I got triggered by this (link):
A couple months back I needed a cooler trunk for a road trip — not a soft-sided freezer bag, but the kind of thing one takes on camping, hunting or fishing trips. I haven’t had to buy one of these things in yonks, so I was completely out of touch with the whole thing, but I thought I’d just get a Coleman because I sort of know the brand and I’ve had good experiences with it in the past. Also, I needed something in the 50-60-quart size.
So off I went to Academy because they’re located next door to my next stop, the Kroger which in turn is next door to my sooper-seekrit mailbox place. (Efficient, that’s me.)
No Coleman. Okay, no sweat; here’s Igloo:
…not bad, but a little pricey, and I want a trunk, not a box.
Here’s Magellan, which is Academy’s sorta-house brand, made (as they all are) in China:
…wait, WTF? $200 for a smaller cooler? Any more Igloos?
…FFS, two hundred and fifty dollars for a fucking cooler with wheels? Does it come with independent suspension and power steering?
But it got worse, oh yes it did. Try this proud Yeti number:
…ummmmm
Okay, I said I’m out of touch with this category, but has there been some massive gain in static refrigeration technology that I haven’t heard about? “Roadie”? Does it come with someone to drag the thing around?
Had I wandered into REI, Whole Foods or a Ferrari dealership by mistake?
What premium-priced hell is this, where people pay this kind of money for what is, after all, a throwaway product that lasts a couple of years before the seals rot and you have to get another one?
Somebody ‘splain this to me, please. I’m clearly just ignorant.
By the way: I ended up getting two styrofoam coolers from 7-Eleven for $15 apiece, just put up with the styro-squeaking for the trip, then tossed them when I got home. Job done.