Tip 1: Professional Equipment.
Many things come in two levels: professional and consumer. My father-in-law was a professional diesel mechanic, and some of his individual sockets cost more than my entire socket set – but he used his tools every day, and they had a lifetime guarantee. When I was a full-time photojournalist, one of my camera bodies cost three times more than a good consumer camera, but my cameras were much tougher, were better sealed against dust and water, and they were designed to be repaired. (One camera is on it’s third shutter, but the consumer camera is junk when its shutter wears out.) These coolers are professional-level gear – tough, adaptable, durable, and expensive.

Tip 2: Need vs. Want.
Some people spend the money for professional gear because it is useful for them for some reason, while some have other reasons. Last March I saw frat boys on spring break with Yeti coolers on the beach. They didn’t need an expensive cooler to keep their beer cold, but they kept pointing to them and high-fiving when friends showed up. Do I need my Yeti coolers? In reality, no, but they really do make life easier … and I can always rationalize.

Tip 3: How I Justify.
I use them to stand on, sit on, and have otherwise abused them to a great degree. They do not leak, ice really does last for days, and I can use dry ice without fear of damaging the cooler. I will not have to buy a new cooler every couple of years, and the cooler is designed to be tied down, locked closed, and locked to something else to prevent theft. It is animal-proof (even bear-proof), and the handles and lid will not break off. There are also accessories (I’ve never owned a cooler that had an instruction manual) like non-skid feet, a bottle opener, seat cushions, brackets, and tie-down kits.

Tip 4: Better Has Some Drawbacks.
High-end coolers are better quality, but they have drawbacks other than high cost. They are heavy even when empty, and one of these coolers, fully loaded, is a two-person job to get into the vehicle. The insulation of these coolers is better, partly because there is more of it. So the walls are thicker, making the high-end cooler either larger, or with a smaller capacity at the same size. If you only use a cooler a couple times a year, spend your money on something else that you will utilize more. If you use a cooler every week, think about it.

Tip 5: How Do You Get One?
For most people, spending big money for a cooler is hard to justify. But if you think you can use one, there are ways to get there. Every time I get a five-dollar bill I stash it away instead of spending it. It’s amazing how much money you can painlessly accumulate in a year from this one trick, and I use that pile of fives for ‘special’ purchases. Or you can cut out the daily coffee, soda, or lunch out, and drop that money in a coffee can. Our family routinely partners together to buy a gift for someone that would be too expensive for an individual to buy.

Tip 6: One More Option.
Canyon Coolers (www.canyoncoolers.com) makes outstanding coolers, and they are a WTU Deer Camp Sponsor. Take a look at your next WTU event and see if there are any high-end coolers, and take a chance with a raffle ticket, or put in a silent or live auction bid. Someone is going to walk out with it, and it's likely to be a cool deal.

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