Better Than a Yeti Cooler? Insulate your cooler cheap!

[@cecilwilks167]

I used vaseline around holes after I drilled them before foam to keep foam from sticking.

[@winzerwithaz]

That’s what she said!

[@lonewulf5150]

@@winzerwithaz lmbo

[@josecitoramirez14]

@@winzerwithaz lmao 😂😂😂

[@Spontaneous72]

I use Vaseline around the holes too 😉

[@OneTwentyOver80]

This man DIY's

[@zash008]

Also when you buy a cooler thats "supose" to be fully insulated, put it in a very dark room with a flashlight closed up in it and you will see parts of it shining thru indicating where the foam has voids. Then do this trick to fill the voids.

[@user-pz8lo2rf9f]

💡👀🧠

[@frankb3430]

Wow Nice, flash-light idea is great ! You get The No Bell Surprize for that suggestion !!!

[@youknoweverything7643]

If light can get through that means heat can get in and the cold ice and cold temperature can escape out of every little spot light shines through

[@juliebraden6911]

*supposed

[@billwilson-es5yn]

Shades of Thermal Imaging.

[@KelOne333]

Great vid! Drill the holes on the side of the cooler lid and fill from there. Less holes. Fill those columns like beer glasses! Plus no insulation exposed to your food/drinks/ice

[@buddyadelsberger5083]

this is what I did and worked great

[@paulking9370]

Put some masking tape over /around the holes for easier cleanup

[@petergriffinson1907]

How many holes should you drill? And where on the sides?

[@nk3850]

Brilliant 👏🏼

[@GaleLeach]

I used to work with the industrial packaging version of the expanding foam. One of the ways we prevented foam from sticking was to use vegetable spray. Can't guarantee that would work for this purpose with this foam, but it might save a lot of heartache trying to scrape away the residue inside the cooler lid. Great video.

[@WontSeeReplies]

Great tip.

[@WVgrl59]

Yes, vegetable spray would work. I use baby oil and castor oil on my arms before I do any painting or great stuff so I could see vegetable oil spray would be quite easy to use.

[@Billybob-go8hn]

@@WVgrl59 be a man pick it from your skin like the rest of us

[@iscovidoveryet7828]

Same idea came to mind. Maybe coating the spray with flour would prevent it from sticking at all.

[@iscovidoveryet7828]

@@Billybob-go8hn LOL, yup. Unfortunately, it doesn't work as well trying to pick it off clothing. Got some stuck on coveralls 15 yrs ago, and it still won't come off.

[@kyles5489]

Spray the bottom of the lid with PAM before foaming. Comes clean off

[@saberXedge]

I am 5 minutes in to the video and had the same thought about Pam and the lid!

[@raymondjaramillo7951]

Me too

[@benebutterbean2737]

Mee Three.

[@sixdollarfrog]

Me 4

[@MorningJavaCup]

huh .. better than my plastic idea!

[@garymathena355]

the spray foam comes in 2 different expansion types, one is the regular type. it expands to 5 times, the one you need is the type you use around windows and doors.it is a minimal expansion form. this prevents cracking from too much expansion.

[@petergriffinson1907]

What is that one called?

[@mfblackburn1980]

I think it actually says “windows and doors” on it

[@jimweigand8937]

What size drill do you use to drill holes in top

[@deezwild5807]

As small as possible while still being able to insert the provided straw. There isn’t one set size

[@jurgenadai8699]

As a ticketed insulator please wait 48hrs before putting that lid back on and filling your cooler with food so the chemicals in the foam gas off. Very important!

[@doraexplora9046]

When I did this I waited 2 weeks before even thinking about putting any food in there.! I could still smell the stuff after a week.

[@TolietCamper]

Ticketed insulator aye. Yeah this guy slings the CC YEAHH!

[@VestigialHead]

Precool your icebox before going camping. Freeze up some water bottles two days before and use one half of the bottles to drop the temp in your cooler. So when you are ready to go you can take out the precooler bottles and put fresh fully frozen ones in and then drinks and food. Will prevent the ice you take with you having to do so much work to cool down the room temp cooler.

[@joeelias583]

You are a moron too. Please explain the theory of “ICE HAVE TO WORK OVERTIME” . Please do the world a favor an go away.. Have a STROKE SOON…

[@IcarusTECH]

Coat the lid in painters tape before drilling the holes and filling with foam makes for a super easy clean up and nicer looking final results. Nice vid!

[@brandyharvey3264]

Love these ideas guys 👍😁

[@alteregos8949]

Gotta admit, love how you don’t buy into the whole “Be a trendy hipster” attitude. So many people think that they must compete and buy overpriced garbage, when they can make something so inexpensive just as effective and useful. Good job!

[@tcc187620]

PAM cooking spray on the interior of the lid makes pealing the extra foam off SO much easier.

[@darkbulb367]

I was just about to say... good one Thomas.

