goat) took off at a full run. It also handled being hauled up and down a tree a few time for night food storage. As far keeping ice and stuff cold. I put about a inc or so of ice in the bottom then loaded all the food in. I put everything in the freezer for a few hour prior to loading it in the cooler. The Nalgene of milk I put in was almost frozen, a really solid slush. The next morning at about 9 am it was the same consistancy of slush. The butter was still rock hard. The cooler it self with the rigging weighs 4.25#, wich for me left me about 10.75# for food and ice. Plenty of space for that much weight. Over all I am happy with the cooler and the harness I made for it. I am going to make a second one for a matching set for doing multi day trips. I would love to see what other people are doing for coolers!!! O'ya my daughter who is about 55# pritty much used it for a seat the whole time. So there is thst also
Thanks, Have a good one!!
RE: DIY Saddle ready cooler $50 - Nanno - 04-02-2018
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!