Equipment Review: Coolers, binoculars and gear box

I returned yesterday from a prairie dog hunt. I'm reviewing some of the new pieces of equipment used on this hunt.

Engel 13 quart cooler. I bought this last year to sit on the passenger seat, keeping drinks and snacks handy on hunting trips when I’m traveling alone. I’ve also taken it on shorter road trips w/ my wife. It’s been on 4 prairie dog hunting trips (10 hour drive one way and 12 hours/day of sitting in the cab while I’m hunting.) Sadly to say, I’m disappointed in it. Even after pre-c00ling overnight before the trip, everything was starting to melt bad after about 4 hours. I’ll admit it has some desirable traits (nice size, strong suitcase type handle, very sturdy metal latches and a nice shoulder strap), but it doesn’t keep things cold. I’ve done more research on small coolers since and it looks like none consistently get good reviews for keeping things cold.

Vortex 15X56 binoculars. I bought these last spring on an impulse when I found a refurbished pair at a really good price. The optics are good for a $180 pair of binoculars. They function well. The biggest drawback is trying to stabilize them in the OK wind that’s frequently strong. When the wind gets above 15-20 mph, I pull out the 12X binoculars.

Igloo Overland 72 cooler. This is my first rotomolded cooler. This hunting trip was my first time to use it. I took one of the landowners ~$100 of boudin and seafood as a “tip” for sharing his prairie dogs w/ us and I didn’t want it to ruin. I precooled it w/ 3 gallons of frozen jugs the night before the trip. I covered the food w/ 42# of ice during the trip. When I delivered the food, I had to use a sledge hammer to break up the ice covering it. The last 2 days of the hunt the thermometer in the truck maxed out at 104 and 106 degrees. I emptied it when I got home, finding it was all water and no ice, but it was still only 46 degrees. It has study handles, rubber latches and a drain plug that’s attached to the drain by a strip of metal. The only drawback, it has no wheels.
Magellan 92L Waterproof Gear Box. I bought this nearly 2 years ago to transport my hunting handguns. Since then it’s been on 6 prairie dog hunts and 2 deer hunting seasons. I made 4 different compartments using 1” thick foam from Amazon. All four of my pd hunting guns fit, w/ the suppressor attached. It has rolling wheels, sturdy handles, latches and a gasket in the lid. I attached old cloth belts to the handles making it easier to pull. Sitting in my truck cargo box, it’s been water tight….well except for the one time it fell onto it’s back and stayed in that position overnight during a heavy rainstorm.