[@chucker625]

Yes - what this guy said... not sure if anybody said it, but a little bit of denatured alcohol or paint thinner (depending on foam type) should clean up any remainder pretty quickly

[@paulbetka2966]

I wiped mine with a little wax 🙂plane automobile wax😕worked Awesome..

[@handymanhoney-do6881]

@@paulbetka2966 you have a plane automobile??? Welcome to the chat, Mr. Bond🤣

[@FlaMan69]

THIS!!!!!!!!

[@iam6345789]

Did that with my lunch pail years ago. The lid wouldn't stay on and the foam tightened it up. Had a Yeti tumbler that didn't live up to the price. Smart idea! Thanks

[@michaelromrell4791]

I'd love to see a follow up video where you test it's insulation properties before and after

[@bsc4344]

just finished watching another youtube vid RIGHT BEFORE this one... guy bought two same cheap coolers and treated just one with foam in the lid. He did a 10lb ice in both, put them in his dark tinted windowed jeep for a day, checked next day, THE FOAM ONE HAD NO ice left the other was colder and had some ice left. He took off the mod (he also added a rubber seal inside the lip to seal it even try upping the cooling seal,) tried it again and same result. ONLY FOAM LID ADDITION showed worse results, like not even close, it was obviously a downgrade in performance. General comments were that the air pockets in the lid are more important than foam filling, that somehow the foam transfers heat in faster than air pockets (think double pane windows that have the air gap in between, not foam ((Duh lol)) what WOULD be good I imagine, is being able to foam closer to the ice contact source down along the sides and bottom, but he said there didnt seem to be any way to get foam in, there seemed to be foam in OEM. I was about to leave the house to pick up some and do mine, since my coleman is horrifically bad even compared to a couple bux cheap fragile all foam coolers... (the best one I got is an organ cooler ie. was used by medical industry and 'retired'. There were no organs in it, the only reason I offered to take it) That lil thing can only do 3 cans of beer if laid flat, and the other 3 on top those plus the ice needed, but it stays iced for days before needing top up ice. Something better about those all foam medical organ carriers... I think I will go for foil wrap insulator (hot water pipe style or the bubblefoil barrier, forgot the name/application) kind and just sacrifice a bit of the interior capacity of the thing instead. Anything is better than having new ice melted before I even get the 5 hr drive to the mtns done... Seems the value of air spacing for a barrier is under appreciated nowadays.

[@nami2918]

@@bsc4344 LOL. Yeah when he did not test at the end and the video was over, I knew...

[@DoItYourselfDad]

I did test it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4LLoaqqpqqFnac , which is linked at the end of the video, in the description and the pinned comment….. but hey, let’s scroll past all that and resurrect two year old comments instead…

[@nami2918]

@@DoItYourselfDad Thanks I watched. It was good. You care! Now thinking about doing it!

[@t_c5266]

@@nami2918 Don't bother. The test wasn't scientific at all. Listen to B Sc's comment. In the linked video he took 3 different coolers. Not 2 identical coolers then modded one to test against a control.

[@clintpotts8983]

I just insulated two cooler lids. Thanks for the tip! I wanted a way to seal the holes used for the injection. Decided to use appropriately sized pop rivets. Also, drilled through the sides and top so I wouldn’t interact with the food surfaces. Seems to have worked well. :)

[@HHuddle23]

Nice upgrades! Thanks for the tip!

[@alvincook8888]

E6000 Glue. Turns to hard plastic in 24 hrs.

[@t_c5266]

You shouldn't have done that. As you'll note, there is no test in this video. The hack he did just made it worse.

[@frankb3430]

Rivets are still porous so you need some epoxy or hot glue over the rivets. DooOOO

[@chubbyninja842]

I find that if I just use double-sided tape and stick aluminum foil to the inside of my cooler, it extends the life of my ice for an additional day or two.

[@TheBeatenPaths]

Try Reflectix. Works good

[@handymanhoney-do6881]

I reuse some heavy duty Mylar packaging material that came in a box of cold goods. Just cut it to the size of the cooler and lay it across the interior top. Really holds in the cold. But I’m doing this expanding foam hack.

[@Danr07]

@An idiot... Correct. The air gap acts as a better insulated medium than the spray foam. If you want to make a mod that works, get the pink insulation boards, cut it to fit the bottom, sides and make a “lid” that all fit inside the body of the cooler. Simple, removable and it actually works because there are still air gaps in the existing structure of the cooler.

[@boldyo]

I just spread honey over everyone else's coolers and they leave mine alone.

[@DoItYourselfDad]

Well played.

[@largol33t1]

You're an evil genius...

[@boldyo]

@@largol33t1 I only put honey on the Yeti coolers, so is that really evil ;-)

[@bukhookeemanokay8699]

👏👏👏

[@jayceewedmak9524]

LOL 🤣

[@brucewilson1958]

Friend of mine lives in his van. He encased a regular cooler in 2" blue insulation board, with a removable lid. Works really well. He also has two deep cycle batteries that recharge when he drives and run lights and TV in the evening.

