The Results of Our Bear-Proof Cooler Test Are In
To put high-end coolers through our paces, we rented a bear. No, really. Here’s how the three competitors survived an assault by a 450-pound grizzly.
To put high-end coolers through our paces, we rented a bear. No, really. Here’s how the three competitors survived an assault by a 450-pound grizzly.
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The Results of Our Bear Attack Cooler Test Are In
Certified bear-resistant. Virtually indestructible. Toughest cases on earth. These are the claims of some of the high-end coolers on the market today. To which we say: Challenge accepted. We threw three of these ice chests off a cliff and out of a moving car to see if the claims were true—and then had a live bear try his own paws at it.
THE TESTS
Ice Test
Put beer and ice in the coolers and took temperatures every 60 minutes to see how long it would take each to reach 38 degrees Fahrenheit (the warmest temperature we’d tolerate for a light lager).
Drop Test
Rolled each empty cooler down a steep 40-foot ravine into the craggy water of the appropriately named Bear Rock Stream in Massachusetts.
Car Test
Dropped the empty coolers from the back of an SUV while traveling at 50 mph.
Bear Test
Filled each cooler with marshmallows, ice cream sandwiches, and maple syrup, then left them out for Ondar the grizzly. A padlock was not used.
Pelican Progear 35QT Elite
Exterior Dimensions: 26½” x 20″ x 18¾”
Weight: 32 pounds
Price: $260
Ice Test
Hit 38 F just under 5 hours.
Drop Test
Passed with light wear.
Car Test
One handle shattered and flew into an adjacent field, disproving the manufacturer’s claim that the handles are “unbreakable.”
Bear Test
Press-and-pull latches bested our bear. He lost interest and walked away after 14 minutes 32 seconds.
Yeti Tundra 35
Exterior Dimensions: 21″ x 16″ x 15½”
Weight: 17 pounds
Price: $300
Ice Test
The first to hit 38 F, at 4 hours.
Drop Test
Barely bounced, then slid on its upper lid, suffering a few scratches
Car Test
Bounced the least; slid across the road for 33 feet.
Bear Test
It took Ondar 9 minutes 23 seconds to figure out that he could open the rubber latches with his teeth.
Yukon 50
Exterior Dimensions: 33½” x 17″ x 17½”
Weight: 32 pounds
Price: $330
Ice Test
Reached 38 F in 5 hours.
Drop Test
Took a healthy bump but survived with minimal scratching.
Car Test
Tumbled a couple hundred feet; sustained scratches that damaged the exterior ruler on the lid.
Bear Test
He nearly gave up at 8 minutes, but returned and employed the same method used on the Yeti. Overall time: 11 minutes 7 seconds.
Bottom Line
Each company claims its product is bear-resistant only if used with a bolt or lock. We held the tests again with a padlock, and Ondar got bored with all three. Well-played, cooler companies. Without locks, the Pelican was the only match for our furry friend. So, for all-around bear resistance at a discount, get the Pelican. If you want to save your back, the Yeti is half the weight and can take a pummeling. Just bring a lock—and some bear spray.
Dan Reilly is a writer from New York whose work has appeared in _New York, Fortune, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, and a bunch of publications that are no longer with us.
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