The tote and cooler backpack look much more progressive but are limited to just one color choice. We would welcome some additional color choices and perhaps a slight facelift to the more plain-looking models in the future. We like the sharp edges and progressive appearance of the s. Also, the stainless steel hardware and orange accents on the latches and handles look very sharp.
Ozark Trail’s hard-sided models are also extremely rugged and durable for holding up to the rigors of a camping trip. In fact, they’re certified by the USDA’s Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee to be bear-resistant. Depending on the size you choose, you can expect two to five days of ice life, which is more than enough for a day at the beach or even a weekend camping trip. They also keep ice long and, in my opinion, are the best designed soft sided coolers out there (with the exception maybe of the Pelican soft sided cooler). You may be familiar with brands like Yeti, RTIC, Engel and Pelican which are all big names in the cooler space. Each of these companies make their own soft sided coolers and the Ozark Trail is Walmart’s attempt to compete with these and sell their own brand.
Being a premium cooler, you’d expect the 12 can model to cost a lot more than $50 but it doesn’t. Unlike their hard-sided collection, the soft Ozark Trail line is surprisingly richer. Indeed, the brand seems to focus slightly more on their soft cooler collection since it is truly where it makes most ozark trail canopy sells. To be entirely honest, while Ozark tries, the ice retention isn’t quite on the same level as what you get with a Yeti. Here it’s really a battle of reputations, though, because, for the price, Ozark is a solid choice. So imagine our joy when we stumbled upon this little gem of a brand.
Ozark Trail coolers have similar features to the Yeti Hopper Flip coolers with thick insulation, a waterproof zipper and shoulder strap. They don’t keep ice quite as long as the Yeti but still hold ice for about 2 days. However, the build quality and durability is not comparable to Yeti and Ozark Trail coolers come with no warranty. Several weeks ago we finally purchased an Ozark Trail 52-Quart High-Performance Cooler from Walmart.
In the smaller cooler, the 26-quart one, the handle is overhead. Ozark Trail on the other hand are Walmart’s white label brand and the internet is littered with reviews of poor quality of their products. The weather was in low 90s during the test, the coolers were in full sun for most of the morning, and we opened them several times throughout the day.
Each Ozark Trail hard-sided cooler also has walls that are between two-and-a-half and three inches thick for excellent insulation. Best of all, Ozark Trail hard-sided coolers all feature a thick, freezer-grade rubber gasket that creates an effective seal for the lid. They utilize strong T-style latches to keep the lid securely closed, too. Ozark Trail soft-sided coolers usually have a durable polyester exterior and an FDA-compliant polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) hard liner that’s fully waterproof to prevent leaks. Ozark Trail hard-sided coolers are made of plastic that’s durable, lightweight, and fully waterproof. Ozark Trail plastic coolers are extremely easy to clean, too.
Rather, they are a good companion for a lunch outing or small picnic. Specifically, the smaller models will have ice life that starts at just a couple of hours and creeps up to around half a day. The more capable premium models should keep ice for up to a day and a half.
The Backpack cooler on its part has some pretty comfortable straps for your shoulders. The tote comes with both a removable shoulder strap and overhead carrying handles. Yeti is an industry leader, so there will always be die-hard fans who don’t mind ozark trail canopy paying an arm and a leg for a Yeti product. However, if you’re on a tight budget and want something that’s pretty good for the price, then you can’t really go wrong with Ozark Trail. For the smaller 26-quart hard cooler, there is an overhead handle.
Unfortunately, the deal breaker is that it intermittently leaked water from the drain spout. Prior to purchasing the cooler I had read several reviews that said this cooler collects condensation around the drain spout. I didn’t think much of the comments until I saw the amount of water leaking from my cooler. We tightened the spout and it leaked three more times over two days, so the cooler went back to Walmart.