[@armandomendoza3167]

Do you know how longer does it stay cooler?

[@brucewilson1958]

​@@armandomendoza3167Hi. I don't but a long time. That blue 2" foam board has an R value of 10. If you had the space you could double the foam to 4", R value 20.

[@armandomendoza3167]

@@brucewilson1958 Do you remember what name brand was the blue foam board?.

[@brucewilson1958]

@@armandomendoza3167 At places like Home Depot and Menard's and similar stores there is only one brand of blue board insulation. There is also pink but it has a lower R value.

[@armandomendoza3167]

@@brucewilson1958 I still thank you for your valuable time. I'm gathering ideas for a friend that lives in a reservation. Only thing she has is an ice chest. Was thinking of an enclosed box to help keep cool her ice chest. Only major city is 30 minute drive. Thank you for your time and help. Be blessed.

[@mikrch3935]

I found if you put the blue masking tape where you're going to drill the holes, cleanup is a lot easier. After the foam dries simply pull off the dried foam by pulling off the tape. Make sure you tape well beyond where you plan to drill. Try it

[@JK-pf4um]

You can buy rust proofing plugs that you use on cars to fill in the holes . The plugs come in 3/8 or 1/2" get them at any auto supply

[@TomRolfson]

That's what I thought, small stainless screws should last for years.

[@gweedomurray9923]

I would just dab in some E-6000 or Gorilla Glue equivalent. It's non hardening and you can roll your fingers to remove the residue. You can rub off the excess "overspray" on the lid as easily. Let it partially cure and it comes off nice 'n rubber like.

[@71160000]

Not all containers are created evenly. I would suggest you get the brightest flashlight you can find and place it inside the ice chest at night. Now look at the outside for light bleed through from areas in the chest that may not be properly insulated. If the store will let you this is a good way to pick out a good cooler off the shelf. If you want a quick easy cooler that'll keep ice cold for days then find a styrofoam cooler that will just fit inside your ice chest and place the ice in it. My last suggestion for long lasting ice is buy or make solid blocks of ice. Out in the bay in summer heat I can melt forty pounds of ice in a day or put ten pounds of block ice in it's place and still have ice left at the end of the day.

[@JosephMullin]

Also use door or window foam or rubber strips to get better seal around lid.

[@lui1648]

Another way to improve your coolers ability to hold ice is to use "reflectec" to make a "wrap to cover the cooler. We also line the inside with the same material. Although this seems like a fish story we can improve the ice holding ability to one week. We use this method when we go north into Canada to fish. Reflectex is basically bubble wrap sandwiched in shiny foil on both sides. Heating and Air conditioning contractors use this material.

[@markusbroadwater8361]

My ice stays frozen for months in Canada too

[@gregwebster8784]

We were going to make a video of this at the boatyard, because we're sick of those overpriced coolers too. I'm glad you did. Now we can resume screwing off instead.

[@taylorwilliams4179]

As someone thats looked into hundred+ dollar coolers...thank you so much for this. As someone that wants to camp for a weekend or two weeks, this will make things so much easier.

[@argument1582]

The logic is flawless with the no bear badge on the cooler.

[@stephankapusta9836]

That was a good idea to make the cooler last longer but it is just the lid. How much difference will that actually make. If you did a side by side comparison it would make this video a lot more informative.

[@insolentish4529]

A lot. Great stuff has an r value of about 6 per inch. Granted it's really adding against the protection of soon beating down on the lid and warming up the air inside

[@andreahansen3118]

good question - can I do this to the sides of my old cooler?

[@roar_ing]

I will definately try this! For a quicker process, add some water: "Dampen for Fast Curing. Expanding polyurethane foam sealant requires moisture to expand and cure. If you're applying foam to dry wood or other dry surfaces, or working on a day with little humidity, misting the area first will help the foam expand and cure faster".

[@skt0623]

Absolutely worked. Before I did this, the ice melts in about 12 hours sitting outside or on a boat. With this simple insulation trick, the ice lasted around 24-26 hours. When I used blocks of ice instead of cubes, it even lasted longer at 30 hours. The PAM trick is right on target, the waste came right off. Also did the new Stainless Steel hinges from Amazon and this cooler is around for quite a few more years. Thanks...

[@deborahcazalas297]

I was hoping it would last longer.

[@Joopsmann]

The No Bears sign should work. Deer read the Deer Crossing signs and know it’s cool to cross there.

[@hiddenflorida]

Great vid! Another mod I would suggest would be to affix UV reflective window film (or similar such as aluminum foil) to cover the lid. Your cooler may be in the shade when you place it, but that status can change, often beneath notice.

