Cosmo’s Corner: The Pros and Cons of Powered Coolers

*Disclaimer: Given the date of their production and release, videos featuring Cosmo Weems do not necessarily reflect the current iteration/features of the Vistabule, nor do any of the products shown necessarily reflect the most current technology/brands available.

Keeping Your Provisions Cold and Fresh With A Powered Cooler

Insulated coolers have improved quite a bit over the years, but they still require that initial bag(s) of ice to keep your foodstuff nice and cool. Eventually that ice will melt, and soon you’re digging through slush to pull out that wet bottle of ketchup. And of course you need to replenish the cooler with ice, or risk having things spoil. So back to the gas station or grocery store for more ice. It’s a hassle, but it doesn’t need to be with a powered cooler.

While you no longer need to haul bags of ice around, powered coolers do require one thing…you guessed it, power. But as the technology continues to improve, these powered coolers are becoming more efficient with each iteration, the Dometic CFX3-35 that we offer on average getting around 4 days of use from a fully charged trailer batter (your mileage may vary depending on cooler settings/ambient temperature/the type of battery you have, etc.), and this assumes you are strictly boon-docking without access to an electrical hookup or solar panels. Add either of these options to your camping set up and you’ll keep that can of beer on ice.

As with most things, you may find drawbacks with a powered cooler, like the initial cost, or you may find the idea that a cooler would need Bluetooth connectivity an offense against all that is holy; but with smart features like battery monitoring, power saving modes, and a wide range of temp settings from cool to freezing, powered coolers are a worthy investment.