[@frankdiscussion9988]

Ghetto Yeti.... It's a Ghetti!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Ha!

[@williamnelson2942]

Then take your ghetto cooler to the sarenghetto to show your home boys how to drink a cold one

[@MuskratOutdoors]

@@williamnelson2942 I'll do that! It won't be Corona either, us Hillbillies like the cheap beer. Ha! Rolling Rock, Nat Light, PBR..... Save the over priced stuff for you yuppies.

[@MJ0U812]

HAHAHAHAHA! NICE

[@maxtheleopard]

@@williamnelson2942 Open a cold one with the boys

[@roaddog1973]

Fill from outside. Also blue tape the hell out of it, and then drill the holes and fill. Once the foam dries, just peel off the tape. No chisel or wire brush needed.

[@ThisTall]

Wiping mineral oil on the cooler will work cheaper and 90% faster. And is food safe

[@ThisTall]

SouthernKudzu Would work just as well. Other then some of the sketchy claims about aerosol cooking spray. Either way not a deal breaker.

[@frankweathersbee2553]

Or rub with olive oil first.

[@charlesjacques750]

cunning linguist I’d just let my gf sit on it, she has a real hot ass.

[@randyendicott2992]

I can tell you dont know shit about physics....you try that out before you give out dumb advice

[@akrocuba]

I used spray foam on my Coleman cooler about 25 years ago, long before Yetti came out and rally worked well! I drilled a lot more holes. I did it to the whole cooler, sides and top

[@t_c5266]

Poor vintage coleman. You made it a worse cooler unfortunately.

[@toddfreeman4725]

The sides already have foam.

[@hansg6336]

Before injecting the foam, coat the inside of the lid with silicone or vegetable oil. It makes getting the excess foam off much easier

[@ryantoppin2404]

I've had a number of plastic hinges break on me. Using a small chunk of leather to replace them keeps your lid secure for years and years.

[@SKYGUY1]

Happened to me too. Replacement hinges were 1.50 each and a buck shipping.

[@jamessholes9699]

We lived in a drafty mobile home for a few years and did a lot of spray foaming while we were there. I can’t remember if it was peroxide or rubbing alcohol (I believe it was peroxide) but if you get spray foam on your skin rub some peroxide and fast orange (for the pumice) on the area and it cleans up so much easier. Thanks for the cooler tips, gonna go play in the spray foam for a while before we head to the river. Now I’m wondering about making flotation devices with spray foam, hmmm.

[@dennislaw2135]

It would have been nice if you would have done a before and after test on how long ice lasts.

[@Runningfromtheherd]

Absolutely. Waste of time without test.

[@DGDRamped]

I was thought that air was the best insolator

[@DoItYourselfDad]

If air was the best insulator then why do we have insulation to fill air gaps in the rest of the cooler, refrigerators, houses etc?

[@DGDRamped]

@@DoItYourselfDad to prevent the air from moving. It's not the filler material that insolates it's the trapped bubbles inside the foam. in fact the insolator material conducts heat so the denser the insolator (the more used) the less effective so long that enough is used to prevent air movement

[@rkwjunior2298]

@@DGDRamped ummm?.. The air inside the top of a cooler will match the temperature of the surrounding ambient temp, imagine the sun beating down on the top of a cooler lid, it will be scorching on top and inside the lid. The lids of cheap coolers is the biggest issue. Insulation provides a barrier between 2 areas. Hence why they insulate houses in cold climates.

[@birddog3130]

A good way to warp the cooler lid. Try using the "Less Expanding " foam, same brand used for house windows.

[@glendathegoodwitch6987]

The excess foam exited. Why not ask him if the lid ever warped?

[@MichaelMiller-op8fe]

Drill the holes on the edges of the lid where it makes contact with the cooler then cover them with a nice adhesive thin foam strip for a double duty of sealing the holes and sealing the air around the lid ..with the tube on the spray foam you can still reach the center easily.

[@robwuesthoff3390]

Very cool. I was concerned that the foam would expand beyond it's parameters and bloat the lid, but I can see that it didn't do that here for you. I imagine that it might if the walls of the cooler were really flimsy, or perhaps not. thanks again for demonstrating this. I always wanted to do this exact thing. .... Also, I am going to tackle this project but I will add a piece of double sided radiant barrier foam insulation to mine. Reflectix makes one, but the one I will use is a roofing underlayment replacement called "Low E."

[@algonice5894]

I just did this to my cooler last week before a camping trip. Helped a lot to keep the ice from melting. Also Acetone worked well to get it off quickly. Great Video

[@jimandrews2967]

We use "CRC BRAKE CLEANER" at work to get it off your skin but you do have only minutes to get it cleaned off so keep it close by. The foam still has to be soft to remove it. Once it gets hard and sets up it's permanent and you have to wear it off.

[@calebwilson4442]

Theres a little removable plastic plug in the back of the lid, just a heads up.

[@whatsgood4685]

The plug isin the side in the middle as well

[@bunnybooland9604]

Lol

[@brickwal92tt]

If this was filled from only one hole, or also covering up the hole/s as you spray, the foam will have no where to go as it expands, thus warping the lid, making it useless......

[@GuitaristInProgress]

Make sure you drill enough holes to vent the foam as it explands. I didn't drill enough, and my lid expanded in the middle, bowed and ruined the cooler completely.

[@johnp556]

Sorry, but I laughed out loud at your bowed cooler. Bummer dude.

[@killfistr]

They make window and door jam spary foam, it expands less and wont deform the window or door.... or lid

[@dianewolfe3381]

OMG

[@insolentish4529]

The holes wouldn't have prevented that. The red can expands at will even destructively that's why your instructed to only fill 50 percent of the void and not fill voids you can't see. The blue can is a few bucks more but far more forgiving. The cell structure for the blue can is different though so it's much more likely to sponge up water. Closed cell vs open cell

[@whatfreedom7]

killfistr I used the low expansion on mine. It was fine at first but later it still ruptured the lid.

[@bradleynealdaley]

Great stuff is a urethane foam with an R value / inch of 3.7-4.5 range. Better than nothing, but closed cell urethane can get you into the mid 6's / inch of thickness. Yeti's total envelope is ~ R6 I think (not per inch. Total insulative value). - Heat transfer through the walls i.. decent... but the material is so thick that a fair bit of heat wicks around the foam and through the plastic. There is also very little to no irradiative barrier in the yeti or coleman coolers. If you want to see a awesome (non consumer) cooler, look up Vacuum insulation panel shippers. They are used in pharma and bio. The yeti has an R of ~6 A decent themal shipper made from VIP's will be 1" thick walls, and have an R value of 40.

[@timothyhays1817]

Get some moving blankets. Throw over the top of the cooler under a nice shaded area. This helps keep the heat out, kids and other critters. My bear proofing is not camping in bear areas.

[@deborahcazalas297]

That's my way to bear proof.

[@EastCoastATV]

Great video! The only thing that would make it better would be a before and after ice melt test.

[@qxflyer]

That was my thought as well.

[@chrisb9960]

Yea i would like to see a test.

[@yodaguy6956]

No way that would even come close to reaching Yeti performance. Still prob definitely worth doing for overnight trips etc though

[@Hogprint25]

Yo Daguy Yeti’s and Engle’s work great...as long as you’re not opening and closing them all day. If so then they’re just as inefficient as a cheap cooler. Now if you’re packing things in and don’t open the lids they’re good for close to 48hrs or more...

[@yodaguy6956]

@@Hogprint25 my yetis still had ice after eight days in the Nevada desert, even with opening for cooking ( not a beer cooler though)

[@snarkysquirrel2025]

I did this on my last 3 coolers. Did the top and bottom of the last. Just tap the besides you'll be able to tell where the insulation stops and you can fill in. Fun video thanks

[@ELEVOPR]

Nice, I have the same cooler and have it for around 15+ years also. Strange thing is that I was just cleaning out some Cabinets and I found two cans of that foam thing and a few hours later, this shows up on my KZbin recommendations :o/ Thanks again for a great Idea. Yeti is Seriously Over Priced.

[@lorenzofuentes3021]

It’s the government

[@ELEVOPR]

@@lorenzofuentes3021 :o/ maybe they are warning us ?

[@Laggin6]

Enter: music from "The Twilight Zone"

[@SKYGUY1]

Mmmmmm, Dew Du, dew DU, Dew Du, dew DU, Dew Du, dew DU, Dew Du, dew DU!!! You are entering the Twilight Zone

[@yodaguy6956]

Yetis and similar type expensive coolers have far superior performance, but most people really don't need that, plus they hold less due to their thickness and they're heavier, so they're not worth the cost for overnight or short weekend type trips. But for long trips or hot conditions, yeti blows these things out of the water

[@mlangfordoutdoor]

I made one of these years ago and kept it out of sight did not want anyone to know I could not afford the yeti and I still have it-should have done a video.

[@joecraft4409]

Before spraying in the foam, I apply a generous coat of paste wax to the lid surfaces. The excess foam wont adhere to the lid surface. I then drill the fill holes out and fill with silicone.

[@margosaunders5705]

I have that same cooler, but a different colour. I have had it about the same length of time, and I think this is a super idea!I also use a space blanket to wrap it in. That alone, and keeping it in the shade (and not letting anyone else open it) keeps it properly cold for easily 5 days, so with the spray- in insulation, it should last us for most of our 2-week wilderness canoe trips. Thanks!!

[@kklassie100]

that is what i do also.. but even doing that, and having dry ice inside.. I still could not get Blue Bell from texas to the west coast .. to my baby who LOVEs it. :( melted into liquid. :(

[@campfireaddict6417]

Put an iced milk jug in cooler overnight then a fresh one next morning; it jump-starts the cold.

[@cjwetzel22]

I have often thought of doing this. A before and after ice melt test would convince me if it was worth it. Also Yetis and other thermoplastic molded coolers usually have an air tight gasket which helps with cooling efficiency.

[@DoItYourselfDad]

Just put up the test video,.... and added latches and a gasket, check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4LLoaqqpqqFnac

[@markypolo55]

I bought several Coleman Extreme coolers over 15 years ago for less than $20 each. BEST coolers I have ever owned! I don't believe a YETI would even come close to that kind of VALUE!

[@DoItYourselfDad]

Agreed! These cheap coolers hold up!

[@GG-nv8gt]

Igloo marine coolers are insulated top to bottom. I found this out when I tried to insulate the top. :). Good vid

[@bigstick5278]

G G::: The one we had in Florida would hold ice for three days, i don't know how well they are made these days?

[@rabidgp]

I have the smallest one and it's not insulated anywhere!

[@prepperjonpnw6482]

Haha lol I did the same lol

[@littlegoobie]

I have their 70qt MaxCold roller cubes. love those things. They're insulated top to bottom. solid hinges, solid heavy plastic construction (can stand on them with no flex), and they keep things frozen rock hard for at least 2 days. I have not had to test them any longer since that's my max travel/flight time home.

[@shawnjennings5409]

@@bigstick5278 o

[@bryanreeme8584]

Another helpful tip- buy your ice the day before & put it in your own freezer.. Your "cold" ice is gonna be 25 or more degrees colder, holds for days, not hours👍

[@markdavis1116]

Buy blocks of ice, last 3x as long . Or fill up old OJ bottles, then you have drinking water when ice melts.

[@Ahnleshak]

@@markdavis1116 Hurricane Harvey: My top loading freezer wasn't full so I froze empty plastic tea bottles nearly full of water as a hedge. When frozen solid I put them in my coolers and added new ones to the freezer. In a power outage, I had days of chilled coolers ready.

[@prepperjonpnw6482]

I clean out 1/2 gallon milk jugs completely to perfection and then fill with water I’ve run through my water purifier (not filter it’s a purifier) and place them in my big standup freezer for at least a month. They work better than blocks of ice because of their shape, they are ultra frozen after a month, if they do melt at all I can drink the melted water. I usually put 1/2 a dozen in my ice chest 24 hours before leaving. I take those 6 out and replace with all new still ultra frozen jugs. This sounds like a lot more work than it actually is. I was simply being overly descriptive in order to cut down on stupid comments picking apart my process. Anyway, each year a couple of my buddies and my son and I spend close to a month camping up in the mountains. By keeping the cooler in the shade and only opening it 2-3 times a day at most we don’t need more ice at all and everything stays frozen solid. I’m using the huge white Coleman that takes 2 people to lift by the way.

[@PartyUpLive]

I freeze a bunch of water bottles and I take a bunch of solo cups, fill them about 3/4 with water, freeze them, and use the mini ice blocks they make. I also use one of the ice blocks in my 64oz mug from the gas station or 7-Eleven. The solo cups will start to leak because they will expand after that first freeze. Just double them up and reuse them.

[@razorsharp170]

Minor tip. Wype the inside of the lid down with peteolium jelly before filling with foam. It wont stick after it dries.

[@oinc7320]

After doing this foam mod, I opened my cooler, and a Yeti ate me, the No Bear sign was useless against a Yeti attack.

[@VictorRamirez-xw5tw]

Funny 😁

[@thatrickster1]

Great Stuff is a water catalyzed foam. It absorbs moisture from the air. 10 years ago I filled the inside of a dodge sprinter door with great stuff, and the door filled up with foam. Because we made a metal inside wall, no moist air entered the cavity or allowed the foam to harden. There were puddles of resin inside the bottom of the door when I inspected the interior days later. The cooler lid cavities are air tight except for the holes, so I expect the same thing that happened to me happens here. The foam collapses inside the lid so no insulation actually hardens. If the inside were wetted with some soapy water before injecting the great stuff, that might work.

[@lowlifeangler]

I have a big 5 day Colman cooler for $39 new, if the items are already cold before loading the cooler. It works fine. Just drain the water in the morning. I'll have try the foam.

[@dm.2023]

Spray the lid down with cooking spray first. That way the foam wont stick after it oozes out of the holes and dries on to the lid.

[@mac11380]

I wonder if that would work with a babies butt? ....lol

[@JoeyIngles]

mac11380 Boudreaux’s Butt Paste

[@salvadortorres3276]

Do you think the holes could be made on top of the lid? So you don'don't worry about food grade silicone? It may not look clean but just a thought.

[@smedley1544]

Rubber grommets

[@gweedomurray9923]

Doing it from the inside allows you to see all the places you intend to drill without having to extrapolate the locations from the inside to the outside. Spraying, taping etc. is not so much work for saving yourself all the labor that Dad guy went to for cleanup.

[@michaelrivera131]

You could also put painter's tape where you intend to drill holes before drilling, cover with a sheet of plastic, cut holes in the plastic corresponding to the tape, place another piece of tape to stick the plastic to the base layer of tape, drill your holes, fill with foam, wait for it to dry, and now your foam is stuck to your plastic film instead of the lid.

[@mallorymcguire833]

Comparison between this and Yeti for how long/how many hours days ice lasts.

[@DoItYourselfDad]

Just put up the test video, check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4LLoaqqpqqFnac

[@sailboatbob3969]

you should use Door and Window expansion foam. it will expand and do the same insulation, just not with a large amount of pressure to where it might deform the lid

[@ElDiablo223]

Lol, you had me rolling in laughter with your bear proof warning and anti-confuse Yeti logo, well done sir.

[@leebrown7070]

What happens to your lid after a day in the sun? The foam in mine kept expanding and the lid became 8" thick!

[@sheltonshockley5940]

Haha

[@whatfreedom7]

I did it to mine with low expansion version and it ruptured later on.

[@paulcorley7314]

Yes mine did the same thing I put way too much foam in it and I only used one hole

[@glenskilles]

Would love to see a comparison video of how this holds up against one of the expensive ones. Never mind, found it…

[@nateb4543]

Can not stress how difficult spray foam is to clean up, especially after it cures. Water helps it expand too. Finally, the loctite version is better than greatstuff

[@GenericUserUnknown]

Acetone is great for getting the foam off, especially before it dries.

[@climber0077]

Great idea on insulating the lid. I was hoping for a test and comparison with one of the big boys though! If you tested it, can you share how much better your coleman performed than before the extra insulation? Thanks! Keep the DIY stuff comin'! Thumbs up! NVRMND!! Just saw Part 2!!!! Thanks!

[@DoItYourselfDad]

Check out the video in the pinned comment, we tested it and added seals and latches as well.

[@joysart5]

I've got a great tip. I put a cooler inside the cooler for a freezer unit. No joke. I was able to keep ice for 6 days in the "freezer" compartment. Now, I'll have to admit that both inner and outer coolers were also being stored inside an antique refrigerator that was unplugged. I assume that old 1927 fridge had some sort of insulation left. Not much though, because before the thermostat went, it always felt cold on the outside. But I'm glad you posted the video, because now I have the courage to give this a try. I'd been thinking it would work for a few years already. Now that my husband ordered a bunch of Omaha steaks, I have that cooler (which works better- ha) as a backup.

[@DoItYourselfDad]

This works!

[@t-dubdelray1396]

Should of done a test to see how it now holds ice vs a YETI

[@chevyon37s]

T-DUB DELRAY lets not get too crazy....

[@yodaguy6956]

Not even close to a yeti, still cool thoygh

[@johnwoods1688]

My guess is it will give you a bit longer. The quality and thickness of roto molded coolers is by far better. For regular camping this would work. For my week long rafting trips I need those expensive coolers

[@DarkHorse902]

You may think you need the expensive ones. I did a six day trip with a cooler the same as in the video, but without insulating the lid. I still had water that I couldn't drink on the way home because it was still frozen. 🤷‍♂️

[@tjonesauto]

I bought a cooler from Goodwill to do this for fun. Turns out it's my BEST cooler!!!

[@gordonsallee2317]

Loved you ghetto Yeti. I would like to know how long it takes for a chunk of ice to melt before and after (same weight for each of course). Now I need to test, create one and test again. :) Thanks for the quick leason.

[@martinhinkins2027]

Great idea, I’m going have to do that to all my camping / hunting coolers. Thanks for the info: Just so NO to yeti !!!!!

[@gailtrotman5256]

I think the Yeti' and such are meant for Long trips, RVers, and tiny homers, living in vans etc instead of buying a fridge freezer. They are delighted with them.

[@jeremymcintyre7812]

You can use gasket sealer or foam tape on the inside also to help seal it.

[@jasoncostello3471]

I like your handy work. The foam we use to make high end ice chests is very similar in principle to what you used, it's just allot denser. We have to put the lid and body into a special jig or the foam would blow the lids and walls apart (or at least turn them into round meatballs). You will get another level of ice retention by also fashioning a seal. The hardware stores should carry some type of adhesive backed foam you can use. I think the standard application is for sealing windows. If the seal is thick you may have to mount the hinges a little differently and drill 2 new holes, or change hinges. Butterfly latches would also make a nice addition. Very Cool project.

[@DustinGrahamCA]

Thanks for sharing your insight. I like the visualization of an ice chest lid turning into a round meatball.

[@GanderFlight]

Spray foam is definitely a fantastic product! I recently used some on a video where I filled pneumatic garden tires with it to make them run flats!

[@thefoxhouse]

This is cool. I’m totally going to try this on my 16qt cooler. Another note, for 3d printing people should check their local library. I know our local libraries have several for free public use. You just need to take a their safety class.

[@barryadcox2710]

I've always thought to myself if a grizzly bear get your cooler the last thing you're going to be worried about is, the bear drinking your beer

[@johnnyarnett4904]

Here a tip if u get the foam on your hands ..wd40 will take it right off trust me it works I had some spill in my van and I tried everything

[@deekay4002]

If you don't use all the contents of the can you can clean out the spray tube and top of the can with acetone and use what's left in the can later.

[@handymanhoney-do6881]

@@deekay4002 good to know--I’ve always assumed the expanding foam was kind of a one-use item. Thanks

[@frankyost7852]

Haven't done it yet but was thinking of just spraying the underside of the lid with cooking spray before using the foam to keep it from sticking.

[@pezpengy9308]

quitely watched until the no bear sticker, then immediately hit the thumbs up.

[@DoItYourselfDad]

Love it!

[@prepperjonpnw6482]

I thought you were going to simply install a padlock lol

[@rotorav8]

The bears see the symbol and know they are not allowed. Just like when wildlife crosses the road they look for the Wildlife crossing signs. (remember the person who called to complain that they move the wildlife crossing further from town?)

[@robertmoore1472]

Id love to see all the pics of the lids that blew open from too much foam

[@ringwood]

Good point. You would want to use the product that is designed for around windows. It is minimal expanding and low pressure.

[@insolentish4529]

@@ringwood I agree. Blue can. But you need to do a good job of plugging the holes, the blue can will sponge water up while the red won't

[@MFitz12]

I have this same cooler, its primary benefit being it is the largest cooler I have that fits through the trunk opening of my Subaru BRZ. Performance (the cooler, not the car) has always been lacking. I may have to try this.

[@crypto6347]

Good job ..put pam on the lid before it will not stick !😁

[@kristingil6544]

I loved in the video where you discussed how long the ice lasted the whole weekend

[@ssnydess6787]

The coverage of the foam in the lid was amazing. A suggestion would be to wipe down the inside of the lid with a release agent like Vaseline.

[@FlyRiverFly]

The subtlety of the "Bear Free Zone" sign is classic! Loved it. Too bad the dim bulb politicians in DC would miss the irony.

[@CoreyBrass]

I keep watching these videos but nobody actually comes back a week later and says how well it works

[@fredflintstone4715]

Or shows a before/after comparison. Cold air does go down, right?

[@johndowe7003]

they do it for the views

[@chueyzapata3425]

@@fredflintstone4715 warm air rises after getting excited by energy friction

[@DoItYourselfDad]

I literally have the follow up video, with results, temperature, how long I’ve lasts linked in the the end screen, video description, AND pinned comment you had to look at when you scrolled down to comment….

[@CoreyBrass]

@@DoItYourselfDad you sure did...and only 1 YEAR after I left my comment.

[@kelvinjohnson3407]

totally awesome, i did the same but i did not make that many holes , 1 at each end of your lid 2 in the center as bleed off holes and to re-seal the holes plastic hole plugs with a sealant that turns to rubber , NOTE: mine was constructed from the out side same concept, great vid. Kelvin

[@kromanof]

Great work. Sensible; do-able; practical; affordable. One suggestion to help clean up after foam hardens. Before drilling holes maybe line the inside with plastic and/or electric tape and drill through that os that when the foam overflows it goes on to the plastic instead of the inside of the lid. This may make it easier to clean up after.

[@enochgray8762]

Bear free zone 😂. I bet that sticker works as well as the gun free zone signs.

[@thegentlecraftsman4764]

gun people are haters, too bad, my faterh and granddad were both gun users and they didn't hate anyone, my how times have changed.

[@MrLeo7627]

? Lots are A-holes & many are good people, just like any other group . I like this guy Randy Newberg @@thegentlecraftsman4764

[@munsters2]

Great idea! I think I will do my Coleman. That expanding foam is strong enough to move drywall and warp door jambs so I am very surprised that it did not blow your lid up into a pillow.

[@username8171]

My exact thoughts.

[@IowaKim]

To be honest, the 2 legged thieves are more of a threat for an expensive Yeti than a bear. Having a stealth DIY is more appealing.

[@buffettfanman]

They have a low expansion type foam as well I used it on my JEEP Grand Waggoner when I added new speakers. If you spray Pam cooking spray before you spray the foam the foam won't stick get those hood snap own for jeeps and the cooler will be near proof

[@jackmack9325]

vibrating saw works great for taking off the excess

[@c.c.fielder5432]

Wipe on light coat of Armor All before drilling holes, no sticking after curing, easy snap off. Nice painting trick too, paint just peels off.